InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Step in Life ❯ A Battle of Wits ( Chapter 4 )

Zephyr: Dude… I'm on a role… and with my new muse, Ascot, I've got inspiration!!!

Soujiro: She's obsessed with a little pincushion.

Ascot: ::in older form:: Who's a pincushion?

Soujiro: Shaddup…

Ascot: =^-^=

Zephyr: Awww! They're sooooo kawaii!!! ::giggles wildly and huggles both Soujiro and Ascot::

Soujiro: ^_^

Zephyr: Feel loved?

Both: Yup!

Zephyr: Yaaaaaaaaaay! Well thanks to all who reviewed!

Soujiro: Were there any at all?

Zephyr: Nope!!

Soujiro: ::sighs::

Ascot: ::sweatdrops:: Ehhh heh heh…

Zephyr: =^-^= Anywho, onto chapter 4!

A Step in Life

Chapter 4: A Battle of Wits

A few days later, after the whole dream bug incident, InuYasha and the rest of the group were resting for lunch in a small open space in the forest. It was Miroku's turn to cook so Sango was at rest. Kagome was working on her Algebra homework and Shippou was watching from her shoulder. Zephyr and InuYasha were currently arguing over who was stronger.

"I could whip you easily Kitty-Litter."

"Oh yeah? Well you'd be down even before you could move an inch Butt-Sniffer."

"At least I have a real weapon! Not some stick and rocks."

"And this coming from a moron who can't tell a stick from a dagger…"

"Tetsusaiga would slice your sticks in half!"

"Really!? This blade is so dull… it couldn't cut paper… WET!"

"HEY! How'd you get that?! GIVE IT BACK!!!"

"Here yah go Butt-Sniffer… catch."

Kagome sighed as she watched Inuyasha try to catch his precious sword before it hit the dirt. Zephyr walked over towards Kagome and Shippou and peered down at her work.

"Whatcha doing Kagome-san?" she purred and looked at the semi-familiar symbols on the paper.

"It's Algebra… it's a form of math."

"Algebra… sounds familiar… I think my Okaasan had my sensei teach me."

"Really now? What do you know?" Kagome asked now intrigued in the education of the smaller demon.

"Um… I know multiplications… fractions… stuff like that," Zephyr ticked off.

"That's actually pretty far for a demon-child. Do you think you could help Shippou. He knows basic addition and subtraction through his father. I don't think it's right for a demon his age to go uneducated. So I'm trying to help his little by little," Kagome asked as she held out Shippou to the neko.

"Well… I guess I could…"

"Great!" Kagome smiled and returned to her work.

So Zephyr took Shippou over to a small patch of bare ground and began her teachings. InuYasha, who had finally calmed down, jumped up into the treetops above their heads and quietly watched. He obviously didn't like the idea of a neko being smarter than him. Sango sighed at InuYasha's childish behavior. It was almost as pathetic as his failing attempts to actually get Kagome. So she reverted her attention to Miroku's efforts to cook lunch. His creation was green and was smoking heavily. She sighed and trekked over to him to help him make something edible for lunch.

"Houshi-sama, what are you trying to make?" She asked as she watched the green liquid turn brown..

"It was supposed to be a soup of some sort but it doesn't look like its going to taste any good.." Miroku grinned as he removed a spoon that Kagome brought from her time. It was missing the bottom half…

"Obviously poison… move aside Houshi-sama…" Sango gathered up the herbs that Miroku had picked and cringed.

"Houshi-sama… these are all poisonous…"

"Oops…"

"Yeah… oops…"

Sango dumped the pot of mystery goo over behind some bushes, cringing again as the bushes shrank and died. `Memo to self… Miroku's never to cook again… ever…' Sango filled the pot back up with some fresh water and set it over the fire to boil. Gathering up some fresh vegetable she began to chop them up neatly with her katana. She sliced some carrots, potatoes, onions and had Miroku mixing in the herbs, spices and broth into the boiling water under her watchful eyes. After the vegetables were cut she slipped them in and started on the rabbit that InuYasha had killed for lunch. She carefully cleaned and skinned it while Miroku stirred the soup. After 10 minutes, they had finally created a stew worth eating.

"It's complete. Take not of this Houshi-sama… or you're never cooking again." Sango informed as she filled bowls up with the rabbit stew.

"Kagome, Shippou, InuYasha, Zephyr! Lunch is ready!!!" Miroku called out as the others came rushing over.

"Do I dare taste Miroku's cooking?" Zephyr asked as she inspected the bowl.

"Don't worry, I had to help or Miroku would have killed us all…" Sango pointed to the dead bushes.

"Now I feel much better…" Zephyr spat and started carefully eating her stew.

After lunch the group gathered up their provisions and headed off. After 10 minutes of walking, Kagome informed the group of a demon with two jewel shards coming. InuYasha and Zephyr had only one thing on their minds.

"Well Kitty-Litter, here's your chance."

"Yur's as well Butt-Sniffer."

InuYasha drew out Tetsusaiga while Zephyr drew out a handful of shurikan.

"Kitty-Litter's gonna fight with some stars?"

"Kitty-Litter's gonna kick yur ass…"

"You wish Litter-Face…"

"Oh so now I'm Litter-Face, Crackmonkey…"

"Likewise…"

And then the demon showed herself. She had long blue hair that was wrapped up like a big bow. She had deep blue skin with green scales splashed here and there. Emerald green eyes, long thin sharp fangs, and a forked tongue to boot. She was dressed in a short kimono that looked like it had been burnt on the edges and the bottom. In her had was a scythe.

"A snake… lovely," Zephyr purred and flicked her tail anxiously.

"They aren't to hard. First to kill here wins…" InuYasha smirked and charged towards the snake youkai.

But the snake youkai wasn't stupid and expected the charge from InuYasha so she countered by jumped over him and kicking him square in the back and into a tree.

"This youkai, Raika, will now be killed with such pathetic and predictable fighting skills," Raika sneered.

Zephyr sighed and charged but with a little more skill. She knew Raika'd dodge, so she swung around and flung her handful of shurikan towards Raika's back. Her aim was true and the sharp edges dug deep into the snake's back, releasing their deadly toxin into her bloodstream. Raika hissed in frustration as she ripped the stars out and tossed the uselessly to the ground.

"Very good mixed breed… very good indeed… but not good enough!"

Raika charged at Zephyr dizzily and tried to stab her scythe into Zephyr's chest but missed and instead sliced right down Zephyr's right arm. Zephyr snarled in pain as silver blood poured out of her damaged arm, before smiling and shoving her hand right through Raika's chest.

"D-damn y-you…"

"Sayanara Raika," Zephyr purred and released a wave of frozen aura throughout Raika's body, tearing her to pieces as frozen blood and chunks of frozen flesh flew everywhere.

"Well Crackmonkey… how'd you like that show?"

InuYasha growled and sheathed Tetsusaiga. He walked forward and picked up the two jewel shards and handed them to Kagome, his hand lingering on Kagome's a little longer than normal. Long enough to be noticed by Sango and Zephyr. After depositing the shards in Kagome's hand, InuYasha retreated to treetops.

"Sore loser…" Zephyr snapped before gathering up her shurikan.

"Umm… Zephyr… shouldn't we clean up your arm before you do anything?" Sango asked as she watched the blood trickle down Zephyr arm.

"Huh? my arm's fine… see,"

Zephyr flashed her bloody arm to Kagome and Sango, smiling at their horrified faces. Zephyr's silver blood was being drawn back into her arm as the dirt was falling out as though being screened through.

"All healed!" Zephyr cheered as the gash closed up.

Kagome and Sango just sweatdropped and discussed the issue of where to go next.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~

Zephyr: Soooooooooooooooooooo… how'd you like?

Soujiro: ::sighs::

Ascot: Review review!

Zephyr: Yeeeeeees listen to the almighty kawaii bishonen!!!

Soujiro: ::promtly faints out of lack of love and the thought of being replaced by Ascot::

Zephyr and Ascot: ::stares at Soujiro::

Zephyr: Weeeeeeeeell… I'm giving out cookies!!!!!! Shaped as little Ascot and Soujiro's!!!! Hahahahahahahahaha!! KAWAII!!

Ascot: ::bites head off of Soujiro cookie::