InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Black as Night, White as Snow ❯ Surprise Visitors ( Chapter 11 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Fay-of-Faerie 
1. What is Miroku talking about to Sango? 2. Where did that 'meat' packing glass come from? And 3. Who the hell is Bob?!?
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Classic / Adventure / Comedy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.22.2004 | Updated On: 08.22.2004 | Pages: 6 | Words: 3.9K | Visits: 586 | Status: Completed
1. What is Miroku talking about to Sango? 2. Where did that 'meat' packing glass come from? And 3. Who the hell is Bob?!?
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Classic / Adventure / Comedy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.22.2004 | Updated On: 08.22.2004 | Pages: 6 | Words: 3.9K | Visits: 586 | Status: Completed
Not only do I have writer’s block, am suffering from my brother’s leave, and am buried under procrastinated homework, I’m typing this chapter after burning my hand...
Oh how I hate the ‘hunt and peck’ method of typing.
Bad luck sucks.
Thanks for the reviews!
.
.
.
.
.
.
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.
.
.
.
Black as Night, White as Snow
.
.
.
--- Last Chapter ---
“Did that man tell you his name?” Kagome looked at the small boy. Although both would readily deny it, she had a feeling they actually liked each other. They bonded.
“...Yes,” he said slowly, remembering the translation he’d made of it a few days before: dog forest spirit.
Kagome perked up; “Will you tell me it?”
Shippou frowned at her. “Kagome! He told me not to!”
“Alright, Shippou-chan,” she went back to her dinner. She’d just have to figure out a way to get his name.
The next meeting would need to be truth time between the two...hopefully, that is...
--- End of Last Chapter ---
.
.
.
Chapter Eleven: Surprise Visitors
.
.
.
“Lady Kagome, I highly suggest that you-,”
“Don’t open the door,” six voices, minus one moronic human, chorused back at Miroku.
“Yes, yes,” Kagome hustled them out the door. “I got it. What are you, a parrot?” she glared at the tiny man. “Out.”
“Yes ma’am,” Miroku saluted her before marching off, a scowl twisting his usually calm face. “What is she, a drill Sargent?” he muttered, ignoring as Sango followed after him, smothering her giggles.
“No, of course he isn’t a parrot, Kagome. He’s a hentai houshi!” Kagura sang out as she glided behind the others.
“Hentai houshi, hentai houshi, hentai houshi,” Sango, Kagura, and Naraku teased the grinning monk.
“And proud of it!” Miroku announced and skipped off while the other three rolled their eyes at his back.
Thus the Seven Dwarves set out with only four days of work left before the curse was lifted and they returned to normal.
Or...
...At least as normal as those seven could get.
.
---
.
“Lady Sango?”
“Yes Sir-Monk?” the brunette straightened up and swiped at the sweat covering her brow before turning to Miroku.
Miroku looked at her thoughtfully. “Would you mind coming out to get a little fresh air with me.”
Sango eyed him suspiciously and cautiously grabbed her steel pickaxe--just in case. “Sure, it’d be nice to stretch some.”
Miroku grinned charmingly and started his way toward the mouth of the cave, a wary Sango not too far behind.
Kagura looked after them and her scarlet eyes narrowed. “Don’t take too long! You should be pulling your weight and not spending all you time chatting!” she yelled after them. They ignored her. Scowling, the wind demoness began to hack at the rock wall mercilessly. It never seemed to amaze her that they’d never run out of jewels to mine.
Come to think of it...
“Naraku,” she drawled coldly, turning to her cousin. “Where do all these jewels go after we mine them?”
“Huh?” The sly youkai raised his girlish eyebrow before shrugging carelessly. “All I know is that after we put the crates at the shrine in the back, the jewels are gone before I have time to sneak back there to steal them.”
Kagura mentally groaned. “And why,” she asked dryly, “Don’t you just steal the things while we’re mining them?”
Naraku stopped and thought carefully about it. Confidently opening his mouth, he asked his elegant family member:
“Now where’s the fun in that?”
.
----
.
Sango took in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air.
How there was a single--apparently invisible--mountain peak in the middle of a giant forest, she’d never know. Why complain with a view like this? It would take her breath away--if she weren’t already holding it in anticipation of a certain man doing a certain activity.
It worried her when it didn’t come.
Casually leaning on the end of her tool, the taijiya looked up calmly from her cupped hands. Miroku’s violet-black head of hair was just in her line of vision. From where she was looking, the mountain fell away from view and only the blue sky and white clouds framed the man’s upper half of his body.
From where she was looking, it was almost as if the monk was just as he had been the day she’d met him.
He certainly maintained the same perverted mind.
As she started to relax, with the wind blowing her tied up brown hair, her eyes started to drift shut. But, as always, Miroku seemed to have the talent of ruining a precious moment.
“Sango...”
Why would he drop the ‘lady’ in front of it? Wow...this could be serious.
“Do you remember...” he started off slowly keeping his head facing forward at the tree-covered valley at the foot of the unnoticeable mountain. “What I asked you all those years ago?”
Sango shifted a little, but tried to maintain her dignified pose. “...Yeah...” The pose seemed to be ruined by the dark pink that stained her cheeks.
Miroku sighed, “Really? Well...Have you thought any more about it? I don’t mean to press, don’t answer if you do not feel the need to. Simply curious.”
Even more rose dusted the woman’s nose. “Er- Miroku...um...n-no, not really. You haven’t mentioned it for awhile and...I t-thought you...”
“Forgot?” he supplied, turning to face his companion. He had an odd look in his eyes, an unrecognizable emotion. “Didn’t mean it?”
Sango lowered her magenta orbs and nodded dumbly. She flinched when he chuckled and looked up hell-bent on telling him off for it. But that look was still there.
“Ah, my lovely Lady Sango, I could never not mean that. I truly meant it with all my heart.” Miroku smiled and turned back to the mid-morning scene.
Sango felt a sudden anger--and maybe a little fear-- flood her senses. “No you didn’t,” she snapped suddenly, fueled by this ‘anger’ that she felt. “You’re just like all those others!”
Miroku lowered his head as he felt her eyes bore into the back of his head. “No...I meant it.”
Sango glowered, her calm mood dissipating. She generally wasn’t a pessimistic or foul mood person, but Miroku had the ‘talent’ to drag up all those emotions she hid so carefully.
“No one would mean that to me. Why would they? I’m certainly not very feminine-" she ignored Miroku’s interruption attempt, “And there are so many much better looking than I am.”
The man whipped around and narrowed his violet eyes at her, dead serious. “Sango, you will never say those things again. They are far from the truth and you know it! I meant what I said all those years ago when the curse was laid, and I still mean them. In three more days I will ask you again, and I would appreciate a –thought out- answer.” He turned on his rice sandled feet and walked stiffly away. “We should be heading back before Kagura has a heart attack.”
.
---
.
-Tap- -Tap- -Tap-
“Hang on!” Kagome yelled sweetly as she hurriedly dried off her soapsuds hands. She yanked off the coarse apron and tottered to the front door.
Screw Miroku.
Kagome smiled as she opened the heavy wooden door to find--
--Nothing.
“Hello?” she asked sticking her head out slightly and looking around. Maybe she hadn’t heard someone knock? Maybe she was getting toward the insane end? Hmm...she should stop hanging out with Naraku; he seemed to be rubbing off on her.
“Down here,” a nasally, high-pitched voice commanded.
Kagome turned her blue eyes downward and they alighted on a balding, clean- shaven, brown haired man. His humble peasant clothes seemed to carry an odor with them. And not a very good odor at that.
He was also no taller than her waist.
Still, Kagome smiled down at the newest arrival--she had a good feeling this man wasn’t Kikyou. “Hi, can I help you?” she chirped.
“Ah, yes you can.” The man took a step forward and fumbled with a hat in his hands. “I’m looking for my comrades. Have you seen them? The seven dwarves?”
“Do you know them?” Kagome asked curiously.
“Of course,” the man gave a crooked grin, “I’m the eighth dwarf---Frank.”
---SLAM---
Kagome stood panting against the now shut wooden door. Maybe Miroku was right? There did seem to be weirdoes wandering the hills.
I mean, who’s ever heard of the Eight Dwarves?
.
---
.
-Huff- -Huff-
“Damn...how long does it take to travel the equivalent to three miles?” the poor flea panted.
Oh this was going to be a long journey.
.
---
.
He couldn’t help it. Really, he couldn’t.
Was it his fault that his eyes brightened at the sight of her?
A gorgeous, kind, young, nice woman walks into a clearing, surrounded by fluffy animals with the most beautiful smile on her face. Her long, silky, midnight tinted black hair in loose waves around her shoulders and her wild yet tame bangs fluttering across her forehead. Not to mention the fact that said young maiden’s insides was as pretty as her outside.
Now who wouldn’t smile at the sight of that?
‘Seriously,’ Inuyasha mused. ‘Even if some poor old badger was blind, he’d still be able to feel her presence!’
The hanyou could swear the colors were brighter, the sounds sweeter, and his heart lighter at the sight of the girl.
“Hey!” She waved over to him, then giggled when a small goldfinch hoped onto the moving hand.
“Hi,” he croaked, struggling to keep his scowl in place. He’d be so embarrassed if it turned into a smile.
Inuyasha, inu hanyou, son of the great taiyoukai Inutaisho could not smile!
For it tis a very evil facial expression!
‘Yeah...now I’m rambling,’ the silver haired man rolled his eyes as he pushed up from the firm ground.
Kagome grinned happily as she reached him. “I love spring!” she announced.
Inu looked at her carefully. “That’s...random...”
She smirked and rolled her blue-gray eyes at him. “It’s just that...my birthday is in the spring. I guess it’s biased then, isn’t it? Winter and summer and autumn are pretty too...maybe if I was born in one of them I would like it better.”
Inuyasha nodded. It seemed logical to him. “You have this weird habit of saying the most off topic things, you know that wen-?”
“What was that?” she interrupted coolly.
“Girl,” he finished lamely.
“Oh really?” she let his slip slide and waltzed gracefully to a tree trunk before all but collapsing on it.
“Wait...birthday?” Inuyasha asked. Oh yeah, he definitely had an issue of over using that word.
“Huh? Yeah...” Kagome looked away and blushed.
Inuyasha noticed. “What’s with the pink?” he growled as he thumped down next to her on the ground.
Kagome shrugged. “I don’t...like my birthday.”
“Huh?” Inu looked up at her through his thick bangs.
Kagome shifted a little and Inuyasha could start to smell the nervousness and sadness rolling off of her.
“My mom...she...uh...died on my birthday. My first birthday.”
“Oh.” Inuyasha scowled. Why did he have to have the oh-so-enviable talent of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time?
They stayed silent for awhile before one of them had to break the awkward moment.
“My...My mom died when I was young too.” Inuyasha felt that if he shared something that she’d feel better.
“Really?” Kagome looked down at him in surprise. She’d never really thought about the guy having parents...or a home...or a past...she just lived in the moment with him.
Inu shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t remember her. My dad died before that and my brother is in charge of--,” he caught himself before he said the word ‘kingdom’. That could imply he was a prince, or as it was, a lord. He was still avoiding that.
“Of?”
“My family,” Inu slipped in easily.
“So, would that be just you, or more?” Kagome wasn’t prying, really she wasn’t. She wasn’t being nosy either! She was just one of those naturally curious types.
“Yes...I mean no...I mean there is one other. I have a little...er...sister.”
“Really?” Blue became sparkly and the color shimmered. “Aww...A little girl! Oh, I love little kids.”
“I noticed that about you and that brat...” he huffed.
Kagome was so caught up in the moment that she missed the insult to the fox cub under her care.
“So...are you all happy like the fairy tale family?” Kagome asked, one for happy endings.
Inuyasha snorted. “Fuck no,” he ignored her scowl, “We’re so dysfunctional it’s funny.”
“What do you mean?” she asked slowly.
“Well...let’s see. My brother is a full dog demon, I’m half, and Rin is all human.”
Kagome blinked at him.
“Huh?” she asked intelligently.
Inu snorted at her clueless look. “Fluffy is my half brother, we have the same father.”
“Fluffy?”
Inu got the feeling that she’d know that ‘Sesshoumaru’ was the king/lord of one of the four great lands in Japan, so he was trying to keep his name out of the conversation. “I call him that because it bugs the hell out of him...” he waved it off flippantly.
“Oh...so how does your sister--Rin, wasn’t it?--fit into all this?”
“Huh? Well she’s adopted. I think.”
“You think?” Kagome asked, wondering at this guy’s brain cell count.
“Well...I really don’t understand how she can be my sister if she came after my parents died. Can you adopt someone as your sister and not as your daughter?” he asked.
Kagome shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“Anyway. We consider her my sister even though, I guess, she’s technically Fluffy’s daughter. Or maybe she’s mine? I don’t know. Like I said, we’re dysfunctional.” Inuyasha yawned and his slender fangs glinted in the sun.
Kagome ignored the razor sharp attachments. “Right.”
Inu settled against the tree stump that Kag was sitting on top of. He leaned into his hands and closed his eyes. “According to Shippou, you’re family sounds dysfunctional too.”
“What?” Kagome snapped upright. “What all did he say?” She demanded as she looked down at the guy.
Inuyasha looked up at her strangely. She was acting pretty protective. “Just that you’re parents are gone and you’re sister is...blood happy or something.”
“Uh,” Kagome’s mind raced. Kag hated to talk about Kikyou, it was a touchy subject. She needed to turn the subject to something safer. Something completely distracting: “So...How ‘bout them cowboys?”
Inuyasha blinked at her. “What the...?”
Kagome blinked right back. “Huh?”
“What did you say?”
“I said something?” she asked innocently.
Inuyasha blinked owlishly. “Uh...yeah. What was it?”
“What was what?”
Inuyasha head slumped. Okay, maybe this beauty wasn’t perfect. She had the weirdest talents.
Like changing the subject at the drop of a hat.
.
---
.
“Hmm...” Kikyou consulted the ‘cook’ book for her latest plan. What was next? “Let’s see here...I’ve added the bat wings, the mushrooms, the slugs, the pumpkin, the werewolf eyelash, and my toe clippings. Now what?” Kikyou thumbed through the thick leather book. Finding the right recipe, her slender finger swept down the list and she noted the ingredients that would go into the next batch.
Her grandmother sure had a way of writing the items.
1. Moth demon’s pinky toe
2. White baboon fur
3. A lock of a taiyoukai’s fluffy pink tail
4. A loose tooth of a cute village orphan girl
5. A skirt/kilt thingy of a wolf prince
6. A miko’s white hair ribbon
7. A hair youkai’s comb
8. And a giant three-eyed cow demon that could fly and stand extreme heat
Oh yeah...This would take awhile.
.
---
.
“Mistress Kaede?”
“Yes, my child?” the elder miko asked the young mirror youkai.
The pure white child leaned softly against the glass of a old mirror. Said mirror currently resided in the back of the Shikon no Tama mines. Kanna would visit the old woman often for some civil company.
“How do you know the lord Inuyasha?”
“Well. A long while ago, when I was still young, I met him and his brother Sesshoumaru. Even then, fifty years ago, thy two were as they look now. Handsome young lads. They are, in truth, several centuries old.” Kaede explained while cleaning up the shrine dedicated to the powerful priestess Midoriko.
“Oh. Was he always this...rude?” The girl whispered, her stoic face giving off no emotions.
Kaede chuckled. “Yes, Inuyasha tis rude and always has been. But...it’s his way. It’s his rugged charm. I’m sure Kagome has noticed this factor.”
Kanna looked off wistfully. “Inuyasha cares deeply for her.”
“Love at first sight tis a silly concept.” Kaede huffed, “But...I think the boy has fallen for it. I have not seen them together, but gathered by thy way that Kagome does not complain all the time about him, he must be acting nicer.”
“And Kagome?”
“Thy girl tis too innocent. She does not understand thy concept of ‘love’. She’ll learn, though, I know she will.” Kaede shrugged. “They’ll grow attached...It’ll just take her awhile to identify thy emotion.”
“That would be true...if they had time.” Kanna melancholy voice breathed.
Kaede’s look darkened. “That tis thy one gift no one can give them. And Inuyasha tis not helping matters by keeping his betrothal to Kikyou from Kagome. They need to come clean with each other.”
“How do you know so much about this situation?”
Kaede smiled an old smile. “It’s an old woman thing.”
Kanna sighed. “Yes Kaede-bachan. It is good to talk to someone in my confinement. Especially someone who knows of curses.”
Kaede mirrored her sigh. “All will be well for ye Kanna. No matter how this ends, in some generation a pure hearted person will release ye.” Kaede scowled, “It could have been Kagome. She has thy powerful and odd miko powers to do it. But she never advanced them.”
A ghost of a smile flashed across Kanna’s pale face. “There is still time,” she whispered inaudibly and Kaede easily missed the words.
“Lady Kaede-sama!” A forlorn little voice cried.
“Aye, Shippou?” the woman asked.
The boy toddled in just as Kanna disappeared into the mist in her mirror world. He grinned up at the miko. “Are you coming back to work? I’m tired of Miroku’s stiff quietness, Sango’s mutterings, Naraku’s and Kagura’s scowling, and Hojo’s accidents. I need company,” the small youkai pouted.
“Of course Shippou,” the miko moved forward and lifted the boy into her arms.
“Guess what!” he suddenly commanded with his boyish charm.
Kaede humored him, “What?”
Shippou’s grin widened, “I’ve talked to Kagome. She wants me to stay with her after this, no matter what!” he announced.
“Bless ye child,” Kaede smiled at the boy. “You could have found no one sweeter than Kagome. Ye’ll be happy.”
“I know,” the boy chirped, his green eyes bright. “I know I will.”
.
---
.
Kagome clambered upward and stretched her arms up towards the sky. Sighing contentedly, she smiled to her companion.
He look placidly back at her.
Oh well...at least he’s not that bad of company all the time.
“I have to get back. I washed the dishes this morning and swept the floors, but I still need to dust. Not to mention I need to go gardening and gather some food for dinner.” Kagome explained as she walked backwards to her exit of the clearing.
Inuyasha swaggered up and twisted his back and shoulders to pop his back. “Keh, whatever. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Kagome nodded, “Yep. Bye!” she waved and skipped from the area.
Inuyasha shrugged before leaping into a tree. He was unusually tired. Too much, in fact, to feel like going out to hunt for some dinner.
Maybe one of those blood sucking viscous bunnies would just walk into his stew pot?
Hey, a hanyou can dream.
.
.
.
Yeah, I know, I made you all wait for such a short chapter. Feh.
Ja ne!
Oh how I hate the ‘hunt and peck’ method of typing.
Bad luck sucks.
Thanks for the reviews!
.
.
.
.
.
.
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.
.
.
.
Black as Night, White as Snow
.
.
.
--- Last Chapter ---
“Did that man tell you his name?” Kagome looked at the small boy. Although both would readily deny it, she had a feeling they actually liked each other. They bonded.
“...Yes,” he said slowly, remembering the translation he’d made of it a few days before: dog forest spirit.
Kagome perked up; “Will you tell me it?”
Shippou frowned at her. “Kagome! He told me not to!”
“Alright, Shippou-chan,” she went back to her dinner. She’d just have to figure out a way to get his name.
The next meeting would need to be truth time between the two...hopefully, that is...
--- End of Last Chapter ---
.
.
.
Chapter Eleven: Surprise Visitors
.
.
.
“Lady Kagome, I highly suggest that you-,”
“Don’t open the door,” six voices, minus one moronic human, chorused back at Miroku.
“Yes, yes,” Kagome hustled them out the door. “I got it. What are you, a parrot?” she glared at the tiny man. “Out.”
“Yes ma’am,” Miroku saluted her before marching off, a scowl twisting his usually calm face. “What is she, a drill Sargent?” he muttered, ignoring as Sango followed after him, smothering her giggles.
“No, of course he isn’t a parrot, Kagome. He’s a hentai houshi!” Kagura sang out as she glided behind the others.
“Hentai houshi, hentai houshi, hentai houshi,” Sango, Kagura, and Naraku teased the grinning monk.
“And proud of it!” Miroku announced and skipped off while the other three rolled their eyes at his back.
Thus the Seven Dwarves set out with only four days of work left before the curse was lifted and they returned to normal.
Or...
...At least as normal as those seven could get.
.
---
.
“Lady Sango?”
“Yes Sir-Monk?” the brunette straightened up and swiped at the sweat covering her brow before turning to Miroku.
Miroku looked at her thoughtfully. “Would you mind coming out to get a little fresh air with me.”
Sango eyed him suspiciously and cautiously grabbed her steel pickaxe--just in case. “Sure, it’d be nice to stretch some.”
Miroku grinned charmingly and started his way toward the mouth of the cave, a wary Sango not too far behind.
Kagura looked after them and her scarlet eyes narrowed. “Don’t take too long! You should be pulling your weight and not spending all you time chatting!” she yelled after them. They ignored her. Scowling, the wind demoness began to hack at the rock wall mercilessly. It never seemed to amaze her that they’d never run out of jewels to mine.
Come to think of it...
“Naraku,” she drawled coldly, turning to her cousin. “Where do all these jewels go after we mine them?”
“Huh?” The sly youkai raised his girlish eyebrow before shrugging carelessly. “All I know is that after we put the crates at the shrine in the back, the jewels are gone before I have time to sneak back there to steal them.”
Kagura mentally groaned. “And why,” she asked dryly, “Don’t you just steal the things while we’re mining them?”
Naraku stopped and thought carefully about it. Confidently opening his mouth, he asked his elegant family member:
“Now where’s the fun in that?”
.
----
.
Sango took in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air.
How there was a single--apparently invisible--mountain peak in the middle of a giant forest, she’d never know. Why complain with a view like this? It would take her breath away--if she weren’t already holding it in anticipation of a certain man doing a certain activity.
It worried her when it didn’t come.
Casually leaning on the end of her tool, the taijiya looked up calmly from her cupped hands. Miroku’s violet-black head of hair was just in her line of vision. From where she was looking, the mountain fell away from view and only the blue sky and white clouds framed the man’s upper half of his body.
From where she was looking, it was almost as if the monk was just as he had been the day she’d met him.
He certainly maintained the same perverted mind.
As she started to relax, with the wind blowing her tied up brown hair, her eyes started to drift shut. But, as always, Miroku seemed to have the talent of ruining a precious moment.
“Sango...”
Why would he drop the ‘lady’ in front of it? Wow...this could be serious.
“Do you remember...” he started off slowly keeping his head facing forward at the tree-covered valley at the foot of the unnoticeable mountain. “What I asked you all those years ago?”
Sango shifted a little, but tried to maintain her dignified pose. “...Yeah...” The pose seemed to be ruined by the dark pink that stained her cheeks.
Miroku sighed, “Really? Well...Have you thought any more about it? I don’t mean to press, don’t answer if you do not feel the need to. Simply curious.”
Even more rose dusted the woman’s nose. “Er- Miroku...um...n-no, not really. You haven’t mentioned it for awhile and...I t-thought you...”
“Forgot?” he supplied, turning to face his companion. He had an odd look in his eyes, an unrecognizable emotion. “Didn’t mean it?”
Sango lowered her magenta orbs and nodded dumbly. She flinched when he chuckled and looked up hell-bent on telling him off for it. But that look was still there.
“Ah, my lovely Lady Sango, I could never not mean that. I truly meant it with all my heart.” Miroku smiled and turned back to the mid-morning scene.
Sango felt a sudden anger--and maybe a little fear-- flood her senses. “No you didn’t,” she snapped suddenly, fueled by this ‘anger’ that she felt. “You’re just like all those others!”
Miroku lowered his head as he felt her eyes bore into the back of his head. “No...I meant it.”
Sango glowered, her calm mood dissipating. She generally wasn’t a pessimistic or foul mood person, but Miroku had the ‘talent’ to drag up all those emotions she hid so carefully.
“No one would mean that to me. Why would they? I’m certainly not very feminine-" she ignored Miroku’s interruption attempt, “And there are so many much better looking than I am.”
The man whipped around and narrowed his violet eyes at her, dead serious. “Sango, you will never say those things again. They are far from the truth and you know it! I meant what I said all those years ago when the curse was laid, and I still mean them. In three more days I will ask you again, and I would appreciate a –thought out- answer.” He turned on his rice sandled feet and walked stiffly away. “We should be heading back before Kagura has a heart attack.”
.
---
.
-Tap- -Tap- -Tap-
“Hang on!” Kagome yelled sweetly as she hurriedly dried off her soapsuds hands. She yanked off the coarse apron and tottered to the front door.
Screw Miroku.
Kagome smiled as she opened the heavy wooden door to find--
--Nothing.
“Hello?” she asked sticking her head out slightly and looking around. Maybe she hadn’t heard someone knock? Maybe she was getting toward the insane end? Hmm...she should stop hanging out with Naraku; he seemed to be rubbing off on her.
“Down here,” a nasally, high-pitched voice commanded.
Kagome turned her blue eyes downward and they alighted on a balding, clean- shaven, brown haired man. His humble peasant clothes seemed to carry an odor with them. And not a very good odor at that.
He was also no taller than her waist.
Still, Kagome smiled down at the newest arrival--she had a good feeling this man wasn’t Kikyou. “Hi, can I help you?” she chirped.
“Ah, yes you can.” The man took a step forward and fumbled with a hat in his hands. “I’m looking for my comrades. Have you seen them? The seven dwarves?”
“Do you know them?” Kagome asked curiously.
“Of course,” the man gave a crooked grin, “I’m the eighth dwarf---Frank.”
---SLAM---
Kagome stood panting against the now shut wooden door. Maybe Miroku was right? There did seem to be weirdoes wandering the hills.
I mean, who’s ever heard of the Eight Dwarves?
.
---
.
-Huff- -Huff-
“Damn...how long does it take to travel the equivalent to three miles?” the poor flea panted.
Oh this was going to be a long journey.
.
---
.
He couldn’t help it. Really, he couldn’t.
Was it his fault that his eyes brightened at the sight of her?
A gorgeous, kind, young, nice woman walks into a clearing, surrounded by fluffy animals with the most beautiful smile on her face. Her long, silky, midnight tinted black hair in loose waves around her shoulders and her wild yet tame bangs fluttering across her forehead. Not to mention the fact that said young maiden’s insides was as pretty as her outside.
Now who wouldn’t smile at the sight of that?
‘Seriously,’ Inuyasha mused. ‘Even if some poor old badger was blind, he’d still be able to feel her presence!’
The hanyou could swear the colors were brighter, the sounds sweeter, and his heart lighter at the sight of the girl.
“Hey!” She waved over to him, then giggled when a small goldfinch hoped onto the moving hand.
“Hi,” he croaked, struggling to keep his scowl in place. He’d be so embarrassed if it turned into a smile.
Inuyasha, inu hanyou, son of the great taiyoukai Inutaisho could not smile!
For it tis a very evil facial expression!
‘Yeah...now I’m rambling,’ the silver haired man rolled his eyes as he pushed up from the firm ground.
Kagome grinned happily as she reached him. “I love spring!” she announced.
Inu looked at her carefully. “That’s...random...”
She smirked and rolled her blue-gray eyes at him. “It’s just that...my birthday is in the spring. I guess it’s biased then, isn’t it? Winter and summer and autumn are pretty too...maybe if I was born in one of them I would like it better.”
Inuyasha nodded. It seemed logical to him. “You have this weird habit of saying the most off topic things, you know that wen-?”
“What was that?” she interrupted coolly.
“Girl,” he finished lamely.
“Oh really?” she let his slip slide and waltzed gracefully to a tree trunk before all but collapsing on it.
“Wait...birthday?” Inuyasha asked. Oh yeah, he definitely had an issue of over using that word.
“Huh? Yeah...” Kagome looked away and blushed.
Inuyasha noticed. “What’s with the pink?” he growled as he thumped down next to her on the ground.
Kagome shrugged. “I don’t...like my birthday.”
“Huh?” Inu looked up at her through his thick bangs.
Kagome shifted a little and Inuyasha could start to smell the nervousness and sadness rolling off of her.
“My mom...she...uh...died on my birthday. My first birthday.”
“Oh.” Inuyasha scowled. Why did he have to have the oh-so-enviable talent of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time?
They stayed silent for awhile before one of them had to break the awkward moment.
“My...My mom died when I was young too.” Inuyasha felt that if he shared something that she’d feel better.
“Really?” Kagome looked down at him in surprise. She’d never really thought about the guy having parents...or a home...or a past...she just lived in the moment with him.
Inu shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t remember her. My dad died before that and my brother is in charge of--,” he caught himself before he said the word ‘kingdom’. That could imply he was a prince, or as it was, a lord. He was still avoiding that.
“Of?”
“My family,” Inu slipped in easily.
“So, would that be just you, or more?” Kagome wasn’t prying, really she wasn’t. She wasn’t being nosy either! She was just one of those naturally curious types.
“Yes...I mean no...I mean there is one other. I have a little...er...sister.”
“Really?” Blue became sparkly and the color shimmered. “Aww...A little girl! Oh, I love little kids.”
“I noticed that about you and that brat...” he huffed.
Kagome was so caught up in the moment that she missed the insult to the fox cub under her care.
“So...are you all happy like the fairy tale family?” Kagome asked, one for happy endings.
Inuyasha snorted. “Fuck no,” he ignored her scowl, “We’re so dysfunctional it’s funny.”
“What do you mean?” she asked slowly.
“Well...let’s see. My brother is a full dog demon, I’m half, and Rin is all human.”
Kagome blinked at him.
“Huh?” she asked intelligently.
Inu snorted at her clueless look. “Fluffy is my half brother, we have the same father.”
“Fluffy?”
Inu got the feeling that she’d know that ‘Sesshoumaru’ was the king/lord of one of the four great lands in Japan, so he was trying to keep his name out of the conversation. “I call him that because it bugs the hell out of him...” he waved it off flippantly.
“Oh...so how does your sister--Rin, wasn’t it?--fit into all this?”
“Huh? Well she’s adopted. I think.”
“You think?” Kagome asked, wondering at this guy’s brain cell count.
“Well...I really don’t understand how she can be my sister if she came after my parents died. Can you adopt someone as your sister and not as your daughter?” he asked.
Kagome shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“Anyway. We consider her my sister even though, I guess, she’s technically Fluffy’s daughter. Or maybe she’s mine? I don’t know. Like I said, we’re dysfunctional.” Inuyasha yawned and his slender fangs glinted in the sun.
Kagome ignored the razor sharp attachments. “Right.”
Inu settled against the tree stump that Kag was sitting on top of. He leaned into his hands and closed his eyes. “According to Shippou, you’re family sounds dysfunctional too.”
“What?” Kagome snapped upright. “What all did he say?” She demanded as she looked down at the guy.
Inuyasha looked up at her strangely. She was acting pretty protective. “Just that you’re parents are gone and you’re sister is...blood happy or something.”
“Uh,” Kagome’s mind raced. Kag hated to talk about Kikyou, it was a touchy subject. She needed to turn the subject to something safer. Something completely distracting: “So...How ‘bout them cowboys?”
Inuyasha blinked at her. “What the...?”
Kagome blinked right back. “Huh?”
“What did you say?”
“I said something?” she asked innocently.
Inuyasha blinked owlishly. “Uh...yeah. What was it?”
“What was what?”
Inuyasha head slumped. Okay, maybe this beauty wasn’t perfect. She had the weirdest talents.
Like changing the subject at the drop of a hat.
.
---
.
“Hmm...” Kikyou consulted the ‘cook’ book for her latest plan. What was next? “Let’s see here...I’ve added the bat wings, the mushrooms, the slugs, the pumpkin, the werewolf eyelash, and my toe clippings. Now what?” Kikyou thumbed through the thick leather book. Finding the right recipe, her slender finger swept down the list and she noted the ingredients that would go into the next batch.
Her grandmother sure had a way of writing the items.
1. Moth demon’s pinky toe
2. White baboon fur
3. A lock of a taiyoukai’s fluffy pink tail
4. A loose tooth of a cute village orphan girl
5. A skirt/kilt thingy of a wolf prince
6. A miko’s white hair ribbon
7. A hair youkai’s comb
8. And a giant three-eyed cow demon that could fly and stand extreme heat
Oh yeah...This would take awhile.
.
---
.
“Mistress Kaede?”
“Yes, my child?” the elder miko asked the young mirror youkai.
The pure white child leaned softly against the glass of a old mirror. Said mirror currently resided in the back of the Shikon no Tama mines. Kanna would visit the old woman often for some civil company.
“How do you know the lord Inuyasha?”
“Well. A long while ago, when I was still young, I met him and his brother Sesshoumaru. Even then, fifty years ago, thy two were as they look now. Handsome young lads. They are, in truth, several centuries old.” Kaede explained while cleaning up the shrine dedicated to the powerful priestess Midoriko.
“Oh. Was he always this...rude?” The girl whispered, her stoic face giving off no emotions.
Kaede chuckled. “Yes, Inuyasha tis rude and always has been. But...it’s his way. It’s his rugged charm. I’m sure Kagome has noticed this factor.”
Kanna looked off wistfully. “Inuyasha cares deeply for her.”
“Love at first sight tis a silly concept.” Kaede huffed, “But...I think the boy has fallen for it. I have not seen them together, but gathered by thy way that Kagome does not complain all the time about him, he must be acting nicer.”
“And Kagome?”
“Thy girl tis too innocent. She does not understand thy concept of ‘love’. She’ll learn, though, I know she will.” Kaede shrugged. “They’ll grow attached...It’ll just take her awhile to identify thy emotion.”
“That would be true...if they had time.” Kanna melancholy voice breathed.
Kaede’s look darkened. “That tis thy one gift no one can give them. And Inuyasha tis not helping matters by keeping his betrothal to Kikyou from Kagome. They need to come clean with each other.”
“How do you know so much about this situation?”
Kaede smiled an old smile. “It’s an old woman thing.”
Kanna sighed. “Yes Kaede-bachan. It is good to talk to someone in my confinement. Especially someone who knows of curses.”
Kaede mirrored her sigh. “All will be well for ye Kanna. No matter how this ends, in some generation a pure hearted person will release ye.” Kaede scowled, “It could have been Kagome. She has thy powerful and odd miko powers to do it. But she never advanced them.”
A ghost of a smile flashed across Kanna’s pale face. “There is still time,” she whispered inaudibly and Kaede easily missed the words.
“Lady Kaede-sama!” A forlorn little voice cried.
“Aye, Shippou?” the woman asked.
The boy toddled in just as Kanna disappeared into the mist in her mirror world. He grinned up at the miko. “Are you coming back to work? I’m tired of Miroku’s stiff quietness, Sango’s mutterings, Naraku’s and Kagura’s scowling, and Hojo’s accidents. I need company,” the small youkai pouted.
“Of course Shippou,” the miko moved forward and lifted the boy into her arms.
“Guess what!” he suddenly commanded with his boyish charm.
Kaede humored him, “What?”
Shippou’s grin widened, “I’ve talked to Kagome. She wants me to stay with her after this, no matter what!” he announced.
“Bless ye child,” Kaede smiled at the boy. “You could have found no one sweeter than Kagome. Ye’ll be happy.”
“I know,” the boy chirped, his green eyes bright. “I know I will.”
.
---
.
Kagome clambered upward and stretched her arms up towards the sky. Sighing contentedly, she smiled to her companion.
He look placidly back at her.
Oh well...at least he’s not that bad of company all the time.
“I have to get back. I washed the dishes this morning and swept the floors, but I still need to dust. Not to mention I need to go gardening and gather some food for dinner.” Kagome explained as she walked backwards to her exit of the clearing.
Inuyasha swaggered up and twisted his back and shoulders to pop his back. “Keh, whatever. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Kagome nodded, “Yep. Bye!” she waved and skipped from the area.
Inuyasha shrugged before leaping into a tree. He was unusually tired. Too much, in fact, to feel like going out to hunt for some dinner.
Maybe one of those blood sucking viscous bunnies would just walk into his stew pot?
Hey, a hanyou can dream.
.
.
.
Yeah, I know, I made you all wait for such a short chapter. Feh.
Ja ne!