InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Better Things than You ❯ Surprise, Surprise ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. He is the property of Rumiko Takahasi y Viz Productions.

 

A/N: Thanks to my reviews! I heart you guys. Seriously, this chapter would not be out so fast if it hadn't been for you.

 

To my reviewers with direct comments/questions:

 

Alexa: I hope Inuyasha retained enough dignity for your liking.

 

Coykoi: No worries, they'll be back!

 

Kagome442006: So maybe I got ahead of myself and the reunion may not be this chapter exactly, but I swear its coming soon. *Cowers* Don't hate me! I want them to be together as much as you do because that's when the fun begins. I'm working on it as soon as I get some sleep.

 

To everyone else, thanks so much!

 

Chapter 10

 

Miroku rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up while at the same time idly wondering why his wrists and head ached so much.

 

His eyelids fluttered open and at first he could only see a straw roof with what could only be described as a primitive sky light. That can't be right, his tired mind mused.

 

Gingerly, he managed to bring himself to a sitting position, feeling oddly dizzy, as if he were floating even as he was sprawled on the ground.

 

Rubbing his wrists, Miroku tried to remember where exactly he was, but nothing was coming. He only felt as though he had been furious before he fell asleep, but because of whom or what, he could not stay.

 

Standing on shaky legs, he made his way to the doorway from which he could make out the muffled sound voices.

 

What met his eyes when he pulled the flap to the hut back was extremely far from what he had been expecting. There were women. Not the soft and fragile girls he had become accustomed to in London, but women who would give a man a challenge. Their appearance was enhanced rather than hurt by the lack of clothes they so freely sported. Not even in the seediest clubs he had dared to be seen at had he been allowed to gaze on such garments.

 

Miroku was so shocked, something in his already abused and unstable brain snapped.

 

He took off at a run for the first woman he saw. She was kneeling over some weapons. Fast as he could, he tugged the surprised girl to her feet, taking both her hands in one of his own while the other snaked around to the unsuspecting girl's backside.

 

Or perhaps not that unsuspecting.

 

He had only touched her and muttered something that sounded like was trying to say, “Would you bear my child,” when Miroku found himself flying though the air.

 

Sango ran after the male body she had just flung over her head. He skidded to a stop in the dust several yards away from where she had stood.

 

“Son of a pig!” The Amazon shouted when she reached him. “If you EVER touch me or any woman like that again, you will not have hands to do so. Or any other useful appendages.”

 

Miroku sputtered for a moment before passing out cold, yet again.

 

Just as her brother went out cold Kagome trotted up her new friend, her skirts swishing around her ankles.

 

“Sango, that can't be good for him,” she reprimanded with a wry smirk.

 

“Well, neither is grabbing my ass!” Sango hissed before what she had just said dawned on her.

 

Turning quickly to gage Kagome's reaction, she found the girl staring back at her with wide-eyed surprise.

 

“You—you speak—”

 

“I can speak English.” Sango said calmly as if this sort of thing happened everyday. “It just came to me I was so mad.” She took a moment to glare down at the man sprawled on the ground before her, lightly touching his lips. “He better not try to grope me again.”

 

Kagome looked the other way, the grin still on her face.

 

XXXXXXXX

 

“What in the FUCK do you mean she's gone!” Inuyasha roared at a calm looking Kouga.

 

“She and her brother were kidnapped in an attack,” Kouga repeated. He leaned back in his chair, relaxing over their breakfast. “Neither of the Higurashis are here. They're gone. What else do you want me to say?”

 

Inuyasha felt as though he was going to rip the man's head off. Tear it off while it was still bleeding and… He sucked in a breath, trying desperately to count to ten. “I want you to tell me what I need to know so I can find her. Then I want say why the fuck you haven't done more to find them before now!”

 

Kouga rolled his eyes. “We haven't had the time or the man power to look for two useless souls. And I can't waste my time telling you a bed time story about what happened.” Kouga stood, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. “If you haven't noticed we have a camp to fortify and some things to find!” He was making his way to the door, but Inuyasha seized his arm.

 

“I am going to find Kagome, and you are going to help me or this,” he gave the limb a shake, “will be mine.”

 

Kouga looked bored as he tore his arm away from Inuyasha.

 

Sighing, Inuyasha's shoulders slumped. “Can you just tell me the direction the attackers came from or left by?”

 

Kouga thought for a moment. “I honestly don't know. We were all in tents when the attack came and the men we set guard were the first ones to be killed.” Again he paused to think. “Before I blacked out—and this could be a dream, I wasn't in the best shape—I think I saw Kagome following a women out into the forest.” He pointed in the general he had seen Sango that night.

 

“A woman?” Inuyasha quirked and eyebrow.

 

“You heard me. A woman.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“She was definitely a woman, Inuyasha.”

 

Resigning to defeat, Inuyasha thanked Lord Greenswitch and went back outside.

 

Walking to the edge of the field camp, he found Kouga's men already assembling his tent. Though he would surely disembowel the man if he found his nonchalance had anything to do with Kagome being harmed in anyway, Kouga was at least hospitable.

 

He may have only had a vague possible direction, Inuyasha was still hopeful. He still had Kagome's scent memorized by heart.

 

Soon Kagome, soon…

 

XXXXXXXX

 

Kagome wrung out the wet cloth again. She gently swabbed her brother's face.

 

Humming to herself, she smiled when Miroku's eyes fluttered open.

 

“Morning,” she looked down at his confused face.

 

“Where I am?” He croaked.

 

Kagome gave a small laugh. “I'm really not sure. But I have a friend,” she offered as encouragement.

 

“Why am I not surprised,” Miroku chuckled as he struggled to sit up.

 

“Her name is Sango and she speaks English,” Kagome spoke as she helped Miroku right himself. After a moment she decided she might as well explain who exactly Sango was. “You've actually already met her.”

 

Miroku froze in his efforts to wipe the sweat off his face.

 

“I haven't—you mean her. The one who I can only assume brought us here after she attacked me. She's knocked me unconscious at least twice and you've befriended her?”

 

“She's been kind to me, Miroku. This hasn't been easy for me and you've bloody slept though the whole thing!” Kagome's voice momentarily became shrill. Blushing at her out burst, she lowered her head and spoke in a whisper. “And she's knocked you out three times, not twice.”

 

It was Miroku's turn to whisper. “What do you mean, three times?”

 

“You weren't yourself and you know how you can be overly friendly with women. She just put you in your place.” Kagome giggled at her brother's sour look.

 

“Kagome!” A female voice called from outside the hut.

 

“That's Sango now, I'm supposed to train with her. So I'll be safe.”

 

Kagome stood quickly, but Miroku grabbed her hands before she could leave.

 

“Train?” He chocked out. His brain was still fuzzy and he couldn't even begin to grasp his sister's words.

 

Kagome nodded and Miroku released her hand. “So I'll be safe the next time a demon attacks,” she called over her shoulder as trotted outside leaving Miroku alone.

 

“Demon?”

 

His tired brain could no longer grasp Kagome's words and flopped back down on his bedding. He scrunched his eyes closed.

 

Maybe this Sango was right. Maybe he was more useful asleep.

 

XXXXXXXX

 

Inuyasha sniffed the air and leaped to another branch. He had been searching the jungle for well over a week, moving onto his second.

 

He had started out looking for a group of men, but there were no male warriors anywhere in the forest. Many, many demons, but few to no men.

 

But there were some women out there, somewhere.

 

He knew that much for sure.

 

On more than one occasion he had though his nose could just grasp Kagome's scent, but as soon as he picked up upon it, it was gone on the wind.

 

But he was getting closer.

 

It was true the smells moved and weakened, but he would find her soon. It was only a matter of time. The tiny glimpses he had gave him the hope he needed to fuel his search.

 

XXXXXXXX

 

Kouga had just polished off his tankard of the piss-weak alcohol—the only kind they had left. He was debating the merits of getting another, leaning back in his chair, eyes closed, when he felt a stronger sea breeze than usual. Opening half lidded eyes, Kouga choked.

 

A man was standing his tent.

 

It took a moment, but he recognized him quickly.

 

Naraku.

 

“Good evening, partner.” Naraku cooed.

 

The legs of Kouga's chair splinted as the hit the ground. “What are you doing here?”

 

Naraku strolled into the tent, plucking up Kouga's empty tankard as he passed the table. He squirted some liquid into the vessel from the barrel pushed up against the tent's side. Taking a sip he grimaced. “For one, bringing you something real to drink.” He spat and poured the remains on the ground.

 

“You know what I mean.” Kouga growled in warning. “Why have you come? I haven't sent for you.”

 

“Our interests need projection, and I finally found the missionary.”

 

Kouga could only offer a dead panned expression. “Missionary? Naraku what the fuck?”

“You really are a simple man, my Lord Greenswitch.” Naraku clucked. He swept passed Kouga, running his fingers sloppily though his partner's hair as he went. Taking the seat next to Kouga, he didn't miss the man's cringe.

 

“You will remember the rumors of a jewel in this very jungle?” Naraku pressed.

 

“Yes, vaguely.”

 

“Well, my missionary friend claims to have seen it.” Easing back in his chair, Naraku looked like a snake about to strike.

 

“Is that so?” Kouga scoffed. He made his way over to the barrel and poured himself another drink.

 

“He said he was taken prisoner by a group of bloodthirsty women who worshipped the damned thing.”

 

“Women?” Kouga asked, setting the tankard down.

 

“That's what I said.”

 

“You know,” Kouga leaned forward as he remembered something, “Inuyasha has been searching for some women—”

 

Naraku was on his feet in an instant. “Inuyasha!” He snarled. “I killed that fucking dog!”

 

Kouga was taken by surprise. As long as he had known him, Naraku had always been calm and collected. He was perhaps a bit malicious under the surface, but never so outwardly violent as he was now.

 

“Yes, he washed up on the shore a week or two ago. He said he was coming here to look for the Higurashi girl.”

 

“So the little mite did make it?” Naraku seemed slightly more at ease.

 

“Yeah she stowed away on my—”

 

“But the hanyou is here?” Again, he spoke with an angry growl.

 

Kouga nodded. “The night we arrived we were attacked. Kagome was taken.” Naraku swore. “And I believe it was a group of women who did it. Inuyasha thinks I'm right and has been tracking them.”

 

Naraku looked a little more interested and a little less angry. “Has he found anything?”

 

Kouga thought for a moment. “He comes back every few days. Last time he stayed a night, he said something about being close.”

 

“I see. Next time he's here, you will be joining him in his treasure hunt. If Kagome is with the same women the missionary stayed with, then we will be lead to the jewel.”

 

Kouga nodded, it was all he could do.

 

XXXXXXXXX

 

Sango shook her head at Kagome's efforts. The girl was really helpless at punching, running, and leaping over anything. She didn't even want to think about the poor girl's attempts to kick.

 

Maybe a weapon would be best.

 

But only after she could talk the girl into wearing some descent clothes; something she could move in.

 

XXXXXXXXX

 

A/N: I tried, I really tried to get Inuyasha and Kagome at the same place at the time, but I could do it. I swear I made my best effort, but without cutting out all sort of stuff I just couldn't managed. But we're very very close. Scouts honor. Besides, I updated like insanely fast for me. That has to be worth something.

 

I feel like my writing was a bit weak in this chapter, but I think that has a lot to do with the speed with which I wrote it. You'll forgive my poor sentence structure and word repetition, right?

 

I'm on a bit of a roll with this, and though you shouldn't get your hopes up, I'll try (try being the key word) to pop the next chapter out sometime this weekend. No more summer school after tomorrow!