InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beauty and the Beast ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 10 )

A/N: OMG I'm not dead you guys! LMAO I know, I know, forever and a damn day since I wrote anything, I'm so sorry, don't maim me! Nothing much to say, besides the fact I flipping love Shippou and want to squeeze him to death. ::gives Shippou chocolate covered coffee-beans and lets him go bug InuYasha:: Yay I'm evil!

Oh, and much love to my new beta ArtemisMoon whom the voice's in my head are now building a shrine too. W00t w00t! lol ;)

Disclaimer: Don't own. Damn my luck.

The old woman was not special looking in anyway. She was of small stature and the years had given her more width then height, she had a black eye-patch over her right eye, as she had lost it when a stray youkai had attacked her village when she was but a child. She wore the traditional dressings of a Shinto priestess; red pants a white linen shirt.

However, looks could be deceiving, for she was a powerful miko within her own right. Not as powerful as her older sister, who had once held great purifying powers. Her face drew taught as she thought about her once loving sister, who had long ago fallen, becoming a rare Black miko, her powers turning from the light and plunging her in the darkness.

What hurt the most was that Kikyou had been willing for too happen, and took a sick delight in it. By nature, Kikyou was not evil. But after the accident, after the trauma she suffered...she had been warped and twisted, not herself.

The old miko pushed all thoughts of her long dead sister away and began to make her way through the market square of the small village that was near to where she lived. She did not come there often, only twice a year to get the necessaries she couldn't get from the land or trading with the various travelers that crossed her path.

She was looking at various cooking wares, as her old pot was ready to give up and die, when her attention was caught by a wolf demon talking in subdued tones behind the merchant's booth.

"-hanyou has to be forcing her to stay with him." Her interest was perked at once, for she knew one hanyou in all those parts, and she scooted to the side, keeping her head down, unwilling to let the wolf demon and his companion's know she was listening to them.

"Kagome is a strong girl, Kouga, and an even stronger miko. I don't think that she could be forced to stay anywhere she didn't want too." The old human man said, indecision crossing over his face. The wolf demon snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Kagome can't take care of herself! She's just a human girl; she couldn't stand up against a hanyou and his friends. I'm going to get her out of there, any way I have too. She's my woman." The old miko allowed herself a small smile, and she absently paid for the crockery, moving through the crowd of people towards hers old horse and wagon, deciding it was time she paid her hanyou a visit.

And, most importantly, this Kagome.

Shippou crouched low in the half-dead grass and fallen autumn leafs, eyes trained on the large cricket that said unaware the kit whose small body was taunt, barely breathing. Shippou, trying to mimic the impressive growling that InuYasha could produce (which sounded tiny and thin) leapt forward, hands extended, tiny claws flashing in the afternoon light.

The cricket became highly aware of the little kit now, and began hopping away, frantic to keep away from the needle sharp claws of the kitsune child. Shippou glowered at it and leapt again, but the cricket evaded his grasp once more. This did not suit Shippou, so again he began stalking it, eyebrows drawn in concentration.

With a not so mighty roar, he caught it in his grasp, cupping it his little hands and holding it above his head in triumph as he began to do a mini-war dance in happiness. He had caught it, all on his own, he was a mighty youkai, one to be feared! All would tremble before him; the moon would not rise if he did not will it, and he would eat all the sugar he wanted!

His attention was caught, however, when he heard a the faint neigh of a horse and creaking of wagon. He looked up, eyes wide as through the gate he saw an old woman leading said horse and wagon around the bend of the tree's, towards the castle. This was something Shippou had never seen, and he knew that keeping the castle, and its inhabitants, secret was something that was of high importance.

Not that anyone tell him why, he was just a kid, and he hated it. They never told him anything, it was always "When you're older Shippou", or, InuYasha's case a growl of warning and bonk on the head.

He pushed those thoughts away thought and unclasped his hands, the cricket leaping to freedom, though Shippou paid it no mind. He turned and raced towards the castle, struggling to pull the heavy oak door open. Finely it was wide enough that he could slip through, and he did, shouting the whole way.

He skidded into the kitchen, where Kagome was trying, with very bad results, to teach Sango to cook while Miroku was being force fed the poison Sango called `cooking' while InuYasha watched, a smug smile on his face.

"There's someone coming here!" Everyone stopped and turned to look at Shippou who took in a deep breath, heart racing frantically. "An old lady, she's coming here!" Kagome looked at Sango, who looked back with wide eyes, while Miroku settled his ever-calm gaze on InuYasha. InuYasha, for his part, growled and jumped up, stalking towards the exit to the castle.

Miroku followed, all to happy for any excuse to be free from the horrors, and sick stomach, that he was developing, that the kitchen was giving him.

Kagome watched as Sango grabbed her bone boomerang, which she had been practicing with not an hour ago, and hurried after the men, and with a tight stomach Kagome followed. Bile was rising in her throat at the thought it could be someone here to take her away, to make her leave InuYasha.

And if anyone did that again, be them demon or human, or anything in between, Kagome knew that when it came down too it she would kill them if she had too.

She slipped through the double doors that lead outside, which InuYasha had flung open, chewing on her lip as fear built up in her throat, a lump that she could not swallow down no matter how hard she tried.

An elderly lady dressed in the clothing of a miko pulled on the reigns to her horse, turning her head to look at InuYasha with one eye, the over covered with a black eye patch. She turned her gaze from him after moment, passing over Miroku and Sango and Shippou to settle on Kagome, and nerves erupted in her stomach like a nest of butterflies were trying to pry their way out.

"What are you doing here, baba?" InuYasha said roughly, glowering at her. Kagome began to breath again, seeing that InuYasha was not bristled at ready to rush at her. Still, the miko's gaze unsettled her and she moved from beside Sango to InuYasha, pressing herself to his side, eyes wide.

He moved an arm about her waist, and Kagome tilted her head up, eyes questioning. He looked down at her, squeezing her gently, letting her know that the woman was no threat, and Kagome relaxed, leaning into him.

"I was in the village, and I heard some talk of a hanyou and the young woman he was keeping here." The old woman dropped reigns and clambered off the cart of a wagon, old bones creaking in protest. She was short, smaller even then Kagome, though twice the width, which was much to be expected at her age.

Her face was heavily lined and wrinkled from time and countless hardships she had faced in her life, and her one eye glitter a light blue. It was wise and hard, though behind it was a tenderness. Kagome gave her a small, soft smile, and after a moment of consideration, the old woman returned it.

"I take it this would be the young Kagome I heard talk of." Kagome nodded, and InuYasha tensed beside her. He was half afraid that Kaede would tell him that Kagome must leave him and never return.

Which would happen of his dead body, he thought as a low growl started at the back of his throat.

"Hello, Kaede-sama." Sango said with a smile, receiving a greeting in return. Miroku, ever the charmer, moved forward and captured Kaede's hands, beaming at her.

"Ah, Kaede-sama, you are as beautiful and as fresh as a spring rose!" Kaede snorted and rolled her eye, though a smile tugged her lips.

"And you're still a lying hoshi, Miroku." Miroku laughed and lead her in, the others following, InuYasha and Kagome bringing up the front while Shippou bounded at Kaede's side, throwing questions at her a mile a minute.

Kagome smiled at the kit's antics and turned her face up towards InuYasha, wrapping her arm around his waist as the walked. She was curious about Kaede, more then curious really, but still it did not stop the warmth that flooded her.

It felt like a family. She and InuYasha, and little Shippou questioning everything and taking innocent joy in life, Sango and Miroku and their rather violent, if hidden, love for each other.

They entered the drawing room, all of them settling down. Kagome made to move to sat next to Sango, but was pulled back by InuYasha, who plopped himself down in a chair, crossing his legs under him and hauled her into his lap.

Kaede smiled at the two, and Kagome flushed a bright red, ducking her down, pinching in InuYasha on the arm when she felt a silent chuckle rumbling from his chest. After a moment of wiggling she gave up and leaned against him, still blushing, but warm and content in the circle of his arms.

And rather smug with the knowledge that her wiggling had made the hanyou rather uncomfortable.

"I guess its time we had a little talk, Kagome. I'm thinking you have many questions." Kagome blinked, then nodded slowly.

She had a feeling this was going to be a very important conversation.