InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ All of Me ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Look! It's another chapter! And it took me less than a year. I'm going to the South Coast Writers' Conference this weekend. As soon as I get back, I'm going to start working on the next chapter of Here Comes Santa Claws. I've already got a rough outline jotted down.

Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

Chapter 8

Miroku followed Inuyasha out into the predawn chill. He glanced at the ominously lightening sky and heaved a sigh of relief.

“Not a moment too soon, eh, Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha growled. “We spent too fucking long answering stupid questions, Miroku. A little bit longer and we'd be dealing with even stupider questions. Not to mention outright panic.”

“We wouldn't have this problem if you hadn't goaded the old woman into a fit,” Miroku chided.

“She's a bitter old hag,” Inuyasha retorted. “She enjoyed fucking up my relationship with Kikyo fifty years ago. I just wish she'd stayed sane long enough to tell us what Onigumo wanted with the Shikon no Tama.” He was panting and his eyes were wide as he fought the change creeping through his body.

Miroku looked at his friend in concern. “You'd better find a hidden spot before you scare even more people.” His expression turned disapproving. “You didn't have to snap at that poor EMT. She was just doing her job.”

“Stupid fucking people asking stupid fucking questions.” Inuyasha bared his teeth, showing rapidly elongating canines.

Miroku kept himself from backing away only through a supreme act of willpower. His training helped him to keep his heartbeat steady and his breathing calm. As Inuyasha made the transition from man to beast, for a few precious seconds he would have difficulty telling friend from foe. It would be suicide to provoke him. Best to be careful until Inuyasha was in command of his senses again.

Inuyasha glared at his friend, but turned and strode away without a word. He'd probably have more to say about Tsubaki this evening when he regained human speech.

I swear, Inuyasha gets more doglike every day. Is it because time is almost up? I wonder, if we fail, will he die as a man or a beast?

Casually, Miroku wandered away from the nursing center. He had no fear that Tsubaki would send anyone after them. If she started babbling about talking to a man who hadn't aged in fifty years, she would just end up sedated or restrained for her own protection.

Miroku frowned. That is, unless she didn't recover from her fit. Damn that Inuyasha. Tsubaki might have been able to tell them more. If she survived, he didn't think the nurses would allow them to talk to her again.

He jumped involuntarily when a large white dog appeared suddenly in front of him. How did he manage to move so quietly?

“You just about gave me a heart attack, Inuyasha! Give me some warning next time!” The dog gave him a disgusted look.

“If you hurry,” Miroku said slyly, “you might reach the shrine before Lady Kagome leaves for school.”

The dog sat down and idly scratched the thick fur around his neck with one hind paw.

“You won't get anywhere with the girl if you don't spend any time with her!” he scolded, not really knowing why he bothered. Telling Inuyasha to do anything just made him more stubborn. He sighed. “Fine. Do what you want.”

The dog yawned. He cocked his head and looked at Miroku expectantly.

“I'm going to do some looking around.” The gold of the dog's eyes darkened and he woofed once. “I'll be careful. What the old woman said got me to thinking. Onigumo may be dead, but his grandson, Naraku, is very much alive. Myouga gave me the address to one of Naraku's strongholds some time ago. It has since been abandoned, but I might be able to find something that was overlooked.”

The dog stood up and grabbed Miroku's wrist in his mouth. He bit down, not enough to break the skin, but Miroku knew that his teeth would leave marks. A low growl rumbled in the dog's chest.

The implied strength in those jaws was just a bit unnerving. Inuyasha in his dog body could easily rip off his arm. Still, it was quite clear that he was only concerned. Miroku wondered when he had learned to understand his dog friend so well.

“I'll be careful,” he repeated. The rising sun reflected orange and red on the clouds and cast long shadows on the ground. “You'd better hurry, `Demon.' You don't want to keep Lady Kagome waiting.”

Demon released Miroku's wrist and snorted. Miroku grinned. Somehow, the dog managed to convey irritation and agreement in one sound. With one last stretch and shake, the dog turned and loped in the direction of the shrine and Lady Kagome.

Miroku watched until Demon darted around a parked car and disappeared from view. “I don't know why I keep doing so much for you, my friend.” He sighed and scanned the surrounding area briefly. No sense in taking chances. Living closely with Inuyasha all these years had taught him that much.

After checking that nobody was acting suspicious (this early in the morning very few people were moving around) he closed his eyes. It took only a moment's worth of concentration to recall the information he wanted.

Sneakiness had been drummed into him by his father-- usually with a stick. Getting caught or being tailed was not an option. They had always known of the people searching for the Shikon no Tama. Until last night, they had never completely known why.

Taking a circuitous path designed to lose or bore any pursuers, Miroku headed for an older part of town and Naraku's last known stronghold. Along the way, he stopped for breakfast.

He was just finishing his second cup of tea when he spotted a familiar figure. She was walking with her head down, apparently oblivious to her surroundings.

Miroku hesitated. Two instincts warred within him. The first one insisted that he had a lot of snooping to do before meeting up with Inuyasha after dark. The second one couldn't resist a beautiful young lady. Especially one who seemed resistant to his charms.

He changed course and followed Sango, quickening his steps until he was right behind her. She never once looked around.

This is too easy, Miroku thought. He wondered if he should say her name or grab for her delectably rounded ass. Either way was sure to get an entertaining reaction.

“Don't even think about it, pervert,” Sango warned in a low voice. She stopped so suddenly that Miroku had to do a kind of hop-step to keep from running into her.

She turned around. Miroku grinned charmingly and tried to project an air of innocence. “Do you really have such a warped opinion of me, Lady Sango?” Feeling suddenly nervous, he ran his hand through his hair. “Where are you off to this fine morning?”

“None of your business,” she replied flatly.

Something else occurred to him. “Shouldn't you be in school?” He'd spent enough time spying on Kagome that he was well aware that today was a school day.

“That's also none of your business.” Sango shifted her weight, her eyes flicking almost imperceptibly from side to side.

Miroku had enough experience with clandestine missions to know Sango had not cut school just to get a jump on the weekend sales at the mall. She was good, but her body was slightly too tense and her eyes were too restless. Something was up.

There go my plans for the day. Miroku suppressed a sigh. From what she's let slip before, I don't think she just decided to go for a stroll. I wonder if this has anything to do with her missing brother. Whatever was going on, he couldn't just let her walk into a dangerous situation.

He smiled. “Walking is thirsty work. How about a cup of tea? My treat.”

“No, thank you.” Sango shook her head and started walking again.

Miroku trotted after her. “Where are you going? Maybe I can help.”

Sango stopped abruptly. “Who said I was going anywhere?” she hissed at him. “I don't need your help! Just back off!”

Miroku swallowed, wondering why he was suddenly reminded of Inuyasha in one of his more pissy moods. “Come on, Lady Sango. Think of it as a date. I really would like to get to know you better.” He tried to close the distance between them.

“Not one more step.” Sango watched him warily, his hands in particular. “Any closer and I'll scream for help. They'll lock you up for the pervert and stalker you are!”

Miroku held up his hands in surrender and backed up until Sango relaxed fractionally. “No need to be insulting. I was just trying to be friendly.”

“I don't need friends!” She started walking quickly again.

He waited until she was almost out of sight before following. His grandfather, Mushin, had prided himself on his tracking ability (Stalker is such an ugly word) and had taught his grandson everything he knew.

Miroku's throat tightened with sudden memory. I'll find that bastard. I'll track him to the ends of the Earth, and Naraku will pay for the murder of my grandfather.

^**^

Sango pushed all thoughts out of her head. She couldn't afford to be distracted, especially now. She finally had a faint lead, and not even school was going to get in her way. The bastard who destroyed her family was almost within her grasp.

There were several people in town who owed debts to her family, large or small. Father had often confided in her, despite protests from others that she was too young. Sometimes he had taken her with him when he was meeting various people. Sango still remembered how to contact some of them

Her eyes misted with tears. I will avenge you, Father. And I'll recover the Shikon no Tama and restore honor to the family name.

The only thing that had nearly shaken her resolve was the unexpected meeting with Miroku. Those piercing eyes of his seemed to look right into her soul. Did he suspect something?

Sango took a deep breath and forced herself to slow down. A shadow flickered at the edge of her vision. She stopped and peered suspiciously in all directions.

People brushed past her without stopping, each locked in his or her own little world. Nobody paid any attention to her. Then, why did she have the feeling that she was being followed?

Clouds floated across the face of the sun, casting everything into shadow. Sango shivered. She glanced at her watch. It was getting late. Where she was going, it would be quite dangerous to be caught there after dark.

Slowly, clean streets and nice houses gave way to grime and a hard wariness from the few passersby. Sango moved her lips, silently chanting the address to herself. Numbers had been removed and signs defaced in many places, but she kept moving and searching.

She stopped in front of one dilapidated building. Nobody seemed to be home. Boards had been nailed across the door and no lights shone in any of the grimy windows. It didn't look very inviting.

Sango hesitated for the briefest of seconds. Then she squared her shoulders and set one foot on the first of the cracked concrete steps.

Somebody grabbed her shoulder.

Honed reflexes reacted automatically. She seized her attacker's arm and twisted her body, sending the person stumbling and sailing over her hip. Continuing with the motion, she whirled gracefully and twisted the arm of her assailant, shifting her weight for a kick at the vulnerable body.

“Miroku?”

Miroku tried to grin at her despite the embarrassing and slightly painful position. “Um, do you think you could let go of me? My arm is going numb.”

“Sorry.” Sango released the monk and backed away while he climbed to his feet. “It was you following me! Why?”

Wincing, Miroku rotated his arm. “Call it curiosity.” Sango snorted. He sighed. “If you must know, I don't think beautiful girls should be in this neighborhood. It's dangerous. What are you doing here, anyway?”

Sango drew herself up to respond angrily, but Miroku held up a hand.

“I'm not as stupid as you think I am, Lady Sango. Does your early morning stroll have anything to do with that missing brother you told me about?”

For a long moment, Sango held herself rigid and said nothing. Her brain raced furiously, making and discarding excuses. One look at Miroku's piercing violet eyes and she abandoned them all.

Somehow, he knew.

She looked away and started to pick at a strip of peeling paint on the rickety wooden railing next to the steps. “Someone told me that he was here,” she mumbled.

“Who? Your brother?”

Sango shook her head, impatient, and dug her fingernail into the rotting wood. “No. Him. The one who destroyed my life. Nar—“

Miroku clapped a hand over her mouth. “Don't say it.” With his fingers in the way, she couldn't yell at him. Instead she glared. He didn't look at all intimidated.

“Don't say that name,” Miroku repeated. “Especially around here. You might attract unwanted attention.”

She twisted away, and he let her. “I'm not a child,” she retorted. “I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah.” Miroku snorted. “Which is why you didn't bother to get verification for your information. He's not here. Hasn't been here in years.”

“What do you mean?”

Miroku glanced around, looking suddenly nervous. “Not here. Let's talk somewhere else.”

Sango clenched her fists, suddenly furious. “Tell me what's going on!” Her voice rose despite Miroku's frantic shushing motions. “You know more than you're letting on! Tell me!”

“Tell her,” a voice growled from the shadows of a nearby alley. “We're all ears.”

Miroku and Sango automatically put their backs together, looking around for the source of the voice. Sango swallowed hard, hoping that Miroku couldn't feel how hard she was trembling. Her father would not be proud of his daughter for letting herself get trapped like this.

Hiten, his crooked nose a reminder of how Inuyasha had broken it, stalked onto the sidewalk. Manten, leering in a way that made Sango shudder, appeared behind his brother.

Several more figures appeared, seemingly from nowhere. Sango counted six, not including the two Thunder Brothers. She swallowed. This was a little more stacked than she liked her odds.

They were surrounded.

Hiten smirked and cracked his knuckles. “I believe we owe you two some payback.”

Father would be so disappointed, Sango thought.

^**^

“I don't like you,” Kagome said. “You're smelly and ugly, and you have way too much body hair.” She paused and glared at her silent audience. “Are you listening to me? Why don't you go bother Souta? I'm sure he'd love to teach you some more tricks.”

Demon yawned. He narrowed his golden eyes and returned the girl's glare with one of his own.

Stubborn bitch. Demon snorted and plopped his furry hide down in the middle of the girl's room. He wasn't going anywhere. There wasn't a human alive who could out-stubborn him.

Kagome ground her teeth and turned around in her chair, trying to ignore the large dog and concentrate on the evils of math homework instead. She wasn't doing a very good job, to judge by how tense she looked.

A snap punctuated the air. Kagome instantly colored the air with a stream of curse words nice girls shouldn't even know the meaning of. Demon pricked his ears, mildly impressed. He wondered if her mother was aware that she knew such words.

“—stupid pencil!” Kagome shouted. With a sigh, she pulled out a plastic pencil sharpener. “This is the third time! I'll never get my homework done at this rate!”

Demon laid his head on his paws and snorted again. He remembered homework. One good thing about being a dog half the time was that he didn't have to bother with mindless drivel like that. Let the scholarly types, like Kaede or Miroku, worry about boring paperwork.

This was boring. Demon stared vaguely at a fly that had landed on the floor in front of his nose. It walked around, stopping every once in a while to rub a pair of legs together. He briefly entertained the notion of finding out who was faster, magically transformed dog or disgusting housefly.

He snorted, sending the witless insect zooming away in a panic. Flies tasted terrible, anyway.

Rolling his eyes, he looked at the girl. She was moving her lips soundlessly, a cute little crease between her eyes.

Demon lifted his lip, wrinkling his nose. No! Not cute! All she is good for is breaking the spell! Kagome Higurashi is not cute!

Kagome crossed her ankles, humming under her breath. Demon found his gaze riveted to those slender ankles, noticing almost absently the remnants of bright pink nail polish on her toenails.

“Got it!”

Demon jerked and almost bit his tongue at the sudden shout. Quickly he looked away. Couldn't be caught salivating over a teenager's dainty feet and slim ankles. No matter how cute they were.

“I think I deserve a break,” Kagome announced. She grinned at Demon, who had his ears down and was staring at a fly walking across the floor as if it was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. “Weird,” she muttered.

Kagome pushed her chair back and stood up. She reached her arms over her head and stretched, twisting to work the kinks out.

“Ooooh! That feels good,” Kagome said with a moan.

Demon wasn't listening. He was more interested in the smooth expanse of skin that had been revealed by all her stretching and turning. He bit back a whimper of disappointment when she brought her arms back down and tugged her pajama top back into place.

“Wow, I didn't realize it was so late.” Demon looked up as Kagome walked over to the window. “Look at that sunset!”

Sunset?!

“What's wrong with you, crazy mutt?”

The dog ignored her, shouldering her aside so he could brace his feet on the windowsill and stare at the rapidly darkening sky. Now he could feel the change creeping through his body. Each hair was shrinking and his teeth were growing blunter. With a strangled sound, he turned and bolted.

The closed door brought him up short.

“Demon, stop that!” Kagome shouted as the dog's claws scratched the smooth wood. “Hey! Let me get the door open before you ruin it! If you have to go that badly, I'm not going to stand in your way.”

Demon squeezed through the crack, almost forcing the knob out of Kagome's grip. At a dead run, he hit the stairs. Thumping behind him told him that the girl was following for some odd reason.

“Hey, Demon! Where've you been all evening? I've got a new trick to—“

He avoided Souta easily. Mama was just coming inside from some errand or other. Demon hit the door with all of his weight, stumbling into the great outdoors. With no time to really think about it, he headed for the old well house. At least he would be hidden.

Kagome's distant shouts sounded angry and just a touch worried. Demon nosed the door to the well house open, padding inside quickly.

He stumbled as the sun dipped below the horizon. Fire burned along every nerve. Shivering, he threw his head up and waited. The door still stood slightly ajar. There was no time to close it properly. It was taking every ounce of his willpower to stay silent as the magic forced his body back into the shape of a man. He would just have to hope that Kagome wouldn't find him.

Five minutes and an eternity later, Inuyasha crouched on the floor of the well house. He drew in deep shuddering breaths, his muscles still twitching in reaction. It had grown quiet outside. Perhaps Little Miss Nosy had given up.

The door creaked.

Cursing his luck and every god he could think of, Inuyasha turned as quickly as his body would allow. The shadowy doorway leaped into startling clarity before fading back into an indistinct outline. He shook his head. Stupid dog senses! Now he was starting to see in dog vision even when he was human.

“Demon?” Kagome stood framed against the twilight sky, peering nervously into the dusty interior. “I could have sworn I saw him come in here,” she muttered. “Maybe I'm just imagining things. Stupid dog probably just has a hot date with a poodle or something.”

CRASH!

“What was that!?”

Inuyasha cursed silently. Why was there a rake in a well house, anyway? On second thought, maybe this wasn't such a good place for magical transformations. No windows and only one door, in front of which stood an annoying girl.

Kagome edged farther into the well house.

Inuyasha growled. Stupid bitch. She's just begging to be mugged or kidnapped. What are they teaching kids in school these days?

“Who's there?” Feeling along the wall her fingers brushed against a piece of wood lying against it. She gripped her makeshift club tightly. “I'm warning you, I've got a weapon!”

A half rotten piece of board. Yeah, right! Inuyasha thought derisively. He eased back onto his heels, wincing as newly-reformed muscles protested.

Kagome's eyes still hadn't adjusted, judging by how she peered around uncertainly. Inuyasha could see just fine, now that his eyes had settled into that happy range between keen doggy sight and ass-poor human vision.

Unaware of how close she was to the edge, Kagome stepped forward. Her foot missed the first step of the wooden stairs. Flinging her arms wide in a desperate attempt to regain her balance, she squeaked.

Inuyasha caught her as she tumbled forward. The piece of board she still held clouted him on the side of the head as she instinctively flung her arms around his neck. Staggering, he tightened his grip, fighting to stay upright.

His foot hit the side of the wooden well. With a grunt, he sat down hard on the old boards covering the opening. Kagome's scent rose to his nostrils and he suddenly became aware that he was sitting on the edge of the well with a cute girl straddling his lap.

Kagome opened her eyes.

They're very brown, almost like chocolate. Or mocha.

She relaxed her hand and let the board fall.

“Have a pleasant trip?” Inuyasha chuckled.

Her head snapped up. “What the hell are you doing in here?” She placed both hands flat on his chest and pushed. For an instant, he resisted her struggles to get away. “Let go of me, you big idiot!”

Inuyasha flushed as his body reacted to her movements on his lap. Standing up abruptly, he let go.

“Oomph!” Kagome glared at him from the ground.

“You're welcome, by the way,” Inuyasha snapped, determined to divert her before she started yelling at him.

“What?”

She looked adorably befuddled, gaping up at him like that. Inuyasha bit back a groan.

Kagome Higurashi is not cute!

“Do you normally go running around in the dark? Without a flashlight? In your pajamas?”

Kagome blushed and pulled her knees in to her chest. “It wasn't totally dark when I came out here and—“ She stopped, and then narrowed her eyes. “Hey! No fair distracting me! This is my property and you don't have permission to be here. Give me one good reason why you're sneaking around, or I—I'll scream.”

Shit! Inuyasha thought quickly. Think of a good excuse, mutt-brain! I can't tell her I've been in her bedroom all evening.

The hair on the back of his neck suddenly prickled. Inuyasha snapped his head up, unconsciously flaring his nostrils to try and catch a scent.

There it was again! Not so much a sound, as a bone-deep feeling. It made him want to growl and raise his hackles, and he was human right now.

Abruptly he shoved past Kagome, ignoring the girl's startled cry. His gaze swept the yard, searching. He sensed Kagome come up beside him. She started to say something, but he silenced her with a harsh wave of his hand.

There! Two dark shadows staggered into the yard. Inuyasha bit back a curse. What did that bastard do? Must he lose another friend to Naraku?

He leaped forward to gingerly support the battered and semiconscious monk on one side, taking care not to jostle him or his equally battered companion too harshly.

Where was that stupid girl when he needed some help? He looked up, irritated. Kagome's pale, white face stared back at them, slender hands pressed to her mouth.

She gave a choked gasp and a horrified whisper, “Sango?”

^**^

Brought to you by Food for Thought, it's Phobia of the Week:

Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school.

I wonder if a teacher would ever buy this excuse?