InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Dark Past ❯ Never Fooled by the Foolish ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: Okay. . . well, I still don't own him. . . but maybe someday I will. . .until then I'll sit by my window and wish on every star. . . yeah, like that'll work.

AN: Okay. . . now to this chapter.

 

AGE:

InuYasha: 19

Kagome: 18

Kouga: 19

Naraku: 19

Miroku: 19

Sango: 18

Kaede: 65

 

 

A Dark Past

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Chapter Five: Never Fooled by the Foolish

 

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`Physically, they can see perfectly fine.However, they can't see a thing; they're all mentally blinded.'

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The grass was a soft padding that made `swish'-ing noises every time a step was made. Very bright and shiny when the sun reflected over it, it immediately made enemies with the sensitive tissue known as eyes.

 

That was why Inuyasha hated it.

 

That and the fact that it was so hard in the winter and poked the bottom of his delicate, sensitive feet; turning into a shade of brown and hardening as it died in the winter only to come back in a few months - refreshed and renewed and so lively, it acted like it hadn't done any harm in a former life.

 

`Note to self: when the world is taken over by aliens and I'm some random name from the past, destroy the plant known to the human race as grass- - -'

 

Inuyasha blinked in confusion at the sudden `crunch' he heard. He was stepping on grass, why would he hear a. . .? He looked down to inspect it.

 

Great; he stepped on and squashed a bug that was pretty ugly and big.

 

His day was made.

 

Inuyasha looked up jerkily, scowled, and continued to trek over to where the damned monk stood.

 

Miroku looked up from the nurse he had just been talking to, only to see a sour looking hanyou trekking down the hill.

 

Miroku's smile turned to one of pity. The hanyou really didn't know what Mistress Kaede wanted to do to him, did he. . .?

 

“Why, hello, dear Inuyasha!” Miroku beamed. Better be extra nice, to make up for what was to come. . .

 

Inuyasha's scowl, if possible, darkened. “Do not call me `dear,' Miroku.”

 

The monk gave a nervous chuckle. “Right, sorry. Now, it's dinner. Aren't you happy? You get to escape this place you call `outdoor hell;' Inuyasha, don't give me that look. You know it's true. . . .”

 

Inuyasha was not so sure, however, that Miroku was in his right mind. The monk was almost acting how he used to before Inuyasha came to this center.

 

“Miroku, do you have a temperature. . .? Or. . . maybe you bumped your head? Did you walk towards the light last night in your dreams. . .? You seemed just fine this morning. . . Are you mad? Are you mad that I didn't tell you I was leaving with that other nurse at lunch. . .?” Inuyasha's voice was void of any true concern.

 

The monk in question decided to stop the hanyou's questions before he hurt himself, so he changed the subject. “Speaking of which, Inuyasha, this morning. . . I'm not mad, but Mistress Kaede seemed pretty upset. . . Did you say something stupid. . .? It would be like you to do that.”

 

Inuyasha gave Miroku a skeptical look. “Why would I even bother wasting my time talking to the old hag?”

 

“Inuyasha. . .” Miroku started in a gentle scolding manner. “You really should show more respect to her. Not only does she run the center, she's an elderly lady and we must respect those older then us- - -”

 

“Oh! So if a twenty-year-old person walked down the street, we're supposed to bow down and worship them. . .?”

 

“No, I didn't say that.”

 

“But you implied it. . .” Inuyasha said, getting a small amount of pleasure trying to trip up the houshi.

 

“No, I merely said we respect the elderly, not worship them. Respect meaning help them do some harder tasks, and not talk bad about them.”

 

“Am I supposed to be taking notes. . .?” Inuyasha asked in a highly sarcastic tone of voice.

 

Miroku glanced at Inuyasha. “Are you joking?” Miroku shifted and started to walk to the entrance of the building, with Inuyasha following closely.

 

“No.”

 

“Oh, well you don't have to. . .” Suddenly, Miroku's lips twitched in a smirk, realizing what Inuyasha was doing. “But if you want to, it's fine with me. You might need a paper and a pencil, however. Speaking of which, we're off for some nice art madness after our wonderful meal!”

 

“Guess it depends on who you ask on whether or not the meals here are `wonderful,' ” Inuyasha replied glumly. “And art is not as wonderful as you may think.”

 

“Is it that hard, Mr. Everyone-is-My-Slave?”

 

Inuyasha blinked, not flattered with his nick-name. “Everyone is not my slave.”

 

“You would think so, wouldn't you?” Despite what was coming from him, Miroku sounded awful cheerful.

 

Inuyasha hadn't said it in a while, but curse optimism.

 

Suddenly suspicion rose up and almost choked Inuyasha. Why did Miroku smell different? Almost like he pitied someone, someone in particular - him.

 

“What's on your mind?” Inuyasha demanded.

 

Miroku suddenly swung to face the hanyou. “What?”

 

The scent of nervousness and pity grew a hundred fold.

 

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. “What's got you acting weird? More importantly, why do you smell like my mother just died and your trying to make it all better?”

 

Miroku started to visibly sweat. “I'm. . . not supposed to say,” he muttered.

 

“That stopped you before?”

 

“Well, Inuyasha, looks like we better hurry or we'll really be late for dinner.” Miroku briskly turned and stalked towards the door at an unusually swift pace.

 

Inuyasha blinked in confusion before following.

 

Figures that damned monk would try and run from the question.

 

They stopped momentarily so Miroku could open the door for them before they continued the walk to the cafeteria.

 

“So, Miroku, I know for a fact that you're messin' with somethin', but what? You're not one to pity me. You know me somewhat, and I know you - you do not pity me.”

 

Miroku gave a quick glance over his shoulder to look Inuyasha in the eye before his gaze snapped back to where he was walking. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

 

“Miroku. . .” Inuyasha began in exasperation.

 

“Why, would you look at that. . .” Miroku hastily slid his I.D. card through the machine, “We seem top have reached the cafeteria in record time.” He shoved the door open. “Now, go run along and play with your little friends,” he said, sounding like a mother persuading her child to play outside.

 

Before Inuyasha could protest, Miroku fled to his employee table were a few other nurses sat talking and enjoying their meal.

 

Inuyasha sent the monk a last glare before he walked over to grab a tray.

 

The lunch lady was totally out of it. She was sitting on a stool behind the counter, reading a girly magazine.

 

Inuyasha didn't even bother to talk to her and ask for a tray, he turned and walked over to the table Kouga and Naraku were sitting at, empty-handed.

 

As Inuyasha sat down, he realized that, besides Kouga and Naraku, he was not alone at the table.

 

There, looking like a gorilla in an aquarium, sat Jankotsu. He was poking his dinner like it was some sort of new discovery that would rear up and attack if not treated the proper way.

 

Inuyasha cleared his throat to try and attract his attention, but Jankotsu remained unmoved.

 

Inuyasha gave a more dramatic sound. “Muruma!” he coughed, though it sounded more like `mama.'

 

Jankotsu looked up and at the hanyou.

 

Inuyasha blinked. What did he want to say?

 

When Inuyasha couldn't think of anything, he decided to have a staring contest for no apparent reason.

 

Jankotsu blinked.

  

Inuyasha blinked.

  

Damn, he was bored!

 

He looked away. Jankotsu was the most. . .

  

`Where was that thought going?'

 

“Yo, Inuyasha! I have something I need to say to you!”

 

Inuyasha nonchalantly blinked before turning to face Kouga, who was grinning ear to ear.

 

Scary. Did he know just how he looked when he did that. . .?

 

“I want to thank you for being there with me when I needed you this morning. And I want to thank you for coming tomorrow ahead of time. If I'm going to win Kagome's heart, I'll need all the help I can get.” Kouga was beaming.

 

Was that healthy? To be that happy. . .?

 

“Well, Mr. Ookami, to win someone's heart, why don't you leave them alone.”

 

Kouga tensed and turned to face the owner of the voice. “Mistress Kaede, what a. . . a pleasant. . . surprise!”

 

The elderly women gave Kouga a calculating look, trying to see if he looked guilty or nervous.

 

Her gaze searched him up and down. Her eyes mentally tore him apart as she searched.

 

“I've been hearing things,” she said simply.

 

“What type of things?” Kouga grew just the tiniest bit nervous.

 

“Things about you and,” she tore her gaze from the youkai in question, only to replace it on Inuyasha. “You, too.”

 

Inuyasha gave the old woman a look of boredom. “What could I have done to have you angry at me?”

 

“Apparently, you accompanied Mr. Kouga this morning when you were asking very personal questions to our young Kagome.”

 

Inuyasha blinked, nonplussed.

 

Kouga immediately spoke up. “But she didn't seem to mind that we were asking her that type of questions.”

 

Kaede turned her head to look at him. “That may be so, but asking such private questions and knowing someone so intimately like that is prohibited in this center.”

 

Kouga visibly thought about that before opening his mouth to say something. “Will she get in trouble for what we did?”

 

Kaede answered without hesitation. “No, she did not even know what she did was wrong. Well, she did, but it wasn't enforced to her as strongly. She was hesitant to answer, but she's too kind to say no to something, so don't take advantage of her. And if I hear this happens again, there will be consequences worse then what you're getting.”

 

“Is that all you wanted to say?” Inuyasha drawled.

 

“No, you two will have to be punished for your crime.”

 

“Punished? Crime?! Now we're criminals?!” Kouga sputtered.

 

“No, but I have to make sure it doesn't happen again. So, you two will be punished.”

 

“Punished how?” Inuyasha gave her a suspicious look. There was no way in hell he was going to clean.

 

“You will be banned from everything for one week - Inuyasha, don't give me that look. Not everything. Just the things like art and outdoor activity and the other things like that. But, to make up for it, you'll have extra time with the councilor - Miss Sango.”

 

Not that bad of a punishment. He could actually like this week that was to come.

 

“And you'll stay in your room and eat your meals there.”

 

A little worse. . . He would be stuck in a `cage-room' for a while, but it was worth it - being away from all those boring things. Right?

 

“And you can't be visited by family or friends- - -”

 

“Sorry to break into the perfect world of yours, but no one has or ever will visit me,” Inuyasha said as he gave her yet another look of pure boredom.

 

She shrugged. “That may change.”

 

“Doubt it.”

 

“Inuyasha, have you ever heard of the phrase never get fooled by the foolish?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Well, it basically means never let yourself be tricked by those who are foolish and think they can fool you,” Kaede said.

 

“I would never have guessed that,” he replied sarcastically.

 

“I think that Mr. Kouga might be tricking and influencing you into- - -”

 

“Keh! I ain't so easily fooled!” Inuyasha snorted.

 

“Maybe not fooled, but you're easily influenced.”

 

Influenced? `Keh! Old wench don't know nothing. '

 

“When does this punishment start?” Inuyasha haughtily asked.

 

“Immediately tomorrow morning and ends next Thursday morning, in one week.”

 

“Right,” the hanyou stood, turning to leave.

 

“Aren't you going to eat?”

 

“I had an extra large lunch - because I'm always late - so tonight I could leave early,” he said as he started to walk away.

 

Kaede looked at him. Searched him, ripped his soul bare and inspected it. Inuyasha growled quietly. “Inuyasha, I am not fooled. Not by the foolish.”

 

“Fine, I'm not hungry.” He stopped and turned to face the old woman.

 

“You're only punishing yourself,” Kaede warned.

 

“Right, I'll take that to heart.” He paused as he looked to see if she was done with her lecture - she was. “Well, I'll be going now.” Inuyasha stood up and started to walk over to where Miroku was sitting, laughing at a joke of some sort, at the employee table.

 

“I'll be sure to remind Miroku of your punishment,” Kaede called.

 

Inuyasha abruptly turned.

 

`What? What the hell did she just say? Remind? Has Miroku been keeping anything from me?'

 

“What was that?” the livid hanyou asked through clenched teeth.

 

“I'll be sure that Miroku remembers what I told him earlier. I'm going to remind him of your punishment.”

 

“Miroku knew?” The hanyou's voice was unnaturally calm, neutral.

 

“Yes, I told him a little before dinner.”

 

“Oh,” was he could mange before he turned and stormed over to Miroku.

 

The air around Inuyasha seemed to crackle with the tenseness.

 

Miroku knew something was wrong right away. Inuyasha barely ever got that bloodlust type of look in his eye.

 

The monk quickly dumped his tray before he sped-walked over to the seething Inuyasha.

 

They didn't make eye-contact as they went out of the cafeteria. They didn't make eye-contact as Inuyasha told Miroku what he had on his mind.

 

“Why didn't you tell me?” It was a harsh, bitter whisper-y voice.

 

“Tell you. . . what?”

 

“Don't play innocent!” Inuyasha snapped.

 

“Oh! About the. . . um. . . thing with Kaede.”

 

“No shit, Sherlock.”

 

“I wasn't going to. . . uh. . . I wasn't supposed to- - -”

 

“So?” they stopped at the end of the hallway that led to the art room to talk, still not looking the other in the eye.

 

“So. . . uh. . . yeah.”

 

“Yeah? Yeah? That's all you have to say?”

 

“No!” The monk paused before practically squeaking, “Yes.”

 

“Nice having you as a friend,” Inuyasha seethed before storming into the art room and slamming the door so hard, it cracked the frame slightly.

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. . . I. . . have nothing to say! *eyes widen* Wow, that's a first.

 

R&R!

 

Ja ne!