InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Black as Night, White as Snow ❯ A Thickening Plot ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

My Weakness? I am terrified of spiders! Extreme arachnophobia is something I get on my father’s side, along with the need to pace for hours on end. We’re odd people, in the Middle Ages my ancestors had a tree stump on our coat of arms. That either proves we’ve always been short, or we had a very good sense of humor. Anywho, spiders seem to find me tasty all of a sudden and I have bites all up and down my lower leg. Its completely making my skin crawl.

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Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or the story of Snow White, and I wouldn’t mind owning a arachnid free room!

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Black as Night, White as Snow

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--- Last Chapter ---

“At the mine. It’s almost noon. You’ve been sleeping off the effects of the poison,” Kagura said while filing down her extremely pointed fingernails.

“Noon?” Kagome mumbled. “WAIT! NOON?!” she asked a little more forcefully.

“Yeah, noon, why?”

“I’m going to be late!” Kagome leaped up only to find herself completely undressed.

Blushing, she wrapped her blanket around her body and rushed off to find some clothes to meet ‘her’ hanyou.

--- End of Last Chapter ---

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Chapter Seven: A Thickening Plot

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Kanna starred blankly in front of her.

No way! This had to be a dream!

Kikyou was...

...Was...

...Singing!

Oh and dear Lords she was off key! Kanna had to use all of her will power not to clap her tiny alabaster hands over her ears to keep them from shattering. Speaking of shattering...was that a wine glass that just exploded?

Oh dear? How to fix this situation? Simple answer would be to get her to stop singing. Only way to do that was to make Kikyou unhappy again! As easy as that sounds, Kikyou rarely got into a good mood, so it was hard to take it back away.

Twitching her little white nose, Kanna eagerly searched her own mini mirror. There had to be something! Maybe that Lord Inu guy falling off a cliff or having gone insane from the prospect of marrying the wicked queen? Or better yet...

Raising her voice to be heard over the cracking glass in the background, Kanna happily told her employer something.
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"---Kagome is alive, she has foiled your plot,

She still has the beauty that you’ve sought.---"
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Oh yeah, that felt good.

Kikyou’s mouth instantly snapped shut and she turned to face the young girl with fiery eyes. “What did you just say?”

Kanna, not being the slightest bit afraid, said lightly, “The same thing I said the last two times you failed to get rid of your cousin. Tell me Kikyou, would it be that bad to allow Lady Kagome to live?”

“Too bad?” Kikyou snapped but amazingly held up her cool façade. “Yes it would be. It is custom to invite all family to a royal wedding and I’d get a bad telling off if my own sister didn’t show up! And if she has more beauty than I do, who is to say that my Inuyasha wont run off with her? He is only a man after all,” she snorted.

Kanna allowed the woman to rant. “Alright, so it wasn’t my best idea. But she seems happy in the forest, why not let her live her life out in the woods? Who would know?”

Kikyou took a deep breath to calm down. Getting her own stick straight posture back, she said coldly. “I checked up on that curse on those ‘dwarves’. They’ll be normal again in less than two and a half weeks.”

“And?” Kanna didn’t exactly see the problem.

“With their debt paid, there will be no need for the cottage any more. Kagome would have no place to stay.”

“Oh,” Kanna nodded. That put a kink in her plans.

“So, we’ll just have to plan a little more. I was hoping the hairpieces were plain enough that they wouldn’t feel the need to remove them when the dwarves found her body, so that way she'd stay dead this time. We need a new thing. I’ll think of it later. I have a meeting with Hisa to plan our bonfire in two hours.”

“Bonfire?” Kanna asked.

Kikyou nodded curtly. “We’re finally taking control of that infestation of rats and lizards in the palace.” As she began to walk out of the room, she turned back. “I suggest you find something to plug your nose with. It’ll get smelly.”

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‘She’s not coming, she’s not coming, she’s not coming, she’s not coming, she’s not co-.’

“You came?” Inuyasha breathed as the subject of his thoughts stumbled into the clearing panting.

Inu had painfully found that as soon as the maiden left his sight, she entered his thoughts a little more forcefully.

Kagome looked up while rubbing a stitch in her side and flashed a warm smile. “Of course! Sorry I’m late, some witch tried to...” she trailed off and began to fiddle with her sleeves.

“Witch?”

“Nothing!” Kag said a little too quickly. “You need to have more faith in me!” she announced as she tapped him on the nose. His gold eyes crossed to watch her finger. Kagome giggled at his action. “You’re a strange person, did you know that?” she said as she collapsed on top of a log. She was wearing her own brown kimono so she didn’t have to worry about ruining something that wasn’t hers.

“How?” he growled as he sat down next to her.

“Well,” Kagome seemed to think deeply. “I just met you and you seem to have me at your beck and call!” she raised an eyebrow at him.

Inu raised one of his own as he smirked. “Told you I have power.”

“No you didn’t!”

“Well, I just did!” He defended himself. Maybe he told her he was powerful in one of his many dreams about her?

Wow, that sounded more pathetic than he’d like to admit.

“I’m strange, what about you?” he asked as Kag’s friends joined them.

A few foxes and bunnies snuggled up to her bare feet while a fawn nibbled on her ear from behind. Birds perched on her shoulders and head while a baby squirrel curled up in her lap.

(A/N: Ha, Ev! Squirrels are so much better than purple monkeys! Er-sorry bout that. Ongoing fights...^-^ Or was it that chipmunks are better than squirrels...?)

Kagome eyed him carefully, “What do you mean?”

“What are you? A human or a wood sprite?” Inuyasha asked as a rather viscous looking (at least to him) fluffy bunny hopped onto one of his feet.

Kag shrugged. “Use your nose!”

‘No way! Your scent completely makes me go out of my mind. I was thinking of avoiding that action,’ of course he didn’t say any of it out loud.

“Oh!” Kagome snapped her fingers and turned to look at him eagerly. He had to resist the urge to use a claw to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I really need to get those buckets today. If I forget a third time, Miroku wouldn’t let me hear the end of it.”

“Miroku?” Whoops, there goes that jealousy again.

Kagome grinned. “A hentai houshi!” Her grin spread even further. “Hey! That just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?”

“A perverted monk?” Inu tweaked her ear. “And I thought I had odd friends.”

Kagome giggled as her forest friends calmed her down a bit. She felt naturally carefree in this guy’s presence. Was that a good or a bad thing? “Oh that’s nothing. Naraku is this twisted evil idiotic jerk who only has the brain capacity to think up manipulative plans that gets everyone involved in deep trouble,” Kagome complained.

“Sounds fun,” Inu said faintly. Should he really let his girl hang out with someone like that?

“Oh, and Kagura! She’s the perfect blend of elegance and danger!” Kagome told him seriously. “And Hojo? While he’s, um, uh, er, yeah.” Kagome finished lamely.

“Right, understood every word!” Inu said sarcastically. “Any others?”

Kagome nodded slowly. Should she really be telling this stranger all about her friends? Of course, how bad could it hurt? “You already heard ‘bout Shippou. What about Kaede-?”

“Wait! Oh damn, there’s that word again! Lady Kaede? Old miko who looks like she could keel over at any time?” Inuyasha asked a little too enthusiastically.

Kagome sweatdropped, “I guess so...”

“Wondered what happened to her,” he said slowly. “When you see her, tell her I’m sorry about the eye thing. She’ll know what you mean.”

“You did that to her?” Kagome gaped and discreetly moved back a few inches.

Inuyasha saw it.

“It was an accident!” he defended himself. “She doesn’t blame me, so it can't be my fault!”

Kagome eyed his claws wearily. “Uh huh. Sure.”

Inu sighed. Oh great. Now the most perfect female he’d ever met thought he was dangerous. Which he was, but he wasn’t. Yeah, that made sense...

Kagome looked around at the growing shadows. “How could it have gotten so late?” she stood up, effectively dumping a load of animals on their rears. She made a few hasty apologies.

“I could take you back to where ever you live,” Inuyasha suggested.

Kagome looked back at him. “I can manage,” she still didn’t trust him completely.

Inu hid his wince and shrugged. “I believe you, but what’s your name? You have a habit of keeping it from me.”

Kagome smiled. “Maybe next time.”

“Next time?” Inu asked dumbly as she leaned forward and gave a now familiar peck on the cheek.

“Yeah. If I can,” Kagome still didn’t trust Kikyou not to jump out of a bush and run her through with that fork.

“Feh,” Inu huffed but his scowl twitched as he fought a grin.

“Good, see you later than!” she chirped as she walked away, her many followers close behind.

“Bye,” Inu whispered as he collapsed Indian style on the ground. Maybe he should sleep in a tree that night. It was more comfortable. “I bet she has a beautiful name.”

He yawned and started to drift off for a late afternoon nap. “It’d fit her.”

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“How does he act?”

“How old is he?”

“What does he look like?”

“Is he evil?”

“A good kisser?”

Kagome nearly fell over with the force of all the questions when she cheerfully stepped into the kitchen. “What?”

“You rushed off to meet him! What’s really going on?” Kagura demanded as she walked forward.

“Um?” Kagome sweatdropped.

“Shippou!” Miroku commanded and out of no where said demon jumped to Kag’s shoulder.

After a few sniffs, Shippou announced, “She only smells like him on her ear. No where else!”

“Ear? What does he do, nibble it?” Miroku asked, his mind already in work.

Sango smacked him. “Oh shut up! He could have just brushed past her!”

“Actually, he tucked my hair behind my ear,” Kagome said without thinking before blushing a deep red.

And that started another round of questions.

“Quiet!” Kagome announced. “Er, he seemed to know you Kaede-bachan. Something about being ‘sorry for your eye’...”

Kaede’s look brightened before she began to leave the room. “Then I know all I need to know of this guy. Tell him the next time you see him, Kagome- sama, that I wish him a good life.”

“Alright!” she called before turning to her roommates. “Lets see, he has long silver hair, gold eyes, fluffy ears,” she grinned at that and the dwarves had to shake her out of her daydreaming. “He’s tall! He has a very nice face: smooth skin, strong jaw, straight nose.”

“Acts?”

“Don’t really know,” Kagome frowned. “He seems pretty nice under it all. Maybe a little too arrogant and egotistical, a bit of a jerk. But definitely he means well. He’s not nice as in nice, but in his own way,” she struggled to explain.

“Good kisser?”

“What?” Kagome shouted outraged while blushing a shade of red yet to be discovered. “I am so not telling you! Not that we have kissed,” she still clung to her claim of innocence.

Miroku snorted and rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

“Evil?” Naraku asked again.

“No!” Kagome said instantly. “Or, at least I don’t think so.”

“Kagome, it seems to me that you don’t really know him! I say you don’t meet him again. What if he’s really Kikyou?” Sango asked desperately.

Kagome thought of the kiss and nearly lost her stomach. “Trust me, he’s NOT Kikyou!”

“Fine,” the taijiya sighed. “Well at least promise you’ll be careful!”

“Of course Sango,” Kagome said softly.

“Good. Everyone, time for dinner. NOW! No complaints and don’t bother Kagome any more!” Sango was definitely the real one in charge of the group.

“Yes ma’am,” Miroku mock saluted. Sango slapped him, maybe a little lighter than she normally did, Kagome noticed.

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“Please, Lord Inuyasha! You must!” Myouga pleaded.

Inuyasha scowled at the flea and pinched him easily between two claws. Smirking in a very triumphant way he then scowled again. “No Myouga. I can't. Tell Fluffy to go screw him self.”

Myouga shuddered at the prospect of telling the great taiyoukai such disrespectful words. “But Lord Sesshoumaru commands it!”

Inuyasha growled. He really wanted to get rid of this pest! “How long?” he asked gruffly.

“Not too long, I suppose,” Myouga said carefully, hiding his smile in getting his lord to get off his lazy rear end.

“Better not be,” Inuyasha stood up and stretched while the flea fell to the ground from the sudden movement. Taking one last longing look in the direction the maiden had disappeared, he bounded off in search of his castle.

‘Wait for me. I’ll be back.’

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“Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru drawled as said younger half brother walked through the doors.

“What?” Inu barked.

“As full of manners as ever I see,” the elder demon sighed. “Where have you been? Your wedding will be here soon!”

“What wedding?” Inu feigned stupidity. Not all that hard in reality.

“You know very well what wedding. Kikyou is getting impatient, I have to say she’ll be a good match. She’s as creepy and evil feeling as you are.”

“I think you’re getting us mixed up again elder brother,” Inuyasha snorted.

Sesshoumaru was out of the thrown so fast and at his brother’s throat before Inuyasha could even blink.

“Say that again,” ‘Fluffy’ hissed as he lowered his glowing fingers to Inu’s neck.

Inu looked at the hand in a bored manner that had Sess raising his hackles in mere seconds. “No thanks, your Lordship,” Inu ground out.

Sess nearly scoffed as he let go and coldly watched Inuyasha rub his abused neck.

“Is there any way I can get out of this?” Inuyasha whined.

Sesshoumaru was about to drawl a ‘no’ when a thought hit him. “Yes.”

“What?” the two amber gazes locked.

‘Fluffy’ sighed as he reclaimed his previous seat. “If you find a young maiden within the wedding date that you’d rather marry, I’ll let you off.”

Inuyasha blinked stupidly. Well that seemed easy enough. What about her? It was too perfect. He’d already fellen head over heels, all he had to do was get the same reaction from her!

“But,” Sesshoumaru stated simply. His tone of voice made Inu snap his golden glance up in wary suspicion. “She has to be of royal descent.”

Inuyasha let loose a sting of curses that would have made a sailor blush.

“Language, language, dear brother,” Sesshoumaru hissed as their seven year old adopted sister launched into the room with a servant boy, Souta, while playing tag.

Odd how Sesshoumaru seemed to accept a full human sister but not a half- human brother.

“Good bye, brother,” Inu ground out as he stalked out.

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“Damn!”

“What’s wrong master?” Myouga called loudly as he clung on for dear life.

“It's almost sun rise and we just left the palace! We might not make it!” Inuyasha worriedly looked around at the blurs that were trees. “Damn Sesshoumaru and all that is under his control!”

“Make what?” Myouga screeched as they narrowly missed another tree.

“Her,” Inu said simply and missed Myouga’s wide-eyed stare.

Myouga mulled over this new predicament. Things just got a lot more complicated.

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She was there. Just like he knew she would be, and expected. But still, it made his throat constrict and his heart feel like it plummeted to his feet.

She just looked so damned beautiful! Her ebony hair flew in the breeze around her shoulders as her hair toggle seemed to be missing, and her eyes looked around at everything so understandingly.

She was wearing the blue again.

As he watched her sitting there he seemed to go momentarily mute and unmovable.

Glancing down at Myouga, who sat at his shoulder eyeing him warily, Inuyasha said in the simplest manner ever, “Call me by my name or station and I will kill you.”

The poor flea just nodded.

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Kagome looked up at a distant rustle and was forced to gulp harshly.

He just looked so...perfect as he walked towards her with the lowering sun behind him. His blowing silver hair seemed to have a golden halo and his amber eyes seemed so deep as he looked at her. Kagome had to snap her mouth shut in fear that she’d drool as she eyed his body up and down.

She’d waited most of the day so sure he’d come, and he did.

Straightening up, she used his line from the day before. “You came!”

He eyed her carefully and all thoughts of a marriage to Kikyou flew from his mind. Seeing as she used his words, he used hers. Tapping her on the nose, he said, “You should really learn to have more faith in me.”

Kagome giggled and sat down, pulling him down with her. A butterfly lazily flew around the crown of her head. “Where were you?” she asked innocently as she turned to him.

Inu swallowed guiltily. “Business.”

Kagome gazed at him with what seemed to be genuine surprise. “Really? I thought you lived in the forest!” Kagome nearly burst out giggling at the shudder of disgust that ran through him. “I was just kidding,” she rolled her eyes as she faced away. Suddenly a sharp prick made itself known on her neck. Kagome’s eyes widened as she instantly thought that Kikyou had found her again. Her hand slapped upwards and she looked down as a rather flat looking demon floated on the wind from where her hand had made contact with her neck.

Inuyasha growled at the flea. “Myouga!” he thundered. Both Kagome and the flea jumped. Inu’s ears flattened and he looked at the young woman a little guilty. “Sorry.”

Whether it was about him yelling or the flea deciding she was its next meal, she wasn’t sure. “No problem,” she said lightly.

Inuyasha smirked as he heard what sounded awfully like a feminine growl in the back of her throat. “Its late, I have to go.”

He looked up surprised. Damn Fluffy! He’d cut their meeting short! “You have to?”

Kagome shrugged. “I need to get the cleaning and cooking done before they come home from work.”

Fluffy’s words from before came floating back. She sounded like a maid, not royalty. Though it didn’t exactly surprise him. “Sure. You all right getting back home safe?”

Kagome smiled at his poorly hidden concern. “Uh huh. After getting lost the twelve times in the last three days, I seem to find the path easily enough now.”

“Twelve?” Inu echoed before shaking his head sadly. Only a human could do that. “Tomorrow?”

Kagome nodded and Myouga watched carefully, as the maiden leaned forward and kissed his Lord’s cheek. “Tomorrow,” she agreed.

As the two males watched Kagome toddle off, Myouga turned to his master. “Wow.”

Inuyasha nodded.

“Too bad,” Myouga sighed. “It’s either Kikyou or another princess. Sorry she isn’t on the menu, Lord Inuyasha. She has great blood!”

Inuyasha smashed him firmly between two palms. “Oh yeah.”

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“Any new ideas yet?” Kanna asked innocently.

“No,” Kikyou huffed and went back to her thinking position.

Some people may find it hard to hang upside down on a pole while wearing a kimono and drinking mandarin orange tea, but Kikyou found it oddly stimulating. “Grams was right, this does seem to be good for the brain.”

Kanna shook her head sadly before disappearing back into the fog that clouded the face of the large mirror where she lived.

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Kagome happily skipped along the path. This would have to be the tenth visit with the hanyou in the woods.

Everything was going perfectly! In the morning, she’d see off the dwarves then clean the house. After that she’d lock up and meet the man and late in the afternoon she’d come back home and prepare dinner for the dwarves.

Not only that, but the dwarves would have the curse lifted in only nine more days and Kikyou hadn’t been seen around sense her last attempt on her sister’s life.

And the meetings with the mysterious man?

She still refused to tell her name, just for the thought of being a tease. Because of that, he refused to tell her what and who he was. They made it into a little game. Between chatting about odd things, they guessed about the other and always happened to get it wrong.

It did unnerve her a bit that he never talked about why he’d kissed her on a mere whim. Not that she minded. It didn’t bother her; she was dismayed to find that he didn’t try it again.

They never really talked about themselves but about different things.

It still surprised her how quickly the hours went and how easily they spent them.

Walking into the clearing, she smiled when she saw him. “You came!” she called.

He smirked as he walked up and did the customary tap on the nose, “You should learn to have a little more faith in me!”

It was their normal greeting and they switched who said what each time.

“You’d be amazed at what I saw yesterday,” Kagome started as he led her to the base of a tree.

“Really, and what was that?” he smirked as he sat down next to her.

“Well...” and the maiden/maid/ex-princess started her tale.

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A/N: Oh, the plot thickens! (always wanted to say that) I like this chapter a lot better than my last one, but whatever. What do you think?

So, Inuyasha is still being forced to marry Kikyou and can only get out of it if he marries another royal female. Too bad he doesn’t know that Kagome is a princess...Meanwhile Kikyou is still after Kagome and Kanna seems to have developed a bit of a hatred for her employer.

MWAHAHA! I love this story!

Till next time, Ja ne!