InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dumb Luck ❯ Tumble ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer- I do not own InuYasha or any of the original characters; they are the property of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. This story is an individual creation for personal and shared enjoyment of true InuYasha fans that I hope is up to the quality of the real series. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Translation Notes: Torii - is the tall archways that are usually at the entrance to shrines. They come in various colors and are made of various materials, but most are made of wood and many are painted orange and black.

Chapter Four: Tumble

Sitting around the firepit inside the hut, the companions discuss things they did while they were apart.

Kagome suddenly reaches for her pack lying against a nearby wall, "Oh yeah…" She digs inside for the small bag she had brought while the others watch curiously. "Ah! Here it is!" She pulls it out and turns on her knees back to the fire. She reaches into the opening and pulls out a small wooden wheel. She smiles and holds it out, the dangling string catching the kitsune's attention, "Here Shippo-chan. This is from my brother. When I told him about your top, he thought you might like it."

Shippo's eyes light up and he takes it, "Oooh!" He turns is over and over, admiring the bright yellow color and fingering the string. He looks up at her, "What is it?"

"It's called a Yo-yo." She demonstrates how you `throw' the wheel and, with a tug, it rolls back up the string into her hand.

Shippo puts the looped string around his finger and gives it a few tosses, getting a silly grin on his face. "This is great!"

Kagome smiles at him and reaches into the bag, pulling out a short, squat can, "Kirara, this is for you. A whole can of tuna-fish."

The tiny cat's ears flick and she looks interested, "Mew."

Kagome sets the can down and dips into the bag again, "Ah, Sango-chan." She holds up a small, round container made of clear plastic and unscrews the top. She hands the bottom half to her friend, "It's lip balm." She smiles, "Smell it."

Sango obligingly holds the container to her nose and sniffs the pinkish stuff then looks up in surprise, "Strawberries!"

Kagome hands her the lid and nods with a grin, "It tastes like it too."

Sango raises and eyebrow, touches a fingertip over the slick surface and smoothes it across her lip. "Mmm…" her eyes widen and she gives a small laugh, "It does!"

Kagome grabs the sack and pulls out a paper-wrapped bundle, "Miroku-sama?"

He is staring at the beautiful Taijiya and doesn't seem to hear her.

Kagome shares an amused grin with Kaede and clears her throat, "Miroku-sama?"

He blinks and looks at her, "Hmm?"

She tries to keep a straight face at his slightly blank look and hands him the bundle of incense sticks, "Jichan thought that you would like these."

He takes them with pleasure, "Arigato, Kagome-sama."

This time, Kagome pulls out a small wooden box. "Kaede-obachan?"

Kaede takes the box, her single eye wide, "For me?"

Kagome nods, smiling fondly at the old woman, "My Mother's favorite spiced tea." She takes a deep breath and looks from one to another, "These are only small things but my family wanted to thank you all for understanding my need to be at home and for taking care of me when I'm here." She bites her lip and continues, "And I wanted to let all of you know how much I value our friendship." Kagome bows low over her knees, "Arigato Gosaimasu."

Stunned silence greets her when she rises up and the surprised looks are just too much for her and she bursts out laughing. "I can't help it…" she gasps out as they stare at her, "your faces…" She tries to muffle her giggles behind her hands while her face turns even redder in the ruddy firelight.

The solemnity broken, Sango and Shippo begin to giggle too while the Monk and old Miko smile in amusement. Kirara blinks her wide eyes and turns to pat at the yellow yoyo's string trailing on the floor.

Kagome eventually catches her breath and wipes her eyes, trying to ignore the kitsune's high-pitched, infectious giggles when the almost empty bag captures her gaze. She sticks her hand inside and finds the remaining item. Kagome stands up, feeling the wrapping crinkle in her hand, "I'll be back in a little bit."

Shippo gasps just as she reaches for the door-flap and scurries across the room to latch onto her leg to look pleadingly up at her, "Not by yourself?"

She bends down and strokes a comforting hand over his hair, "I won't go far."

After a moment the worry eases in his eyes and he steps back, releasing her. She gives him a slight smile and goes through the doorway.

The almost full moon is half covered by broken clouds, the sky a spectacular deep blue with brilliant stars peeking though drifting holes; winking then hidden. The cool breeze is welcome relief from the earlier heat of the day, rustling the tall grasses that border the cultivated fields.

Kagome stands just outside, listing to the quiet voices from within made indistinct by the rushing sound of the swaying trees. Unsure of which way to go, she looks around the quiet village and then back at the not-so-distant forest, everything washed in a bluish light and dotted with deep shadows.

She eventually wanders over to one of InuYasha's favorite spots; the last in a row of trees. But the hanyou isn't there. `Darn.' She waits there for a few minutes before slowly walking back towards Kaede's, her head down and lost in thought.

When the hut comes into view, she hesitates, feeling reluctant to give up so easily, and sees the long stairway to the right that leads up to the old Shrine. On an impulse, she climbs the stairs, passing under the tall Torii at the top, looking at the unused building and the well-tended clearing surrounded by shifting bushes. The moon finds another opening in the drifting clouds and illuminates a smaller wooden shrine atop a carved stone base off to one side.

`Kikyo's grave…' She walks over and kneels in front of the little shrine, touching the rough stone surface and thinking of the misfortunate Miko and the series of events that had led to her early death and subsequent semi-resurrection.

`Kikyo…' she notices the small spray of flowers placed at the foot of the grave marker flutter in the breeze and sits back on her heels with a sigh, `If you loved him…how could you ever believe…?' Clothes and hair rippling, she watches the moon play hide-and-seek while the air swirls around the clearing, first in one direction then another.

There is no sound other than that of the blustering wind and shifting greenery but something subtle, the `feel' of the place changing and she straightens, turning her head until she can see the dark-red of his hakama at the edge of her vision.

Kagome looks down at her hands resting in her lap, "I have something for you." She fingers the paper wrapping; waiting. The silence only grows and she stands up to face him, his expression unreadable. She holds out her closed hand but he only glances at it.

She frowns with impatience, `All right, Mr. Stubborn!' Reaching forward, she grabs one of his hands to pull it up and slaps the object onto his open palm.

"There!" She turns her back on him in a huff, "It's from my Mother." She looks back over her shoulder, "She wanted to tell you `Thank You'." His eyes widen and she fees a small amount of satisfaction at getting some kind of reaction from him. With that, she turns and begins walking towards the stairs.

"Kagome…" his voice is just loud enough to hear over the wind.

She stops but remains facing away.

"…I'm glad you're back."

Her shoulders slump, her anger completely gone with those softly spoken words. `How does he do that?' She shakes her head at her silly self and turns back. The lost look on his face causes her heart to lurch and she moves closer without thinking, "InuYasha - what's wrong?"

He blinks and looks away, "Nothing."

`Oh, no you don't…' She approaches him determinedly, "I don't believe you."

His hand clenches tightly around the small gift and he still won't look at her, "Nothing, I said."

She reaches up, grabs a handful of pale-hair and pulls his head around to face her, "You want to try that again?"

"Fine!" His eyes blazing and ears back, he frowns down at her as he shouts, "I missed you!"

She lets go in surprise and yells back, "I missed you, too…you Blockhead!"

He straightens and they stare at each other in varying degrees of embarrassment. He is the first to look away and she sighs.

A strong gust of wind cuts though chillingly, breaking the tension, and she wraps her arms around herself, blinking behind strands of waving hair. "It's getting cold out here," Kagome reaches out to lay her hand on his sleeve, "Come inside near the fire."

He shakes his head, staring somewhere off to the side, avoiding her eyes, "I'm fine."

She watches his indifference to the biting wind and shivers.

He makes an impatient sound and turns suddenly to pick her up in his arms with no warning.

"InuYasha what-?"

He leaps towards the stairs before she can say anything else and takes them quickly with two bounds, landing momentarily at the bottom and setting her down. InuYasha gives her a little push in the direction of the doorway of Kaede's hut and says gruffly, "Get inside before you freeze."

She looks back at his dark form, the moon's light blocked once more and hiding his features from her before he turns and dashes off.

Kagome stands there shivering for a few moments, the intermittent wind revealing the moon once more. He is nowhere in sight and she gives up and goes inside.

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The shadows are deep where he stands watching until she goes through the doorway into Kaede's hut. InuYasha sighs in relief and turns away, bare feet making no sound on the soft ground as he walks with his clawed hands hidden in the wide sleeves of his wind-blown haori. He suddenly remembers the hard, paper-wrapped object in his hand and he stops, looking down at it in the bright moonlight, removing the paper.

The smooth, metal sides of the slender object looks durable but its purpose mystifies him. He turns it over and around in his hands, examining the opening that runs the entire length along one narrow side with the edge of something else tucked inside just barely protruding. The notch on the edge makes it easy for his claws to pull out the pronged arm, pivoting from one end where it is attached to the slender casing.

He holds up the folding comb to admire the light reflecting on the metal teeth with mild wonder.

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Morning and InuYasha arrive together to prod the little group into resuming their interrupted quest for the Shikon no Tama shards. His manner is quieter than the day before but no less impatient to hit the road. The small delay of repairing a snapped strap on Hiraikotsu is sufficient to make the hanyou frown until they are actually on their way, Kagome securely on his back with the Monk, Taijiya and kitsune riding on the flying cat-youkai close behind.

Obviously leading them directly west, InuYasha remains closemouthed about their destination and the trio mounted on the obliging Kirara faithfully follow the running figure, his silvery-white hair mingling with Kagome's black with every leap.

It was nearing noon and after traveling nonstop piggyback, Kagome was in dire need of a break and spoke up, "InuYasha, we should stop for lunch."

He didn't seem to think so as he continued up a rather steep hill with annoying ease, "I'm not hungry."

His callous statement stirred her ire, "You may not be, but I am!" She looked back at the others when they reached the top. "And I bet that Kirara could use a rest," she squeezed his shoulders, "especially if you mean to travel all day!"

He takes a few more strides before glancing back and stopping, unable to argue about that. He lets her down and watches with a frown as she stretches before walking around to work the kinks out. "Alright." He looks up at the approaching Kirara and sighs, "But not for - huh?" The ground shifts under his feet and his eyes widen as it caves in underneath them.

Kagome yelps as the ground disappears. She and InuYasha fall into the growing hole that continues to collapse on either side from the initial break, tumbling into the cavity and pelted with debris before landing hard about twenty feet below. She lies there on her back blinking furiously through the raining dirt up at the sky and tries to catch her breath.

Kirara has barely touched down before Sango dismounts quickly and rushes to the edge of the hole, stepping hastily back as it continues to crumble, "Kagome-chan!" Miroku, right behind her, grabs her hand and hangs onto Kirara with his other to anchor them and gives her a nod. She grips tight to his hand and leans out over the unstable edge, "Kagome-chan!?! InuYasha?!"

Kagome chokes and coughs, brushing at the dirt on her face, and sees her friend leaning precariously overhead. "San-go-" she sputters at the grit in her mouth. A shadow blocks the light and a very dirty InuYasha is bending over her, flinging the clods of dirt that had covered her to either side.

"Kagome!" His hair is gray under its dusty coating and his concern-filled golden eyes are startling in his mask of dirt. "Are you all right?" He takes the hand she hold out and pulls her upright, steadying her as she coughs and nods at him, unable to talk just yet. He looks up at Sango and waves, "Get back!" She nods and disappears from sight.

Kagome squeaks when he picks her up in his arms, setting off a coughing fit. His arms tighten and his jaw firms, waiting for the spasm to pass. She finally draws a clear breath and grabs onto his haori, leaning her dusty head against his shoulder as he steps back to gage the distance to the top and looks for solid footing amid the rubble before leaping mightily upwards and out of the hole.

The energetic kitsune bounces over and onto Kagome's lap before InuYasha can put her down, causing a small dust cloud, "Kagome! Are you all right?"

She gives a small smile to reassure him, making the dirt crease on her skin. "I'm ok Shippo-chan," her voice a little hoarse. She holds onto the worried kitsune as InuYasha sets her on her feet and Sango brushes helpfully at the dirt on her back.

Miroku is looking at the new crater, "How did this happen?"

Kagome lets Shippo down and beats on her skirt, making dust fly, "I don't know; the ground just gave away."

InuYasha is frowning down into the hole, "Youkai. I couldn't smell anything until the ground opened up, but it's definitely youkai."

Sango looks at him then moves closer to see down into the cavity, "Look…is that an opening?"

InuYasha jumps back in to check it out and Sango turns to Kagome, "Can I borrow your light?"

Kagome nods, removes her backpack and opens it, "Oh no!" Broken packages and pieces of various items scattered over her belongings make for one, big jumbled mess. "Everything is smashed!" She digs out the durable flashlight and hands it to Sango.

Sango jumps onto Kirara to take her safely down, the sides of the hole obviously not safe for climbing.

Miroku watches them disappear into the hole before handing Kagome a dampened cloth, saying calmly, "The things in your pack are replaceable Kagome-sama. The important thing is that you're not hurt."

"Arigato Miroku-sama." She takes it thankfully and wipes her face with it then looks at her hands and clothes, "Ick! I'm gonna need a bath."

Sango follows InuYasha into the dark opening, a tiny Kirara at her heels, training the light around the smooth sides of the circular-shape of what appears to be a tunnel angling downwards, deeper into the earth. She gets closer to better examine the curiously rippled pattern on the walls and floor of the wide passage. "It's huge; the top is at least fifteen feet high and the same across." She points the light upward at the rougher ceiling, "That's why you and Kagome fell through; it was too thin to hold your weight."

InuYasha is paying close attention with his sleeve covering his face. "The smell is much stronger in here," he adds, coughing behind the material. "Whatever it is, it's old and…"

Sango looks questioningly over at his pause.

He meets her gaze over his arm, "…It reeks of human blood."

She looks back into the darkness and he turns to walk out into the sunlight and fresher air. Kirara mews up at her and Sango nods, following InuYasha.

They cross to the other side of the cave-in and find an identical tunnel. Sango gives it enough of a look to confirm that there is no way to tell which way the creature responsible for the subterranean passage has gone, "But it's definitely traveling underground." She looks at the dog-eared hanyou, "That'll make it almost impossible to track unless it surfaces."

InuYasha gives her a serious look, thinking of the pungent smells, "It will."

She watches Kirara transform and shakes her head, "I sure don't want to follow it underground; that's too dangerous." She sighs and mounts the large cat. They return to their friends waiting above.

Sango hands the flashlight to Kagome as they explain their findings, "…and there is no way to tell which way it's headed."

They stand there looking at each other with their own thoughts before InuYasha makes an impatient sigh, "We need to keep going-"

Kagome turns on him, "That's enough! What you need to do is tell us WHERE we're going! What's the big secret?"

He frowns at her, "What do you mean? I heard that there was some kind of youkai plaguing this area and I thought that there might be a shard involved." He crosses his arms and looks superior, "There's no secret; I just didn't feel like talking!"

"Well you're talking plenty now!" She narrows her eyes at him and he looks away. `I know that look…' She puts her hands on her hips and says in a mild tone, "So…"

InuYasha's eyes swing back to her, "So?"

"How is Kikyo involved?"

He jerks like he's been hit and guilt is written all over his dirty face.

"I knew it!" She points a finger angrily at the cringing hanyou, dust falling from her sleeve, "You probably heard that she was in the area too!"

He looks away again and remains silent.

Kagome drops her arm with a tired sigh, picks up her discarded pack and turns her back on him, "I'll see what I can salvage for lunch."

Sango gives InuYasha a frown and follows Kagome towards a small stand of trees.

Shippo jumps onto Miroku's shoulder to glare at InuYasha, his fluffy tail twitching in agitation, "You're such a Moron sometimes!"

"Keh! What was I supposed to do?" He flings a gesturing arm in the girls' direction, spraying dirt in an arc, "You see how she gets!"

Miroku looks quite stern and says quietly, "Did you ever think that she `gets' like that because it appears that you don't trust her enough to tell her right up front about things like this?" He turns to follow the others and Shippo, still riding on the Monk's shoulder, sticks his tongue out at the flabbergasted hanyou.

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