InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Passing Cloud ❯ How aggravating! ( Chapter 5 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Doy.

Author's notes: This is a very short, hardly useful chapter. I've got writer's block...obviously. But not writing at all isn't going to cure it, however that usually means the reader is going to suffer;.; Well at least it's short.

Chapter Five

As soon as she touched down onto the stone floor of the well Kagome released the breath she didn't even realize she had been holding. With no time to waste, she pulled herself up by the vines and ran towards Kaede's hut in a hurry.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE WENT HOME FOREVER?" a voice bellowed from within the hut. She stopped for a second, and then went forward cautiously, wondering if Kaede was in danger, but then again she was unarmed and wouldn't be of much help even if she was.

"You're lying! She must be here! You're just hiding her for yourself, is that it, monk?" the voice continued, becoming more irritated with each word.

"I assure you I'm telling the truth." She could hear Miroku's much more calm voice respond. …Miroku was still here, after all this time?

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! I can't believe she really left me! WITHOUT A GOODBYE! And she's never coming back! HOW COULD SHE DO THIS TO ME!" the overdramatic visitor continued on until she appeared in the doorway.

"Kouga!"

"Kagome!" both men exclaimed simultaneously and Kouga rose from his pose-o-misery and leaped over to her.

"You're a liar, monk! You were keeping her to yourself, weren't you! Well HA! You've been found out!" he shouted angrily as he embraced Kagome protectively.

"I wasn't lying-" Miroku tried to defend himself, going unnoticed as Kouga turned towards Kagome and continued.

"I've been so worried about you, my darling Kagome! I heard about what happened and rushed to find you immediately! I had hoped that with that halfb-- Inuyasha gone, you would be left in good hands, but obviously I was mistaken." he spat, obviously trying to win Kagome's approval with tact.

“Why, Kouga,” Kagome spoke as she politely tried to wriggle free of Kouga's arms. “It's so sweet of you to be concerned, but really, Miroku is telling you the truth.”

“WHAT? So you really did leave without even a good-bye? Kagome…h-how could you-..”

“If I may ask, why have you come back, Kagome?” Miroku inquired, obviously a bit nonplussed.

“Oh, Miroku!” she exclaimed excitedly, tearing out of a distressed Kouga's grasp and producing the summoning scroll to show Miroku. “I think I've found a way to get Inuyasha back! I don't know why we didn't think of it before.”

“What is it?” Miroku asked as he took the scroll from her and looked it over.

“A summoning scroll. I wouldn't even have to open up a gateway to hell; we would just be able to summon Inuyasha back with this, couldn't we?”

“Kagome, this scroll….is completely worthless.”

The excitement drained from her face, being replaced with disappointment just as quickly. “What do you mean it's worthless?”

“It has no spiritual power whatsoever. It's little more than a cheap souvenir.” Miroku explained, trying not to crush her too badly at the same time.

Her shoulders slumped, more in disappointment in herself for believing her grandfather would posses anything useful.

“Don't worry about it, my darling!” Kouga said as he came over and put his arm around her once again. “Just because your little scroll dealie was worthless is no reason to be so down. I still love you no matter what.”

“However,” Miroku continued, completely ignoring Kouga “it may be possible to find an authentic scroll-…”

“Really!” Kagome perked up, shrugging off Kouga and turning back to Miroku. “Why didn't you say anything about this before?”

“These are extremely rare to come across, and even rarer is the person that is able to use them. It takes someone who possesses immense spiritual power to be able to master and control a summoning spell.”

“But, I opened a gateway to hell before, do you think I would be able to-…”

Miroku began shaking his head before she even finished her sentence, causing her to wilt once again. “I'm sorry Kagome, it's not that I don't trust in your abilities, it's just that it's highly unlikely you would posses this ability, especially after you spent so much energy opening the portal.”

“But it is possible to find someone who does, right?”

“Yes, but it's going to take hard work and a lot of time to search. But…I know how much it would mean to you, so I will try.”

“Oh thank you Miroku!”

“Ahem…why don't you allow me to go searching with her, monk? You ought to stay here and help out the ol' woman anyway. I don't care how long it takes to find this scroll, as long as I'm doing something to help my beautiful Kagome…” Kouga spoke up once again, taking Kagome's hands in his.

“It's nice of you to offer Kouga, but I really think I should be the one to go.” Miroku said trying to keep calm. Strange…he's never been annoyed by Kouga before…

“Oh? And why exactly is that? You trying to keep her all to yourself again?”

“Oh, come on now Kouga.” Kagome interrupted, still keeping a smile on. “Miroku's a monk, so of course I want him to come along with me to make sure I'm getting a real summoning scroll, and not another useless scrap of paper like this one. That's all, I'm sure.”

“Well at least allow me to come along with you. I'm sure you won't turn down the extra comfort of protection…and I don't just mean from demons either.”

“Again, it's kind of you to offer, but Miroku and I can take care of ourselves…and I'm hardly threatened by him.” `in fact I'd feel safer if youdidn't come along.'

“Well…but….can I at least-…”

“Kouga, you heard what she said. It's kind of you to offer, but we need to do this by ourselves. Besides, don't you think Ayame would be jealous if she found out you were traveling with Kagome?”

“That's right! Think of what Ayame would do if she found you here with me right now! You'd better get back to your den before she tracks you down.”

“But I came all this way to make sure you were alright!”

“And you have!” She said as she escorted him out of the doorway. “It was nice of you to come see how I was doing, but I think it's time you go back now.”

Kouga sighed and relented. “I understand. I'm just glad that you're okay Kagome. I'll see you again soon, alright?” he promised before Kagome sent him on his way.

She went back inside to make plans with Miroku regarding their journey. “I do feel kind of bad though, just brushing him off like that.”

“Do you honestly think he would have truly been any help looking for an object that is going to be used to get Inuyasha back?”

“I guess you're right…but still…” she trailed off, and looked up at him. “I wasn't expecting to find you here, I figured you would have moved on a long time ago. How have you been doing?”

“No worse than you, I suppose. I thought I'd stay here and help Kaede for awhile since I had no urgent business pressing me anymore.”

“Well I'm glad you did. …Where is Kaede anyway?”

“She and Kirara went to take medicine to a girl in another village.”

“Oh. ..Kirara too? Should we wait until they come back before we leave? Would it be easier if we had Kirara with us?”

“You make a good point, but we should get going as soon as possible. We don't have even a few days to spare.”

“We don't? I mean, of course I want to get started as soon as possible, but at this point does a few days make a difference?”

“That's just it…it's been a month already. The longer Inuyasha's been in hell the harder it's going to be to summon him back. But you're right, it would be easier to have Kirara with us. I'm going to leave a note to explain where we've gone, and to ask Kirara to try to meet up with us once they get back.”

“That would be alright I guess. …Miroku? Do you even have the smallest idea of where we need to be looking?”

“I'm afraid not. But maybe we'll be able to meet someone along the way who can give us a clue. Perhaps we'll get lucky and find what we're looking for in the very first shrine.” He said trying to sound optimistic but failing horribly.

“If only. Unfortunately things tend to be in the last place you look, don't they?”

“That's very true Kagome…but that's only because you stop looking after you find it.” He offered, making her feel just a bit better…after all he was always the one bringing her down in the first place, wasn't he?

More author's note: I really hope my writer's block is cured by the next chapter...for your sake!