InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Against All Odds ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

As the neko, kitsune and miko-youkai neared the edge of the clearing in which her friends were Kagome sighed happily. She knew the truth about her past and herself; she knew that she could be a proper mother to Shippou and have enough strength to defend them both. Kagome was also unceasingly grateful for Kirara. Youko was still regaining his strength and, had she not been there, it would have taken Kagome much longer to get them back to her group.

 

However, it seemed as though happiness was not meant to be a permanent fixture in this day. The closer she got to her campsite, the louder the yelling became…his yelling.

 

~*~

 

Inuyasha had come back to camp in the early morning hours with a cocky grin on his face. He had spent another night with Kikyou and figured Kagome was none the wiser. He still hadn't been able to choose which miko he loved more and had made it his plan to have them both. While he had lain with Kikyou, he had marked her as his mate. Now, as per his plan, he was going to woo Kagome and mark her as well.

 

In his mind, it was the best option; he couldn't choose between them so he decided to take both of them. What was better than two bodies that housed the same soul? Inuyasha couldn't think of anything. His idea was solid; Kikyou was his first and eternal love, he had marked her as his mate. However, she wasn't among the living and couldn't bare him a child. That was where Kagome came in. Oh he would mark her, but not at the juncture of her neck and shoulder…not where a mate's mark would go.

 

Kagome was to be more like a concubine. The woman who would bare his child…or children should he desire more than one. She would also be held responsible for their keeping; it wouldn't do for he and his mate to be interrupted.

 

The hanyou had spent the night in Kikyou's arms thinking it over. He knew he could just kill Kagome and give Kikyou back the ability to have children and life, but he rather liked his other option better. He knew that once Kagome found out she would yell, cry and `sit' him countless times but by then it wouldn't matter; she would bare his mark and be untouchable by any other.

 

Now, as he sauntered into camp fully intent on seducing Kagome by using her love for him against her, he realized something was off. Sniffing the air gently, his eyes roaming over the figures of his companions, he figured out what was amiss. Kagome. She was gone!

 

Striding over angrily, he growled and tore open her sleeping back, scaring the wits out of poor Shippou as he snatched him from the ground by his tail and gave him a sound shake. Once the kit's eyes opened and focused on him, Inuyasha growled, “Where the fuck is Kagome, runt?”

 

Shippou's eyes widened considerably at the ferocity that was in the half-breed's golden orbs. Franticly looking around camp, he noticed that Kagome was indeed gone but before the tears could start, he saw her yellow backpack, still propped innocently against a tree.

 

Just as Inuyasha was about to shake the kit and fling him to the forest, Shippou spoke, “I-I don't know, Inuyasha. Her bag is still here though so she should be close by.”

 

“Why don't you know where she is Inuyasha? Weren't you supposed to be taking watch? How could she have slipped by your senses?” Came the calm, and slightly angered voice of Miroku.

 

Both he and Sango had awoken in a start at the first low growl from their dog-eared companion and had watched confused as he tore open Kagome's sleeping bag and proceeded to shake Shippou.

 

Miroku was no fool. He knew exactly where Inuyasha had been and why he was unaware of Kagome's absence until now. While the others had all been sleeping peacefully, Miroku had been awake but settled into a light trance. Therefore, he saw clearly when the eerie glow of Soul Stealers lit up the night sky. He decided to ask Inuyasha anyway.

 

Watching the hesitation sweep across the hanyou's golden gaze was satisfaction enough. The dog now knew that Miroku was aware of his actions; he knew that he had gone to see Kikyou. Deciding not to raise the ire of Sango, Inuyasha settled for feigning ignorance.

 

“How the hell should I know houshi? I was scouting around the area for a majority of the early morning.” The dog growled, “Why the fuck does it matter anyway?! The wench is gone and we are going to go find her! Now!”

 

Sango made to protest and grill the hanyou further, but her voice caught in her throat when she saw who stood on the edge of their campsite. Kikyou. `So, the bastard not only went to `see' Kikyou, but had the nerve to bring her back and to rant about Kagome not being here?' The slayer saw red.

 

“What the hell is she doing here?! You promised to protect Kagome and now she is missing because you had to go have a tumble in the hay with a dead woman?!” Sango proceeded with a fairly good growl for a human, her voice dropping to a deadly pitch as she strode forward to face the hanyou. “I promise you this Inuyasha,” she started, his name coming from her lips coated in venom, “if we find my sister and she is hurt in anyway or, Kami forbid, we don't find her, I will take my anger and pain out on your hide.”

 

Miroku watched the scene play out with mixed emotions. His own anger at the dog's actions washed over him even as amusement at seeing him cower before his lovely Sango came forth. The anger came back full force and tinted with rage however, when he saw Kikyou step forward, coming up behind Inuyasha. That was the bitch their friend had been abandoned for.

 

“Feh!” Inuyasha stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest and tucking his hands in his sleeves. “Threaten me all you want Sango, it doesn't change the fact that Kikyou is here and Kagome is missing. Now get out of my face so we can go find that stupid wench!”

 

Just as Sango was readying herself to bury Hiraikotsu into the thick skull of the half-demon, she felt a slight tug on her kimono. Looking down, she saw Shippou looking at her with wide, tear filled eyes. He had an angry purple bruise on his cheek from being dropped unceremoniously on the forest floor by Inuyasha and Sango felt her anger surface again before she calmed it. `Kagome is going to tear him apart for hurting Shippou.'

 

“Sango, do you think Kagome is okay? Where is Kirara?” Shippou asked quietly, the worst already forming in his young mind. He had seen his parents slain and couldn't bare the thought of losing his adopted mother as well. The kit had been scared senseless when he realized that Kagome was indeed absent from their camp, but had immediately felt slightly better when he saw that Kirara too was gone.

 

Sango had been so caught up in her wicked thoughts of beating the hanyou she hadn't noticed Kirara was missing until Shippou brought it up. “That is odd. Where is Kirara?”

 

A soft, broken voice answered her from the edge of the clearing, “She's right here with me Sango.”

 

~*~

 

Kagome had hoped to make it back to camp with Youko and Kirara before Inuyasha returned and the group was awake. She knew he would be furious with her for being gone and even more so for bringing Youko with her. It was okay though. She could, and would, take it because she refused to leave the kitsune alone and on his own in his condition. There was also the fact that he had asked to join her and Kagome thought that having another youkai on their side would prove helpful.

 

Now though, now Kagome was mad…and hurt. She had heard everything that had been said in the camp and couldn't stop the single tear that leaked from her eye when she heard that Kikyou was there. It was somewhat comforting to her when she heard the low rumbling of Youko's growl behind her and Kirara's equally vicious growl underneath her. It also felt good to hear Sango lash out at him. `Kami knows he deserves it.'

 

Still, it couldn't stop the pain in her heart. Even though she had forcibly let him go, she still loved him…and while most of that emotion was more brotherly, he had still been her first love.

 

They had hung outside the edge of camp amongst the trees. Kagome was suddenly wary of facing Inuyasha. She wasn't afraid of him by any means and knew that she could defend herself well if the situation called for it. It was the words that she knew would fall from his lips that she was afraid of. She wasn't so sure she could hold up against the verbal assault she now knew she would face, but it had to be done.

 

When the questions of Kirara's whereabouts were spoken, she figured it to be as good a time as any to face the firing squad. “She's right here with me Sango.”

 

Kagome fidgeted as she spoke with her head bowed low. She heard the gasps from the ones in front of her and suddenly wanted to run away; away from the anger and the questions; away from the look of betrayal she was sure to receive from Inuyasha; away from him and Kikyou.

 

Feeling a warm hand land on her shoulder, Kagome fought back the tears and raised her head to regard her companions…and Kikyou. Immediately she noticed that Kikyou was standing firmly next to a seething Inuyasha while Sango, Miroku and Shippou stood off to the side with questioning looks on their faces. Before she had a chance to speak, Inuyasha was barking at her.

 

“Where the fuck have you been wench? How stupid are you to wander around the forest in the middle of the night with the whole Shikon? And why the fuck do I smell fox?” Inuyasha ranted. He was pissed off completely and damned if that bitch wouldn't know about it.

 

Kagome felt his words tear into her and nearly collapsed. She was exhausted from her `rescue mission' and Kikyou's snickering at the hanyou's words only furthered her sorrow. “Why did I think I could do this?” She whispered softly, knowing Inuyasha wouldn't hear her over his own raving. It seems, however that she had forgotten about the extra sensitive ears of the kitsune behind her and started when she heard him whisper into her ear, his warm breath caressing the appendage and making her shiver.

 

“Because you can do this Kagome. You are strong and it is long past time that the damn mutt knows it. Prove to him that he can't break you, little one.” Youko said softly, silently delighting in the small tremor that accompanied his voice. He too had heard all that had been said in the clearing and came to the assumption that Kikyou was the dog's dead lover. The kitsune had promptly begun to see red but knew that this fight was Kagome's. He vowed to himself that should the half-breed turn this meeting into a physical altercation, he would guard Kagome with his life. She had saved his already and in his mind beautiful flowers should be cherished and protected.

 

Inhaling deeply, Kagome patted Kirara on the neck and asked her to bring them into the campsite. Once the neko had obliged, Kagome slid from her back and reached to help Youko, purposefully ignoring Inuyasha's questions. Once she had settled the fox onto her now torn bedding, she turned to face the seething hanyou.

 

“To answer you Inuyasha,” Kagome started softly, taking up a seat next to Youko on the ground and smiling slightly at Shippou when he jumped into her lap, “I left camp because I was needed elsewhere. I wasn't “wandering around” as you put it and I smell like fox because Youko,” she gestured to the silver kitsune at her side, “is indeed a fox.”

 

As she lifted her head to watch his reaction, she nearly giggled as the red in his face turned to an ugly shade of purple with his anger. He was visibly shaking and Kagome knew it was because of the way she had answered him. At that point, Kagome no longer cared. If the bastard couldn't regard her feelings, she would answer him the way she wanted and right now, she was pissed of and felt like goading him. “Wow Inuyasha…I never knew the color purple could look so ugly.”

 

The taijiya, houshi and kitsune were all confused by the turn of events. Whatever they had been expecting, it wasn't to see Kagome come from the depths of the forest riding Kirara with an, as of yet, unknown fox behind her. They watched in wide eyed wonder as Inuyasha ranted and swore at Kagome and she completely ignored him, not even subduing him.

 

Shippou had disappeared in a flash of tail to settle in their friends lap and when Kagome answered Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango blinked. Neither one had ever seen her react in such a way. Not only had the dog not yet been `sat' but Kagome was making her reply in a matter-of-fact way that stunned them. Kagome was always outspoken and to the point, but the way she answered the hanyou wasn't like her at all. They nearly fell over when they heard her last comment. She was purposefully jerking his chain!

 

Kagome snuck a peek at Miroku and Sango and noted their incredulous looks with a slight air of amusement. She knew what they were thinking because the thought had crossed her own mind as well. `He is going to kill me.'

 

Inuyasha growled low and dangerously as he watched that fox, that Youko lean up against Kagome's side. “Bitch. I can tell he is a fox but that doesn't explain why the fuck he is here.” He was fed up. Kagome was mocking him when she was supposed to have been looking at him with love in her eyes. His plan was falling down around his ears and he was none too happy about it.

 

Sighing heavily, Kagome shook her head and turned to look at Youko, who gave her a reassuring smile, and then turned once more towards her first love. “He is here, Inuyasha because I brought him here. He was being held at a castle and I helped him get free. He has injuries that need to be watched and he asked to travel with us. I thought it would be prudent for him to do so. I can make sure he heals alright.”

 

Up until this point, Youko had sat back and watched the sparks fly. He could feel the anger in Kagome's aura and was concerned about whether or not the bracelet she had been gifted with would be able to retain its hold upon her youkai blood. He was impressed that she had taken his words to heart and was effectively irritating the mutt. As far as Youko was concerned, the whelp deserved everything Kagome could dish out and part of him thought the idea of her breaking free of her binds would be exciting to see.

 

He was itching to know of her breed of youkai because she had yet to tell him. While on the trip back to her friends, he had asked and huffed in mild annoyance when she merely smiled and promised he would find out soon enough. While he would love to see her demon blood take over and watch her charge the hanyou, he was content sitting pressed against her. Being so close, he was able to take her scent deep into his lungs. Youko watched as the young kit, Shippou climbed into Kagome's lap and felt a brief flaring of jealousy at the kit's good luck. It faded soon enough when he saw the small smile that tilted the young woman's lips as she ran her fingers lovingly through the kit's hair.

 

Now though, now his anger at the situation was beginning to surface. Kagome was being reasonable enough with Inuyasha by answering his questions and yet he stood there, crimson slowly creeping into gold as he took a tentative step forward, even as the dead miko by his side glared daggers at the gentle female next to him.

 

Taking it upon himself to relieve the attention on Kagome, Youko spoke “I would suggest that you retreat back a step dog and call your bitch off. While I am well aware that I have yet to have had the pleasure of actually meeting you, I can't say that I will suffer the loss.”

 

The kitsune's baritone came out like deadly liquid silk and all present save for Kagome, he proudly noticed, visibly shivered. He locked gazes with Inuyasha and let the promise of the half-breed's death should he continue, linger in his eyes.

 

Their heated glare was cut short however, when a growl laced with the threat of imminent demise broke the silence. “What the hell did you do to my kit?”