InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Foundations of Neo Genesis ❯ Chapter 4

Well another chapter is finished, and I'm sorry it took so long. I've finally gotten used to my schedule so I'm not so tired any more. Unfortunately, I now have insomnia and midterms. Fate is out to get me I think. Anywho on to the questions: Q: Did I get the idea form inuchan1282's fic 'The Last of Us'?

A: Nope, never heard of it. If any thing I'd say JadeWing inspired this through the idea of centering a fic around a political idea. I'll give a cookie to anyone who can tell me what idea I'm working off of. Q: Why no famous words from Kagome?

A: Nope, What good are famous words when no one is there to record them. Besides she doesn't have Neil Armstrong's speechwriter. Q: What the planet ever explored by people or just unmanned probes.

Foundations of Neo Genesis

Chapter 4

"Are we there yet?" Kagome spun around to glare at the offender, a boy by the name of Ricky. He was a large boy with a mop of unruly blond hair, which was currently matted to his head with sweat. It was the fifth time he had asked that question in the last half an hour. They were still a good march from the tree line that she had indicated earlier, and his constant prodding was starting to grate on her nerves. He stared back at her with watery eyes and flushed cheeks, like a child pleading for candy from an unwilling mother. Kagome wondered how he passed the physical fitness requirements, and then brushed it off. What was done was done, and there was no changing it now.

"For the love of the gods shut up!" Inuyasha shouted from behind the boy. Ricky jumped a came face to face with the growling half-demon. "We'll be there when he we get there! I'm so fucking sick of listening to you whine!" Kagome felt a small welling of gratitude for the half-demon when the boy cringed away. She cast Inuyasha a smile before turning back around to continue the trek.

Inuyasha could not help the tug at the corner of his mouth after the girl had turned her back on him. For the first time they had agreed on something. He shook his head and pushed the thought away. An image of Kikyou floated passed his mind and a frown crossed his face. Kikyou had been the only person never held his breeding against him, everyone else, no matter what their social status, had always snubbed him. Now Kikyou was gone because he had not been there to protect her like he promised. Whether there or not, it had been his claws that ripped her flesh, her death was still on his hands. He would be damned if opened himself to that kind of pain again.

Inuyasha lifted his eyes up to look at the tree line. It was still a good distance away, at least another half an hour walk. He had also noticed the distinct lack of animal life so for. But then, two giant eggs falling from the sky probably had sent anything that saw them scattering for cover. The image of that single red eye came back to him, before he shook it off. Whatever it was it was not around now, so there was no need to worry.

The group continued their march in silence; each member lost in their own thoughts or the scenery that surrounded them. As the trees grew nearer the sun had begun its downward journey and the heat of the day was reaching its peak. Kagome took some readings and found that it was not so much the heat as the humidity that was making it unbearable. The temperature was hovering just above 70 degrees, but the saturation in the air made it feel well into the 90s. The only relief was a steady breeze at their backs.

Strangely it was that very same breeze that was making Inuyasha uncomfortable. It was not that it was making him feel worse, but having the wind against his back made him feel as if he was somehow blind. His ears kept twitching on top of his head, trying to pick up on something his eyes could not see. A quick glance told him many of the other demons in the group were feeling the same. He also noted that Kagome seemed to be on high alert as well.

His ears suddenly snapped forward, picking up on the tiniest rustle of the grass just in front of them. On instinct he reached forward and snatched both Kagome and Sango back by their shirts, both giving a surprised yelp at the sudden change of direction. The grass only a few feet in front of them sprang to life. A number of small, red-brown deer with black spots leapt up and began bounding away. The whole herd bounced off towards the trees; occasionally one or two would spring high into the air and kick out with its hind legs in a display of youth and strength. They reminded Inuyasha of the gazelle he had seen in the ZOOS.

"Pretty." The cat girl, who had been identified as Kirara, cooed. The deer bounded off in a flourish of color and disappeared between the trees. Kagome turned to look up at Inuyasha as he released his hold on the two girls; a slight smile crept on to her face as she muttered a 'thanks'. Inuyasha snorted and looked away as Sango brushed invisible dust from her clothes.

"Let's go, were almost there." Inuyasha grunted as he took the lead. Sango and Kagome both protested to the usurping as they hurried to catch up to him.

"Who died and put you in charge." Sango snapped.

"No one, but if I have to listen to 'Rickety' ask that god damned question once more I'm going to have to kill him."

"People would probably like you more if you were less of an ass." Kagome scolded. As much as she was inclined to agree with him on the matter of Ricky, it did not give him the right to push others around. Where did he get off thinking like that?

"I don't care if people like me." He answered flatly, "No one ever has, why should they start now?" Kagome was too floored to respond. Inuyasha continued walking as if nothing of note had been said, leaving everyone else to follow in his wake. Kagome sighed to herself, she knew his type, and he would just dig his heels in if she tried to pry.

The rest of the trek was uneventful and they reached the cover of the trees with plenty of light left in the day. It was still unbearably humid, but the shade of the trees blocked out the direct beating of the sun.

The forest cut a distinct line in the plains. Rather then an expected shrubby area the trees were jammed up against the tall grass with out any sort of merger. The grass fell away at the tree line giving way to undergrowth of short, woody plants, none taller then a foot in height. The leaves of the plants were thick and grew close to the short branches. Other plants grew almost flush with the ground, half hidden under a think layer of leaves.

The trees were nothing like the ones on Earth. The trunks were thick, like the Redwoods that once grew in the American west only nowhere near as tall. The group paused for a rest in the shade as Kagome took measurements. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. What purpose could she possibly find in knowing the exact molecular composition of a plant anyway?

He leaned his head back against the smooth bark and closed his eyes. The breeze shifted over his skin, taking away the sweat that had collected and cooling him. His shirt was sticking to his chest in an annoyingly uncomfortable manner. He was about to pull it off when the wind shifted and a smell filled his nose.

Inuyasha sat up and sniffed the air. It smelled crisp and clean in an almost immaculate way. It was filled with vegetation and earth, but the smell that held his attention was the one of water, so like and yet unlike the synthetic water of Earth. Its very essence enticed him closer. With out a word he rose to his feet.

"Hey, Inuyasha, where are you going?" Miroku called after him.

"I smell water." was the only answer he gave. Behind him everyone else climbed to their feet faster than their exhausted state seemed to allow. Kagome and Sango called after them in protest. Inuyasha ignored them, following his nose towards the thing that would cool his parched throat.

As he walked he noticed without interest that the trees were getting thinner and began growing closer together the deeper he got. The undergrowth was also thickening and growing slightly taller. Inuyasha pushed passed all of them, tromping towards his destination without regard to his wake or the racket he was making

With a final push he emerged into a small clearing banking a river. The water was not particularly wide and probably only knee deep at the most. It bubbled around large rocks as it hurried along its well-carved path. Inuyasha involuntarily licked his lips and moved toward the liquid as if it were calling to him. He was just dropping to his knees when a hand snatched the back of his shirt and yanked him back.

"Will you stop!" He wheeled his arms to catch his balance before rounding on the one who stopped him. He found himself face to face with Kagome.

"What is your problem, bitch!?"

"You are! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Getting a drink stupid!"

"You have no idea what's in that water."

"I bet Hydrogen and Oxygen!"

"And thousands of unknown bacteria, viruses, and the Gods only know what animals could be hiding there to bite you in half at the right moment!" Inuyasha growled, his ears lying flat against his head.

"You think you know everything! So what do you suggest, we all die of thirst? Maybe next you'll tell me we can't hunt because it would cause undue harm to the poor little animal!" Kagome gave a frustrated groan.

"You are a pompous, arrogant, jackass! I was assigned to this mission to keep you alive if at all possible. I don't carry this equipment around because I get off on it. I have it so I can find out if the food we eat and the water we drink is going to kill us. Now if you can get your ego-flooded brain to hold on for one moment, I'll see if this water is safe to drink. Of course if you just can't wait, go ahead. If it doesn't kill you, then the rest of us can follow suit." Inuyasha snorted, before turning his head to the side and crossing his arms over his chest. "Good."

Kagome marched back to her bag, which she had left at the tree edge of the trees with Sango, who was using all her military training not to laugh. Several other members of the group were less subtle. Kagome blushed as she realized that the entire group was now staring at the quarrelling pair. She hid her face as best she could as she bent down and began digging through her bright yellow pack. After a bit of shuffling she stood up with a small, flat device about the size of her palm. It was silver with a black spongy looking pad covering half of it and a digital read out on the other half. In her other hand was a small pipette.

She brushed past the still steadily growling half-demon, as she tried not to look directly at any of the other staring faces. Kagome knelt near the water's edge and dipped the tip of her pipette into the water. She drew up a little water and deposited it on the black sponge of her device. The machine made a whirling noise for a moment, the read out flashing numbers and words scrolling steadily down the screen. Kagome watched it carefully until it came to a stop.

"Ok, now you can have a drink?" She confirmed. Inuyasha frowned at her as he uncrossed his arms and moved again to the water's edge. He glared at the girl near his feet. Kagome stared back at him with all the defiance she could muster.

"You're still a bitch." He growled before knelling down and taking a long drink.

"And you seem to always need the last word."

"Do not." He paused long enough to answer.

"Right."

"Shut up." Kagome sighed, resigning herself to be the bigger person in this situation. She cupped her hands and dipped out some water. Inuyasha, she noticed, simply stuck his face into river, his long white hair falling into the water and being swept into her way. He was also making loud slurping sound as he drank.

"Pig." She muttered under her breath as she dipped her hands back into the water.

"Dog actually." He replied.

"Same difference."

"Fuck you." Kagome rolled her eyes again and when back to her drink.

Inuyasha was only half-paying attention to the irritating girl to his left. His main focus was the cool liquid rolling down his dry throat. He could not remember being this thirsty in his life. Of course he had never gone that far under his own power before. On Earth if he, or any sensible person for that matter, had to go any measurable distance he took the inter-city-tram. It could carry you from the New York distract to the Los Angeles district in just under two hours, if you took the non-stop tram. It was very convenient considering most people commuted one way or the other.

After he took the last swallow he felt he could hold Inuyasha splashed some of the refreshing water on his face. It cooled his sun and humidity abused skin and, if the run off was any indication, took off a thin layer of dirt as well. He sat up on his knees, enjoying the breeze that cooled his face as the water evaporated. Inuyasha frowned as the feeling of some one staring at him invaded his moment of bliss.

He half-expected to see that irritating girl glaring at him, so he jumped in surprise when he found Kirara in his face. Her sapphire eyes were looking at him in concern, and he cat ears were focused on him. Inuyasha leaned back, trying to regain a bit of his personal space.

"Are you feeling ok?" Kirara asked as she placed the back of her hand against his forehead, "You look flushed." Inuyasha winced at the contacted. "And you feel a little warm."

"I'm fine." He snapped, pushing her hand away.

"You do look a little flushed." Kagome commented, concern evident in her voice despite their resent spat.

"You're one to talk." He snorted. Kirara turned her attention to the young scientist. A frown crossed her face and she looked around at the other group members. Then she raised her hand and touched her own cheek, which was slightly pink. She flinched slightly, then the edge of her mouth turned up slightly sardonic fashion.

"Sunburn. We all got sunburned."

"A what?" Sango asked, flinching away from her own touch.

"The sun is too far away to burn." Shippou protested as he splashed some more cooling water on his face.

"Not true." Kirara countered, "I learned about it in nursing school. People use to have all sorts of trouble with sunburns, but that was before the pollution blocked out the sun. I don't remember the details, but it will go away in a few days. None of us are going to feel very good in the morning. Eventually though the melanin in our skin should react to protect us from this."

"How long will that take?" Ricky asked with his usual whine. "I feel all hot and it kind of hurts." Inuyasha growled in annoyance.

"A few days at least." Kirara answered passively, "Till then we need to stay out of the sun as much as we can."

"Great." Kagome muttered. "Well, no use sitting around here. We need to find some where to set up camp for the night."

"What?" Miroku asked. He had been resting against a tree with his eyes closed. "What's wrong with staying right here? The Gods know this is the best place we've found all day."

"True but it isn't safe to camp near a water hole."

"Why?" Shippou sighed as he sprawled out on the short grass lining the bank.

"Because predators will be hunting here." Kagome replied patiently as she collected her things.

"Predators?! Didn't you send some one in to cull all of those horrible things out?" A girl with long brunette hair squealed. Kagome let out a long suffered sigh.

"No, and we aren't going to either. Now lets go."

"We're all going die!" Ricky whimpered.

"I hope you go first. At least then I can die in peace." Inuyasha snapped. At the front of the group Kagome sighed again. Sango patted her companion on the shoulder as they began making their way back into the forest. The other members of the party slowly got to their feet and followed, most grumbling and complaining.

Kagome looked up as she and Sango lead the group back into the forest. The sun was occasionally peeking between the leaves of the thick canopy. The humidity was worse here, but the shade made up for the heat. Unseen birds chirped and called overhead and small, gnat-ish insects buzzed about them. She was hoping to find a small clearing of some sort, but luck seemed to be against her. Behind her the other members of the group were making it quite apparent that they wanted to stop, now. Sango must have sensed the group's unease as well.

"Here looks like a good spot, doesn't it Kagome." The ex-military officer asked. Behind them they heard the group drop to the group with a small cheer.

"I guess so." Kagome agreed dryly as she looked over her shoulder, "They'll probably kill me if I make them move again." She let her bag drop to the ground with a thud before following suit. She knew they had things to do before they settled in for the night, but she was too tired to care at the moment.

Sango took a seat nearby, leaning back against a tree. Of all the people here, she was the only one not panting. Her father had been in the military, as had his father and his father before him, and had always stressed the importance of being in shape and prepared. You could never be too prepared, in her opinion.

Inuyasha lay back in the grass and closed his eyes. His ears kept swiveling on his head as they picked up on the thousands of noises going on around him. Miroku was praying, his voice a low mutter in ancient words. Shippou was chatting tiredly with that nurse, something about the treatment of the group's collectively burned skin. Overhead birds, well hidden amongst to foliage, sang, twittered, and chirped in the dyeing light of the day. An insect chorus was just tuning up in its sanctuary of grass. The half-demon breathed deeply, enjoying the sweet air that filled his nose.

"We need a fire." Kagome's tired voice drifted over the low drone of the group.

"Why?" Someone asked. "The light will only keep us up."

"Besides we're hot enough."

"Do you want to eat or would you rather starve?" Kagome griped back, her voice edged with annoyance and exhaustion.

"Besides, the light will keep animals at bay." Sango added without opening her eyes. Ricky squeaked. "Everyone just toss whatever dry wood is sitting around you to the center." With an excess of groans and moans the group did as Sango instructed.

The pile was meager at best, no more then a small pile of twigs and small sticks. Kagome sighed, this would not make much of a fire and on the off chance it did, it would not last all night.

"We need bigger branches."

"So break some off the trees." Shippou suggested. Kagome shook her head.

"Live wood will only cause smoke."

"Then I shall go fetch some more." Miroku said rising to his feet. Kagome beamed at him.

"Thank you…"

"Miroku, and no thanks are needed. As a priest it is my duty to help those in need." He gave her a charming smile, "Besides I'd do anything to see such a beautiful smile on such a pretty face." Kagome blushed and several other girls cooed. Inuyasha made a gagging noise.

"I bet he's a pervert." Sango said after the priest had disappeared into the trees.

"Sango, you're such a cynic."

It did not take long for Miroku to return with the required wood, and Kagome set to work lighting the evening fire. Inuyasha watched with mild amusement as she struck the two stones, flint she called it, together to make sparks. Still the thick sticks would not catch. The sun slowly dipped below the horizon and a chill crept into the air. The group started to complain, this time because they were getting hungry. Still Kagome could not get a fire going.

"Do any of you know how to start this blasted thing, because if you do I'd love to see it!" Kagome snapped back at one particularly rude assault on her character.

"I know how." Inuyasha replied in a bored tone. For a moment Kagome thought she was imagining things. Inuyasha had been lying flat on his back for over an hour and she was sure he had fallen asleep. She would have thought she was hearing things or having wishful thinking, if not for the way the Shippou was looking at him.

"What did you say." Inuyasha sat up, bracing his weight on his elbow, to fix her with a sore look.

"I said: I. Know. How." He spoke in exaggerated slowness as if she were a dimwitted child. Kagome fixed him was an exasperated glare.

"Then why haven't you helped me."

"You didn't ask." He replied with a shrug and flopped back down in the grass.

"Light the damn fire!"

"I take orders from no one, least of all a stupid wench like you." Kagome ground her teeth together and clinched her fists. She took a deep breath and counted to 10, then to 20. Finally she released her breath, and did her best to relax. Sango was eyeing her cautiously as she edge farther away.

"Would you please help me light this fire?" Kagome asked in a polite voice through clinched teeth.

"I guess." Inuyasha sighed as if taking on some great burden. He rolled smoothly to his feet and strode across the small clearing. With nimble fingers he took up the two stones in one hand and a bunch of sticks and dry leaves the other. "The key to building a fire, 'Miss. I Have More Education Then Any One-Person Needs', is to start small. You can't expect a tiny spark to light a huge stick." He clicked the stones together sending a shower of bright orange into the small pile of dead tree parts as he had seen Kagome do earlier. The tiny sparks landed on leaves and began to smoke. Thin streamers of silver rose into the air for a few seconds before the breeze whisked it away.

Inuyasha frowned and shifted so he sat with his back to the wind. He tucked his long hair out of the way and struck the stones together again. This time the sparks turned to weak flames, feasting on the leaves and moving to the twigs. Under the curious gaze of the group he began slowly adding larger and larger pieces of wood until he had a nice size fire going. Inuyasha rolled back into a sitting position.

"And that, wench, is how you make a fire. Now, get cooking, I'm hungry." Kagome resisted the urge to throw something at him. She huffed in annoyance before pulling a small cooking pot, a pouch of Food Capsules, and the canteen she had filled earlier. Kagome poured the water into the pot and dropped a capsule in. After a minute or two she frowned.

"I guess we'll be having soup tonight." Bowls were passed out and the soup was served. It seemed everyone was too hungry to care that it was thin and tasteless. After the food was gone most of the group settled down and dozed off.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quietly as she sat down next to him. He opened an annoyed lazy eye to look at her.

"What?"

"I was wondering, I mean they explained it in class, but none of them have ever dealt with an actual fire before. And well, you seem to know what you're doing. So I was wondering…"

"Spit it out already."

"How do you keep a fire going?"

"Awww, is 'I know everything' asking for advice."

"And you're still a jackass. Are you going to help me or not."

"Don't get your panties in a knot." He snorted with a roll of his eyes. "Just make sure it has plenty of fuel, but don't add to much at once or you'll smother it."

"Thanks." Kagome's voice was soft. Inuyasha snorted and shrugged. Both lapsed into silence, listening as the sounds of the night took over their senses. "Inuyasha?"

"Humn…" He groaned, as she pulled him again from sleep.

"Where did you learn to build a fire?"

"The streets. Gets cold at night." Kagome gave a soft 'oh' in response. Another long silence.

"Inuyasha?"

"For the love of the Gods what?" Kagome was nonplused by the curt tone.

"Why did you join this mission? You don't seem the type." This time Kagome flinched when he rounded on her. His golden eyes flashed dangerously and his lips pulled back in a snarl. A very real growl rose from his chest.

"That's none of your fuck business bitch! Now go to sleep and quite being nosy!"

"I have first watch." Her voice sounded small even in her own ears, "Some one has to keep the fire going."

"Fine! Just leave me alone." He rolled over with a grunt, leaving Kagome with only her thoughts.