InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beautiful Souls ❯ Unexpected Surprises ( Chapter 2 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: BrethlessM 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 07.28.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 951 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 07.28.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 951 | Status: Work In Progress
Shippou sat in the doorway of Kaede’s hut, drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick. Sighing heavily, he gazed in the direction of the Bone Gobbling Well, hoping to see Kagome arriving. From behind him Kaede chuckled.
“Sighing won’t get her here any quicker, and it won’t get me to let ye run off to that well by yourself either.”
“Didn’t Inuyasha say they’d be back by now? I hate it when Kagome leaves!” Shippou threw his stick across the yard and into the fire pit. Today was an especially bad day. Not only was Kagome away, but he didn’t even have Kirara to play with, as the nekomata had gone off with Sango and Miroku to check out a lead on Naraku’s whereabouts. He’d spent most of the day helping Kaede with her Miko duties and practicing his own kitsune-bi(1) until he’d accidentally set fire to a pile of herbs that they’d spent two hours picking, and was banished outside.
Looking up, Shippou’s mood brightened as Kirara circled the village and landed nearby. Shouting to Kaede that Sango and Miroku were back, he leapt from his post at the door and ran to his friends, “Hi! Kagome’s not back yet. Can we go to the well and wait for her? How was your trip? Did you find anything? Was it Naraku? Miroku, what did Sango slap you for this time?”
Smiling at the eager kitsune, Miroku shot a glance at the taijiya and rubbed the palm print on his cheek, “I was merely trying to keep the lady warm. It does get drafty when we fly so late in the evening.”
Sango muttered something about hentai monks and bent to pick up Shippou, “Why don’t we head to the well? Inuyasha and Kagome should be here soon and Inuyasha said they’d have a lot of food to carry for the party tonight.”
Leaping out of her arms, Shippou shouted with joy and raced towards the well. Miroku fell into step beside Sango, careful to keep a safe distance from her Hiraikotsu(2), “I don’t know who misses Kagome more when she’s gone. Shippou or Inuyasha.”
“At least Inuyasha can go after her. Poor Shippou is stuck here,” Sango smiled at Miroku and breathed deeply. The lead on Naraku had been a complete wash. Nothing had been seen or heard of him for a week and, though it made her nervous, she had to admit that evenings like this made her forget all about the troubles the group faced. The sun was setting in the distance, casting a pink glow over the fields. The chirrup of crickets had begun and in the distance, and singing could be heard as the field workers ended their long day. For a moment, she could pretend that all was right with the world.
“Ouch!”
“Watch where you’re landing, wench!”
“You’re the one who ran off without me!”
“You better not have squashed the cake, or...”
“What, you’re more worried about the cake than if I’m alright?”
“Keh.”
“Baka.”
“Bitch.”
“Dog boy”
Inuyasha muttered something under his breath.
Kagome gasped. “What did you...! Ooh, Inuyasha! Osuwari!”
“Shi...”
Sango sighed as a crash echoed up from the well. Miroku grinned and raised his eyebrow at her, before leaning over the well, “Need any help down there?”
Kagome lifted a basket over the edge of the well before heaving herself onto the ledge. “He might need some help, but I’ve got the cake so I’m fine.” Forgetting to brace herself for the oncoming attack, Kagome was hurled back onto her behind as Shippou threw himself at her.
“Kagome!” Shippou buried his nose in her shirt before hopping down and trying to peek in the basket Kagome held in her lap. “What’d you bring me?”
Kagome laughed and picked up the kitsune. “Hello to you too, Shippou. Did you behave yourself?”
Shippou frowned guiltily, remembering the burned herbs. Changing the subject he asked, “So what did Inuyasha do? Did he really call you a...”
“Oi, runt!” Just in time, Inuyasha lifted the kit by his tail. Shippou threw something in Inuyasha’s face, making him cough as a puff of smoke surrounded him. When the smoke cleared, Inuyasha was holding one of Shippou’s toy snakes.
From the ground, Shippou giggled proudly, “I’ve been practicing!” before tearing off towards the village with Inuyasha close on his tail.
By the time Kagome, Sango and Miroku arrived with the three baskets, Kaede had already spread a few blankets on the ground outside, in order to accommodate the group. Inuyasha was playfully chasing Shippou around the village, allowing him to perform another of his Kitsune tricks on the hanyou before escaping.
Kagome smiled. It was things like this that made it impossible for her to stay angry at Inuyasha for long. Though the two fought often, lately Shippou and Inuyasha had also begun to play fight as well. A distinction that was not lost on the other members of the group.
When questioned about it once, Inuyasha had grunted in reply, “The runt needs someone to teach him how to fend for himself. He can’t be a weakling all his life and he doesn’t need to learn anything from that damn lecherous houshi(3).”
Drawn back to the task at hand, Kagome helped Sango, Miroku, and Kaede unload the baskets for the feast and answered Sango’s questions about her final exams.
“It really amazes me that you’ve been able to keep up with your studies all these years. You should be very proud of yourself, Kagome,” Sango smiled at her friend as she emptied her basket.
“Thanks, but let’s see if I actually pass first,” Kagome blushed from the compliment.
“Oh, you will. I’ve been offering sutras to Buddha all day in your honor, Kagome....”
“Whenever he wasn’t offering himself to my backside.” Sango interrupted, reaching for Hiraikotsu as Miroku’s hand inched her direction.
Miroku sighed, looking for all the world like a misunderstood monk, “There is far too little true beauty in this world Sango my love. It would be a sin not to show appreciation to that which the Kami(4) have given us.”
Kagome smiled at the lovely blush that rose in her friend’s face as Inuyasha and Shippou joined the group for dinner. Slowly, conversation came around to Naraku and his remaining detachments, Mouryoumaru and Kanna. Using the power of the Shikon no Tama, Naraku had finally managed to create a new body to house his human heart - the heart which was his only barrier to killing Kikyou and the only path to his destruction. The heart had been placed in the body of a baby, whom the gang had been hunting for some time. Another of Naraku’s detachments, Kagura, desperate to be free from her master, had recently attempted to help the gang by telling them that the baby containing Naraku’s heart had been placed inside the body of a creature named Mouryoumaru. Kagura’s actions quickly led to her death, and Mouryoumaru was proving to be nearly unstoppable.
“It’s been a week since our last real lead as to their whereabouts. Whatever they’re up to, it can’t be good. Naraku doesn’t disappear unless he’s either strengthening himself or he’s planning something.” Miroku turned to Inuyasha, “Do you have any ideas as to where we should go from here?”
The hanyou put down his food, “I haven’t been able catch his scent either. If he’s strengthening himself, he’s found another way to block his stench so that we can’t track him when his guard is down.”
Sango frowned, “I don’t think he’s strengthening himself. When Mouryoumaru was created, he managed to get rid of his human heart. Unfortunately for him, Mouryoumaru seems to be trying to take control. If I were Naraku, I would be trying to find a way to regain control and make sure Mouryoumaru can’t be found.”
“But Mouryoumaru is different from Naraku because he actually comes out to fight us.” Kagome wrapped her arms around her knees, “If we can figure out a way to destroy Naraku’s heart hidden inside Mouryoumaru....”
A deep laugh sounded from behind the group, “That is a chance that you will never get.” Mouryoumaru stepped out of the shadows created by the trees, and shot a tentacle towards Kagome.
Inuyasha instantly leapt in front of her and drew Tetsusaiga(5), “Mouryoumaru, your opponent is me!” Inuyasha ran forward, swinging Tetsusaiga, “Kongousouha(6)!” Diamond shards flew from the fang. Mouryoumaru rose into the air, landing behind Kagome. Before she could utter a word, tentacles wound round her neck, cutting off her air supply. “Kagome!”
Mouryoumaru grinned, “Watch, Inuyasha, as I absorb your bitch and claim her power as my own!” Drawing Kagome closer to his body, he laughed at the look of horror on the hanyou’s face as he prepared to take the girl into his body.
“The fuck you will!” Inuyasha sheathed his sword and leapt at the threat to Kagome. “Sankon-Tetsusou(7)!” With one swipe of his claws, the tentacle holding Kagome was severed and she fell to the ground, gasping for air.
“Hiraikotsu!” Sango’s boomerang bone flew forward, severing another appendage. Before any more damage could be done, Mouryoumaru lit into the air, disappearing with a final chuckle that faded into the night.
“What was that all about? He left much more quickly than usual,” Sango turned her attention to Kagome, who was being pulled forcibly into Inuyasha’s lap.
Removing the last remaining clumps of flesh left over from Mouryoumaru’s tentacle, Inuyasha seemed frantic as he searched for signs of injury.
Kagome forced a smile. “I’m okay. Thanks guys,” Her rough voice and the coughing fit that overtook her elicited a low growl from the hanyou, “Sango....” Kagome turned her head towards her friend and smiled sadly, “He still only has two shards.”
Before Kaede led Kagome away to treat her bruised neck, Sango nodded. “Arigato(8), Kagome,” Sango hadn’t seen her brother, Kohaku, in a few weeks, but the last thing they knew was that the boy had run off with the intention of destroying Naraku himself... and that Mouryoumaru sought to take the Jewel fragment embedded in the boy’s back. Were Mouryoumaru to have more than two.... Sango nodded again, “Arigato.” At least for a little while, she knew her brother must be safe.
********************
Sango and Miroku prepared for another night spent traveling.
“We’ll try and track Mouryoumaru; see if we can discover where he’s hiding,” Miroku knew that Inuyasha’s desire to join in the action was topped only by his desire to protect Kagome. It had been decided that the houshi and the taijiya would attempt to follow the villian on Kirara for the remainder of the night, while Inuyasha stayed behind with Kagome. In the morning, Inuyasha would return Kagome to her own time, at least until after graduation, and would come back to search on his own. If they failed to find any leads, the groups would meet back at Kaede’s village by sundown the following day.
“Be safe you guys,” Kagome appeared to be fine as she waved good-bye to them, but then again, her natural disposition rarely allowed many of her worries to show. Miroku groaned from his seat behind Sango as they flew off.
“What is it houshi-sama(9)?” Sango threw a concerned glance back over her shoulder as Miroku pressed his face against her armor.
“Not only won’t we be getting any sleep tonight, but we definitely won’t be getting any cake!”
*********************
Inuyasha slashed at the dry grass in the field as he ran past, “Damn.” Making a quick circuit of the town to make sure everything was clear, he dropped into a crouch in front of Kaede’s hut “Damn.” He reiterated. He should have smelled the stench of Mouryoumaru before he’d gotten so close, “That fucking Kitsune’s gonna pay for throwing so much smoke powder at me.” Splashing water on his face from the bucket next to the door, Inuyasha shook himself off, spraying water across the ground.
“You look so cute when you do that,” Expecting to get the usual affronted response to her comment, Kagome was disconcerted by the shame-filled look in Inuyasha’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Kagome. I failed....” Inuyasha turned away from her, ears drooping low on his head. He’d promised to protect her and he couldn’t even fucking do that. If he’d been just a second slower.... He sucked in his breath sharply as her arms circled his waist from behind.
“You saved me. If it hadn’t been for you...”
“But he shouldn’t have fucking gotten that close! Not to you!” Inuyasha turned around and pulled her against him before thinking, “I couldn’t stand it if anything had happened to you,” he said in a voice no higher than a whisper.
Kagome’s heart quickened, then slowed again. ‘He’s remembering Kikyou.’ She realized. ‘He’s remembering how he couldn’t save her and thinking that if he failed to protect me....’ With a sigh, she pulled away, “I trust you. You’ve always been there before and I know you always will be.” With a sad smile, she turned back to the hut. “Good night, Inuyasha.”
Inuyasha watched as she vanished from view. Her words echoed in his mind. ‘I trust you.’ It was something about her he could never understand. The way she made him feel as though he were invincible. As though he could do anything. Little did she know that he would do anything... for her. In three years, he had never been able to express to her how much she meant to him. He owed Kikyou his life. His vow to protect her and avenge her death had not been made lightly. However his heart had long ago been taken by the strange girl who came through a well and changed his world forever.
************
That night, Kagome tossed and turned in her sleep. Unseen shadows plagued her dreams. Strange hands, made of mud and bone reached out from the dark. Voices echoed in her mind, taunting her with words she could not quite understand. By morning, she would remember none of it, “Inuyasha....”
Chapter Glossary:
1. Kitsune-bi - Fox Fire
2. Hiraikotsu - Literally, 'Come Flying Bone'. Sango's gigantic boomerang weapon.
3. Houshi - A low ranking Buddhist Priest who travels around and has combat training. This is Miroku's title in the original Manga.
4. Kami - Shinto name referring to all of the gods.
5. Tetsusaiga - 'Iron Fang'. Inuyasha's sword, made from his father's fang and left to Inuyasha after the
father's death. Among other things, the sword can slay 100 youkai in a single blow.
6. Kongousouha - Diamond Spear Blast. The fourth attack Inuyasha learns with the Tetsusaiga. This is only in the Manga and has not reached the Anime yet. Basically, the sword crystalizes and diamond shards shoot out of it.
7. Sankon-Tetsusou - Literally, 'Soul-Shattering Iron Claw', but Anime watchers know it as 'Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer.' Inuyasha's most basic claw attack.
8. Arigato - Japanese for 'Thank-you.'
9. Houshi-sama - Houshi, as mentioned above, is Miroku's rank. In the Manga, Sango always refers to Miroku as Houshi-sama (sama is a very formal way of addressing someone. It's like saying 'Lord,' or 'Lady,' nowadays. Her reason for this is unknown, but one might suspect that she's trying to keep her distance because of certain feelings she has....
“Sighing won’t get her here any quicker, and it won’t get me to let ye run off to that well by yourself either.”
“Didn’t Inuyasha say they’d be back by now? I hate it when Kagome leaves!” Shippou threw his stick across the yard and into the fire pit. Today was an especially bad day. Not only was Kagome away, but he didn’t even have Kirara to play with, as the nekomata had gone off with Sango and Miroku to check out a lead on Naraku’s whereabouts. He’d spent most of the day helping Kaede with her Miko duties and practicing his own kitsune-bi(1) until he’d accidentally set fire to a pile of herbs that they’d spent two hours picking, and was banished outside.
Looking up, Shippou’s mood brightened as Kirara circled the village and landed nearby. Shouting to Kaede that Sango and Miroku were back, he leapt from his post at the door and ran to his friends, “Hi! Kagome’s not back yet. Can we go to the well and wait for her? How was your trip? Did you find anything? Was it Naraku? Miroku, what did Sango slap you for this time?”
Smiling at the eager kitsune, Miroku shot a glance at the taijiya and rubbed the palm print on his cheek, “I was merely trying to keep the lady warm. It does get drafty when we fly so late in the evening.”
Sango muttered something about hentai monks and bent to pick up Shippou, “Why don’t we head to the well? Inuyasha and Kagome should be here soon and Inuyasha said they’d have a lot of food to carry for the party tonight.”
Leaping out of her arms, Shippou shouted with joy and raced towards the well. Miroku fell into step beside Sango, careful to keep a safe distance from her Hiraikotsu(2), “I don’t know who misses Kagome more when she’s gone. Shippou or Inuyasha.”
“At least Inuyasha can go after her. Poor Shippou is stuck here,” Sango smiled at Miroku and breathed deeply. The lead on Naraku had been a complete wash. Nothing had been seen or heard of him for a week and, though it made her nervous, she had to admit that evenings like this made her forget all about the troubles the group faced. The sun was setting in the distance, casting a pink glow over the fields. The chirrup of crickets had begun and in the distance, and singing could be heard as the field workers ended their long day. For a moment, she could pretend that all was right with the world.
“Ouch!”
“Watch where you’re landing, wench!”
“You’re the one who ran off without me!”
“You better not have squashed the cake, or...”
“What, you’re more worried about the cake than if I’m alright?”
“Keh.”
“Baka.”
“Bitch.”
“Dog boy”
Inuyasha muttered something under his breath.
Kagome gasped. “What did you...! Ooh, Inuyasha! Osuwari!”
“Shi...”
Sango sighed as a crash echoed up from the well. Miroku grinned and raised his eyebrow at her, before leaning over the well, “Need any help down there?”
Kagome lifted a basket over the edge of the well before heaving herself onto the ledge. “He might need some help, but I’ve got the cake so I’m fine.” Forgetting to brace herself for the oncoming attack, Kagome was hurled back onto her behind as Shippou threw himself at her.
“Kagome!” Shippou buried his nose in her shirt before hopping down and trying to peek in the basket Kagome held in her lap. “What’d you bring me?”
Kagome laughed and picked up the kitsune. “Hello to you too, Shippou. Did you behave yourself?”
Shippou frowned guiltily, remembering the burned herbs. Changing the subject he asked, “So what did Inuyasha do? Did he really call you a...”
“Oi, runt!” Just in time, Inuyasha lifted the kit by his tail. Shippou threw something in Inuyasha’s face, making him cough as a puff of smoke surrounded him. When the smoke cleared, Inuyasha was holding one of Shippou’s toy snakes.
From the ground, Shippou giggled proudly, “I’ve been practicing!” before tearing off towards the village with Inuyasha close on his tail.
By the time Kagome, Sango and Miroku arrived with the three baskets, Kaede had already spread a few blankets on the ground outside, in order to accommodate the group. Inuyasha was playfully chasing Shippou around the village, allowing him to perform another of his Kitsune tricks on the hanyou before escaping.
Kagome smiled. It was things like this that made it impossible for her to stay angry at Inuyasha for long. Though the two fought often, lately Shippou and Inuyasha had also begun to play fight as well. A distinction that was not lost on the other members of the group.
When questioned about it once, Inuyasha had grunted in reply, “The runt needs someone to teach him how to fend for himself. He can’t be a weakling all his life and he doesn’t need to learn anything from that damn lecherous houshi(3).”
Drawn back to the task at hand, Kagome helped Sango, Miroku, and Kaede unload the baskets for the feast and answered Sango’s questions about her final exams.
“It really amazes me that you’ve been able to keep up with your studies all these years. You should be very proud of yourself, Kagome,” Sango smiled at her friend as she emptied her basket.
“Thanks, but let’s see if I actually pass first,” Kagome blushed from the compliment.
“Oh, you will. I’ve been offering sutras to Buddha all day in your honor, Kagome....”
“Whenever he wasn’t offering himself to my backside.” Sango interrupted, reaching for Hiraikotsu as Miroku’s hand inched her direction.
Miroku sighed, looking for all the world like a misunderstood monk, “There is far too little true beauty in this world Sango my love. It would be a sin not to show appreciation to that which the Kami(4) have given us.”
Kagome smiled at the lovely blush that rose in her friend’s face as Inuyasha and Shippou joined the group for dinner. Slowly, conversation came around to Naraku and his remaining detachments, Mouryoumaru and Kanna. Using the power of the Shikon no Tama, Naraku had finally managed to create a new body to house his human heart - the heart which was his only barrier to killing Kikyou and the only path to his destruction. The heart had been placed in the body of a baby, whom the gang had been hunting for some time. Another of Naraku’s detachments, Kagura, desperate to be free from her master, had recently attempted to help the gang by telling them that the baby containing Naraku’s heart had been placed inside the body of a creature named Mouryoumaru. Kagura’s actions quickly led to her death, and Mouryoumaru was proving to be nearly unstoppable.
“It’s been a week since our last real lead as to their whereabouts. Whatever they’re up to, it can’t be good. Naraku doesn’t disappear unless he’s either strengthening himself or he’s planning something.” Miroku turned to Inuyasha, “Do you have any ideas as to where we should go from here?”
The hanyou put down his food, “I haven’t been able catch his scent either. If he’s strengthening himself, he’s found another way to block his stench so that we can’t track him when his guard is down.”
Sango frowned, “I don’t think he’s strengthening himself. When Mouryoumaru was created, he managed to get rid of his human heart. Unfortunately for him, Mouryoumaru seems to be trying to take control. If I were Naraku, I would be trying to find a way to regain control and make sure Mouryoumaru can’t be found.”
“But Mouryoumaru is different from Naraku because he actually comes out to fight us.” Kagome wrapped her arms around her knees, “If we can figure out a way to destroy Naraku’s heart hidden inside Mouryoumaru....”
A deep laugh sounded from behind the group, “That is a chance that you will never get.” Mouryoumaru stepped out of the shadows created by the trees, and shot a tentacle towards Kagome.
Inuyasha instantly leapt in front of her and drew Tetsusaiga(5), “Mouryoumaru, your opponent is me!” Inuyasha ran forward, swinging Tetsusaiga, “Kongousouha(6)!” Diamond shards flew from the fang. Mouryoumaru rose into the air, landing behind Kagome. Before she could utter a word, tentacles wound round her neck, cutting off her air supply. “Kagome!”
Mouryoumaru grinned, “Watch, Inuyasha, as I absorb your bitch and claim her power as my own!” Drawing Kagome closer to his body, he laughed at the look of horror on the hanyou’s face as he prepared to take the girl into his body.
“The fuck you will!” Inuyasha sheathed his sword and leapt at the threat to Kagome. “Sankon-Tetsusou(7)!” With one swipe of his claws, the tentacle holding Kagome was severed and she fell to the ground, gasping for air.
“Hiraikotsu!” Sango’s boomerang bone flew forward, severing another appendage. Before any more damage could be done, Mouryoumaru lit into the air, disappearing with a final chuckle that faded into the night.
“What was that all about? He left much more quickly than usual,” Sango turned her attention to Kagome, who was being pulled forcibly into Inuyasha’s lap.
Removing the last remaining clumps of flesh left over from Mouryoumaru’s tentacle, Inuyasha seemed frantic as he searched for signs of injury.
Kagome forced a smile. “I’m okay. Thanks guys,” Her rough voice and the coughing fit that overtook her elicited a low growl from the hanyou, “Sango....” Kagome turned her head towards her friend and smiled sadly, “He still only has two shards.”
Before Kaede led Kagome away to treat her bruised neck, Sango nodded. “Arigato(8), Kagome,” Sango hadn’t seen her brother, Kohaku, in a few weeks, but the last thing they knew was that the boy had run off with the intention of destroying Naraku himself... and that Mouryoumaru sought to take the Jewel fragment embedded in the boy’s back. Were Mouryoumaru to have more than two.... Sango nodded again, “Arigato.” At least for a little while, she knew her brother must be safe.
********************
Sango and Miroku prepared for another night spent traveling.
“We’ll try and track Mouryoumaru; see if we can discover where he’s hiding,” Miroku knew that Inuyasha’s desire to join in the action was topped only by his desire to protect Kagome. It had been decided that the houshi and the taijiya would attempt to follow the villian on Kirara for the remainder of the night, while Inuyasha stayed behind with Kagome. In the morning, Inuyasha would return Kagome to her own time, at least until after graduation, and would come back to search on his own. If they failed to find any leads, the groups would meet back at Kaede’s village by sundown the following day.
“Be safe you guys,” Kagome appeared to be fine as she waved good-bye to them, but then again, her natural disposition rarely allowed many of her worries to show. Miroku groaned from his seat behind Sango as they flew off.
“What is it houshi-sama(9)?” Sango threw a concerned glance back over her shoulder as Miroku pressed his face against her armor.
“Not only won’t we be getting any sleep tonight, but we definitely won’t be getting any cake!”
*********************
Inuyasha slashed at the dry grass in the field as he ran past, “Damn.” Making a quick circuit of the town to make sure everything was clear, he dropped into a crouch in front of Kaede’s hut “Damn.” He reiterated. He should have smelled the stench of Mouryoumaru before he’d gotten so close, “That fucking Kitsune’s gonna pay for throwing so much smoke powder at me.” Splashing water on his face from the bucket next to the door, Inuyasha shook himself off, spraying water across the ground.
“You look so cute when you do that,” Expecting to get the usual affronted response to her comment, Kagome was disconcerted by the shame-filled look in Inuyasha’s eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Kagome. I failed....” Inuyasha turned away from her, ears drooping low on his head. He’d promised to protect her and he couldn’t even fucking do that. If he’d been just a second slower.... He sucked in his breath sharply as her arms circled his waist from behind.
“You saved me. If it hadn’t been for you...”
“But he shouldn’t have fucking gotten that close! Not to you!” Inuyasha turned around and pulled her against him before thinking, “I couldn’t stand it if anything had happened to you,” he said in a voice no higher than a whisper.
Kagome’s heart quickened, then slowed again. ‘He’s remembering Kikyou.’ She realized. ‘He’s remembering how he couldn’t save her and thinking that if he failed to protect me....’ With a sigh, she pulled away, “I trust you. You’ve always been there before and I know you always will be.” With a sad smile, she turned back to the hut. “Good night, Inuyasha.”
Inuyasha watched as she vanished from view. Her words echoed in his mind. ‘I trust you.’ It was something about her he could never understand. The way she made him feel as though he were invincible. As though he could do anything. Little did she know that he would do anything... for her. In three years, he had never been able to express to her how much she meant to him. He owed Kikyou his life. His vow to protect her and avenge her death had not been made lightly. However his heart had long ago been taken by the strange girl who came through a well and changed his world forever.
************
That night, Kagome tossed and turned in her sleep. Unseen shadows plagued her dreams. Strange hands, made of mud and bone reached out from the dark. Voices echoed in her mind, taunting her with words she could not quite understand. By morning, she would remember none of it, “Inuyasha....”
Chapter Glossary:
1. Kitsune-bi - Fox Fire
2. Hiraikotsu - Literally, 'Come Flying Bone'. Sango's gigantic boomerang weapon.
3. Houshi - A low ranking Buddhist Priest who travels around and has combat training. This is Miroku's title in the original Manga.
4. Kami - Shinto name referring to all of the gods.
5. Tetsusaiga - 'Iron Fang'. Inuyasha's sword, made from his father's fang and left to Inuyasha after the
father's death. Among other things, the sword can slay 100 youkai in a single blow.
6. Kongousouha - Diamond Spear Blast. The fourth attack Inuyasha learns with the Tetsusaiga. This is only in the Manga and has not reached the Anime yet. Basically, the sword crystalizes and diamond shards shoot out of it.
7. Sankon-Tetsusou - Literally, 'Soul-Shattering Iron Claw', but Anime watchers know it as 'Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer.' Inuyasha's most basic claw attack.
8. Arigato - Japanese for 'Thank-you.'
9. Houshi-sama - Houshi, as mentioned above, is Miroku's rank. In the Manga, Sango always refers to Miroku as Houshi-sama (sama is a very formal way of addressing someone. It's like saying 'Lord,' or 'Lady,' nowadays. Her reason for this is unknown, but one might suspect that she's trying to keep her distance because of certain feelings she has....