InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ A Double-Edged Blade ( Chapter 18 )

AN: I'm sorry about how long this took, people! Kagome's friends get a little eccentric sometimes, and bad things happened with them and everybody else. In order to fix it, I deleted the half that I'd written -it was going horribly- and came at it from a different angle. So, it took me a little longer than usual this time. Again, sorry and thanks for all the comments (all very helpful) about the Sit Situation. They were incredibly helpful!

 

So here's some more responses, in no particular order:

 

 

 

rin sama1989: Thank you! I put quite a lot of thought into Kouga this time. Last time he was a bit weird. I actually looked through some manga to get him right, and the fights between him and Inuyasha. I really like your way of thinking in regards to the spell! You put it perfectly, and so I'm going to quote you;

 

"Now, I think the "SIT" thing would work ok if you used it at simpler times, but if you use it too much (like in most other fics) than it seems like Kagome has to rely on the command to do everything with Inuyasha. It would be nice to see her solve some problems on her own, but the sit command could still be used. You already put it in there, you can't just get rid of it."

 

EXACTLY! It seems to deteriorate Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship at this point, which is why I didn't put it in before in the story. But then when Kouga and Inuyasha were fighting, I suddenly noticed how unchecked Inuyasha was and how that could become a real problem later in the story. (Hah, this is later in the story!) When "The Sit" is used, Kagome and Inuyasha don't really get a chance to really work things out. But I must admit, the beads are really useful sometimes, though I can't remember exact incidents.

 

Sarah: Well, unfortunately, it's a bit late to get rid of the spell completely -since I already put in it, taking it out would be rather strange; wouldn't flow with the rest of the story- but I agree; not too much! And you're right on that count; the Sit thing happened because she was really angry with Inuyasha, and because she grabbed the beads.

 

About Sesshoumaru: he might pop up later in the story. (I'm not sure if he will though, because I've never tried writing him before and it might turn out bad.) But I think that he'll come up at some point.

 

fluffyrachel: Thanks so much! As to how I get ideas, let's just say I have an overactive imagination. (sheepish grin) Yeah, after a while, writing long chapters just starts to become the norm. After the first few chapters that I made long, it's kinda settled in, I guess. And I think that the sit-thing's stayin'. Can't exactly get rid it now, despite how I feel about poor Inuyasha. And YEAH, this is an InuKag fic. (I completely agree with ya there. InuKag's my fave!) …And why do I get the feeling that you want them married…?

 

Sammery: Thank you! (I really, really didn't mean to make it like anything by Rozefire, I swear! But when I go back over it, things will change and it should be differed more from anything that she's done…) And I agree with you on that one; submission + curse (On Inuyasha) ≠ good. I've dug myself quite a hole, haven't I?

 

DragonSlayer91: Exactly; don't use it too much, but I hafta keep it at this point. And if I somehow put a limit on however many times she can do it, things would work out pretty well, I think.

 

Sangome: Yeah, I feel a bit bad about putting the little incident in at all! Things would've been a lot simpler… ah well. Yup, the poor guy's got so much stuff to deal with already, but at the same time, I've already put it up and all, so I can't just pretend that it never happened. It calls for mediation; Inuyasha can't be Sat as a poltergeist, so there's one solution. And the beads already have a spell on them, so it's kinda confusing.

 

Mwepth: I know what you mean- a little is a good amount, Sit-wise. Often, The Sit becomes the focus of attention. I'm afraid that if I keep it, it'll mess with my mind and stuff. But I totally agree with you; mediation is good and your examples (upset Kagome, ect.) are a good reason for why I should keep 'em. So it's in between, really.

 

Taberah Blanc: Don't worry, I think we're all a little freaky and bipolar sometimes. You're lucky in accounts to the cooking; my food always tends to revolve around cheese and unions. Love the combo, but… it gets a to be a bit much! And I put maple syrup all over my potatoes, and chicken, and broccoli. (Gross, huh? I think there's something very, very wrong with my tastebuds.) And I know what you mean. Inuyasha's got a lot on his plate (but then, don't all protagonists? Makes the stories interesting!) and to add one more seems rather heartless. I feel bad for him, really. And actually, I was thinking the same thing! Something along the lines of, "if Kagome touches the beads, she can sit him", or such. A restriction is a good idea- and wait, if he's a poltergeist, it wouldn't work, 'cause of him being immaterial. Hm. (There's food for thought. Would he sink through the Earth?)

 

Auxana: (cowers) ALL RIGHT! I'LL DO IT! JUST DON'T KILL ME! (just kiddin' witcha.) Anyway…. The beads to tie them together in a way, I agree. But I'm not sure if it's the beads themselves that make him kinder and more compassionate, if that's what you mean. (I think that it's Kagome who does that… [grin]) Unfortunately, I haven't seen the movie! Any of them! But I'm gonna buy them sometime soon, probably during the summer. I hope! No fear! I'll finish the story.

 

Tiamath: I must admit that I didn't intend for Kagome to turn out more mature. You're right there- Kagome can be pretty petty sometimes! But at the same time, she's pretty mature about some things, like death. (I swear, I'd run around screaming and throw up everywhere.) And yeah, the spell's useful sometimes. If the spell was a one-time thing, I realize that it would be quite random and out there, which wouldn't be good. Yet at the same time, it feels rather, oh I dunno, unoriginal. Ack.

 

Yeah, Kagome's friends are pretty much overblown typical giggly-girl teens, which I personally find only slightly infuriating. It does give a lot of contrast to Kagome, though. I might go off and develop their personalities more myself, but I'm going to try to keep 'em realistically canon at the same time. In other words, I'll separate them as individuals rather than having them all as complete airheads all the time, but they'll still be oblivious. I think.

 

And to your question; Tsubaki cursed… a random person who was somehow connected to Naraku's insidious plot! (Souta sees the news flash in which a random woman dies for absolutely no reason; Tsubaki cursed her.) As of now, she's not really important; just a way to make Naraku look busy (grin).

 

Kiana-chan: I agree completely on that one; the whole "sit" thing is used quite a lot, and I feel that I'm starting to stray a bit too close to the actual story if I add it in. And besides, the Sit Spell was originally cast to keep Inuyasha under Kagome's control because he was trying to kill her. At this point, I think that he's not going to be doing anything like that any time soon… so that's my reasoning behind the whole deal. I'm rather inclined to stay away from the spell, but it might come in handy at the same time. (Obviously I'm rather confused at the moment… There's good points and bad ones! At this point, I'm trying to sort them out and weigh them.)

 

Animekitty07: I can also see what you mean. The sit spell has it's pro's and con's to it, because Kagome has pretty much no control over Inuyasha, which can be seen as a good or bad thing, respectively. My thoughts on the whole thing: It works well in the series because if it didn't exist, Kagome would never come home! At the same time, in this setting it's not quite the same because -essentially- Kagome doesn't need it for a specific purpose, like to get home or to keep from Inuyasha from killing her, like in the beginning of the series. (Except with the whole Kouga thing, like last chapter. She couldn't restrain Inuyasha from fighting with him. That's the reason why I got to thinking about the spell in the first place.) I like your quote of the day, by the way!

 

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THANK YOU EVERYBODY!!!!

 

So I got the general idea that I should keep the Sit, but not use it often. It works!

 

Your thoughtful insights and second opinions really helped me think this through! Really, it was truly helpful and I am SINCERELY grateful! After much confusion and rereading of your comments, I think I have a solution, but it might not come out in this chapter; I'm not sure. (Never sure what's gonna be in the chapter until I write it, actually.) And if it doesn't pop up sometime this chapter, then I'll explain at the end in a note.

 

Again, thanks sooooooooooooooo much!

 

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Disclaimer: Inuyasha = Rumiko Takahashi, ect. Inuyasha ≠ Jessica. No way, no how.

 

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Haunted

 

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Chapter Eighteen: A Double-Edged Blade

 

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"Kagome?" The black-haired girl looked up from Yuka's pictures. Ayumi stood at the doorway, looking slightly embarrassed. "Where's the bathroom, again?" Kagome looked at Shippo from where he sat in Yuka's lap, a grin on his face and a lollipop in his mouth.

 

"Why don't you show her, Shippo?" The disguised kitsune looked at her with irritation, then sighed and squirmed out of Yuka's grasp. He trotted out of the room, Ayumi tailing closely after and apologizing profusely.

 

"Sorry, Shippo. I know that I've been here two days now, but I keep forgetting. I mean, this house is so huge!" Ayumi grinned apologetically. The ginger-haired "boy" nodded back.

 

Taking the lollipop out of his mouth for a moment, he brandished like a pointer. "Just around that corner, down the hall, and the left door." Ayumi nodded and trotted off, calling "thanks!" over her shoulder as she went.

 

As soon as she was out of sight, Shippo cackled mischievously. He'd just given her directions to Miroku's room… A familiar fist came down on his skull. "What are you laughing at, Brat?" Inuyasha dangled the disguised kitsune by one foot and Shippo glared back with outrage.

 

"Hey! What are you doing!? Put me down!" The disguised hanyou snorted and ignored Shippo's indignant protests. "I didn't even do anything!" Green eyes glared into gold ones.

 

"What bullshit," he snorted. "Of course you did something." Amber eyes narrowed. "Or do you always laugh to yourself for no reason?" The ginger-haired boy smiled appealingly. "Nope. You definitely did something." Shippo's grin faded.

 

"Hey! No, I wasn't-" Anyumi's voice rang out from somewhere ahead. "No! Shippo said that this was the bathroom! I guess I just got a bit lost again. No, I'm just looking for the bathroom, thanks-" The schoolgirl rushed by, face red.

 

After a pause, Inuyasha looked at Shippo. "You know, Brat, Miroku doesn't need encouragement." Shippo grinned sheepishly. "And that girl's already too air headed. Stop messing with her mind, or it's going to explode and Kagome'll make me clean up the mess."

 

With one final bop on the head, Inuyasha dropped Shippo to the floor and sauntered off. After a moment of recovering, Shippo sat up and rubbed his head. "Jerk," he muttered fervently.

 

Inuyasha had been grumpy and irritable ever since he'd had to put the spell on. He'd gotten even moodier when the three schoolgirls arrived. According to Miroku -though Inuyasha fervently denied it- it was because Kagome was practically ignoring him. A wide grin suddenly spread across Shippo's face. Kagome… Hm. He could do things with that…

 

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"And this is your house!" Yuka handed Kagome another picture, then glanced distractedly at the door. "Say, where's Shippo? He should be back by now." The schoolgirl had become nearly inseparable from the disguised kitsune in the two days that she'd been at the house.

 

"Oh, he's probably wandering around somewhere," Kagome replied carelessly. While Shippo like to be pampered to no end, there was a limit to the amount of time he could spend in one place, doing one thing. She turned back to the photograph. Brown eyes widened in shock. "Wow! It's… almost done." For some reason, she was feeling slightly sick to her stomach.

 

"Yeah!" Eri grinned and peered over her shoulder. "Isn't it great! You'll be home in a few months!" Her smile dimmed slightly. "What's wrong, Kagome? Aren't you happy? You'll be back in Tokyo soon!"

 

Yuka turned to the other girl. "Oh, she's probably just sad because it's so long to wait. Right, Kagome?" The black-haired girl nodded dumbly and let the photograph fall to the floor through numb fingers. "Kagome?"

 

"Yeah?" She looked up at Yuka. It was almost done…"What is it?" Yuka shook her head and picked up the photograph from the floor.

 

"Never mind." She turned away, fingering the photograph before putting it down again. "Hey, where' Ayumi? Didn't she go to the bathroom?" Kagome nodded. "Huh. I'd think that she'd be back by now." She shrugged.

 

Kagome nodded absently, not noticing the strange look that Yuka and Eri exchanged. She picked up the photograph again. It was almost done. She was startled out of her reverie as a furious Inuyasha stomped by, chasing Shippo. Brown eyes widened in shock. He had a tail… She glanced hurriedly at the other two. They hadn't noticed. "What is wrong with him?" Yuka asked crossly. "Poor Shippo." A frown creased her brow. "I'm gonna go get him." She stood up and Kagome scrambled to her feet after her.

 

"No! It's okay, I'll go. I'm used to Inuyasha's moods. And Shippo probably isn't so innocent." She rushed out of the room and closed the door after her. "Don't bother coming out! I'll take care of it!"

 

The other two exchanged another glance. "Kagome's sure acting weird… Huh." Eri shrugged. "She didn't even look that happy when she saw your picture…" Yuka nodded in agreement.

 

"Yeah, I don't get it." She looked down at the photo in question. "Well, I guess it's hard. She lost a lot of stuff in that fire, didn't she?" She fingered the photo thoughtfully. "Not just stuff, either. There was that photo album. They couldn't save it." Her voice lowered in pitch. "They don't have any more pictures of her dad."

 

Eri sighed. "You're right. I'd forgotten about that." She frowned again and looked at the shut door. "But that doesn't explain why she's acting all weird now," the schoolgirl commented.

 

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--( • )--

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"Hey, Inuyasha."

 

The white-haired hanyou-in-disguise turned in surprise. "Kagome? I thought that you were with your friends." Not that he minded that much. Kagome grinned at him, brown eyes shining.

 

"Well, I just realized that I hadn't talked to you in a while." She sighed and sat down next to him. "I missed it," she admitted and smiled at him. Shock registered in amber eyes.

 

"O-oh." He turned away and stared at the floor of the library, feeling awkward. A warm hand closed around his own and Inuyasha looked up in surprise. "Kagome!?" She was smiling nervously, blushing.

 

"Something wrong?' She asked. Inuyasha paused, then shook his head as the black-haired girl scooted closer and sighed as she leaned against his shoulder. Unsure of what to do, Inuyasha stared hard at the floor. He'd never noticed all the interesting little lines before. They were certainly fascinating… Something fuzzy brushed his hand.

 

Inuyasha glanced back and noticed that something was sticking out from under Kagome's skirt. It looked suspiciously like a tail. A fox tail…

 

"OW!" "Kagome" disappeared with a puff of foxfire and Shippo raced away, closely pursued by a furious hanyou. "No! Please, don't kill me!" The kitsune skidded around a corner and sprinted down the hallway, Inuyasha just behind him.

 

"BRAT! YOU'RE DEAD!" And indeed, Inuyasha's amber eyes smoldered with the promise of bodily harm. He swung his fist blindly and barely missed the smaller demon.

 

"INUYASHA! IT WAS JUST A JOKE!" Shippo leaped over the living room couch and ducked underneath the table, the enraged half-demon following recklessly. "IT WAS ONLY A JOKE!"

 

Inuyasha grabbed the kitsune's tail and pulled him up, brilliant golden eyes glowing into emerald green. "Shippo," he growled almost calmly, "if you ever pull that again, you're very, very dead. Understand?"

 

"Um, Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice was slightly timid behind him. "Could you put Shippo down now?" The hanyou turned to her and paused.

 

After a moment's thought, he turned back to what he was doing. "Nope." Kagome glared at his back for a moment, then grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. "Hey! That wasn't a question. It was a request!"

 

Inuyasha glared right back. "Well, it didn't sound like one. And I don't care if it is anyway!" He turned back around. "Now, where was I, Shippo?" He glared at the kitsune again. With wide eyes, Shippo stared behind him, mouth agape. "Hello?" He shook the ginger-haired fox demon slightly. Dumbly, Shippo pointed behind him.

 

Inuyasha turned, curious, and flinched as Kagome glared at him angrily, hands on hips. "I said, put him down." Her voice was low and dangerous. Shippo watched the scene with wide eyes. Would Inuyasha choose to save himself, or stick stubbornly by his pride?

 

"And I said 'no'." Shippo rolled his eyes. The poor idiot. The hanyou blinked nervously at Kagome as she took a step forward, eyes narrowed.

 

"Don't make me sic Yuka on you," she threatened. "You know how much she loves Shippo." Inuyasha muttered something under his breath and dropped Shippo to the floor. The kitsune landed on his head with a thud and scrambled onto his feet.

 

Kagome sighed as the sulky demi-demon stalked out of the room. She turned to Shippo. "What did you do to him?" she asked curiously. Shippo grinned and shook his head.

 

"I don't think that he'd like it if I told you," he replied nonchalantly. Kagome frowned, then shrugged. She picked the little fox demon up and walked into the kitchen with him.

 

"Well, in any case, we need to put the spell back up." She pulled the little scrap of parchment out from behind his ear- she wasn't sure why he kept it there- and handed it to him. There was a flare of fire and the kanji on the spell flickered into life as they glowed faintly. Shippo stuck it back behind his ear and his tail disappeared in an instant. His feet shrank slightly and changed into human ones as his ears did the same thing. The fangs could be blamed on weird dentistry. Shippo like having fangs.

 

"Well." Kagome stood up and picked up the "boy" again. "Yuka and Eri probably think I'm nuts now." She sighed and explained to Shippo. "I ran out of the room and closed the door behind me, and told them not to come out." She looked at the kitsune with a frown. "Where's Ayumi?" She had a sneaking suspicion that her friend's disappearance had to do with him.

 

"That's a good question." Shippo shrugged carelessly. "The last time I saw her, she was going to the bathroom." Kagome sighed. Trust Ayumi to get lost in a house. If anyone would -and could- do it, it was her.

 

"Did you give her bad directions?" Shippo grinned sheepishly and Kagome shook her head. "I should no better than to have you give her directions," she remarked and walked back into the room.

 

"Oh! Shippo!" Yuka stood up and grabbed the little boy. "There you are!" She plopped back down on the floor with the smug ginger-haired boy in her lap, the lollipop's stick sticking out of his mouth at an extreme angle that the schoolgirl found adorable.

 

"Yeah." Big green eyes stared solemnly into brown. "Kagome rescued me from Inuyasha. He was trying to hurt me." Yuka frowned and Shippo allowed himself a small smile. He loved making Inuyasha look bad…

 

"I can't believe him!" Yuka looked at Kagome. "How can he hurt such an innocent little kid? Look at him!" She turned Shippo in Kagome's direction. The black-haired girl rolled her eyes. "He's going to be a child abuser when he gets older."

 

"No he won't," Kagome said back quickly. "He just gets worked up sometimes, especially around Shippo. That's all." Yuka looked at her with raised eyebrows, Shippo settled comfortably in her lap.

 

"But why? He's always beating him up and hitting him on the head for no reason!" She looked carefully at Kagome, who twisted uncomfortably in her seat. "Why are you defending him?"

 

Kagome shrugged. "Because no one else is, and he's not always doing it." She picked up the photograph again and turned it one way, then another way in her hand. Eri sighed and glanced between the two.

 

"Anyone besides me wanna go somewhere?" Yuka nodded fervently in agreement. Ayumi came into the room and sat down. "Ayumi, do you wanna go?" The black-haired schoolgirl paused, then nodded.

 

"Sounds good to me," she replied. "But how far away is it?" The other three looked at Kagome. She shrugged in response. It was a long way, but she wasn't sure exactly how far away it was.

 

"More than a few miles," she said slowly. "I think about ten. But maybe Miroku could drive us there." She stood up. "You know, the town's not that big," she commented. The other three stood up after her.

 

"Better than just sitting here, right? We haven't been out of the house for two days. Plus, I've never been out here before." Eri straightened her skirt and walked out of the door.

 

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(•. •)

(><)

 

"Tsubaki!" Kagura whacked her fan against the doorway. "Are you there?" She wasn't sure if she really wanted to venture into the dark shed to find out for herself. Scarlet eyes narrowed as she peered into the darkness. She sniffed, then placed a hand over her nose in distaste. "It reeks!" She sniffed again. "It stinks of death…" Kagura stepped away from the doorway quickly.

 

"Tsubaki!" she demanded again. "If you're there, come out! I have your payment!" She doubted that the black priestess was still alive. It was probably her own decaying corpse that was stinking up her shed. And it that was true, then she probably never managed to do anything with the sword.

 

"Pah. I wonder how the idiot woman got herself killed?" Kagura mused aloud. Deftly. She swung her fan in an arc and in an instant the covered windows were shattered, letting bright light filter through the holes.

 

Fragments of glass crunched beneath the wind witch's shoes as she made her way across the floor, holding her nose all the while. The stench was much worse in the shed itself, where the air was stagnant with the scent of decayed flesh. Scarlet eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in disgust.

 

She'd found the priestess's body. The flesh was withered, hanging slack on the skeletal figure, and the face was that of an ancient woman far older that was possible. In her grasp was the sword. Kagura frowned. It almost looked as if Tsubaki's hand had fused to the hilt. "Ah." With just one backward glance, the wind witched exited the shed and took a deep breath of fresh air.

 

She knew what happened now. The priestess was old, far older that would normally be possible. But Tsubaki maintained her eternal youth through a spell, a contract between herself and a demon. It was just the type of thing that the sword would absorb into itself. "That fool should've known better that to touch that thing," Kagura snapped. "She should've preformed the spell without touching it." Now she needed to find some other way to give the sword the few alterations. But perhaps…

 

The wind witch turned abruptly and tucked the white feather in her hand back into her hair. Perhaps Tsubaki had completed the spell before her death. Covering her nose again, the scarlet-eyed demon treaded gingerly over the shattered windows and over to the priestess's corpse. She pulled the scabbard off of the dead woman's desk, wrapped it in the cloth that Kajin-bo had provided, and carefully maneuvered the sword into it. Even with the scabbard and the cloth to serve as dampeners to the sword's influence, Kagura could feel the numbing, bone-achy power of the blade humming through her hands. She shuddered slightly and let a few inches of the weapon slide from the sheath. "Yes…"

 

There on the base of the blade, kanji were carefully inscribed; those of curses and other forms of Tsubaki's dark art. The next part was harder; finding a pure priestess to inscribe her own spells upon the other side of the blade. What kind of good priestess would ever handle such a weapon as the one in her hands?

 

And what's more, she didn't know any priestesses besides the one that now lay dead upon the floor, a shriveled husk. Memories from her childhood flickered from the depths of her mind; a kind smile, black hair, incense and a dark room. "Kaede." Without rethinking her decision, Kagura hurried out of the shed and rushed away, the channels of wind as her road and the large white feather her transport.

 

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(•. •)

(><)

 

"Wow…" Ayumi trailed off, either unable to say anything else, or else having more tact than the other two. Eri and Yuka stared blatantly around the little town, completely shock registering upon their faces.

 

"You mean… this is it?" Eri stared, eyes glancing one way, then the other as she scoped out the small shopping district. She took a deep breath. "So, what do you usually do here?" she asked Kagome.

 

"Well, my Mom gets food here, but other than that, we don't really come up here that much." The house itself was normally much more exciting. Ever since Kagura's last appearance, everyone had gotten a bit more fidgety, though. Especially Inuyasha.

 

"I can see why," Yuka commented dryly. "It's not half as big as the one near my house, is it?" She shrugged. "But there must be something to do here." She glanced at Kagome, who shrugged in return.

 

"Well, there's an ice cream place down there somewhere, and a bookstore somewhere. It sells magazines and stuff, too. But I don't know much else." Eri nudged Ayumi.

 

"Isn't the ice cream shop where Hojo took you?" she asked. The others looked to Kagome with interest. The black-haired girl nodded slowly. "He left though, didn't he? And you guys didn't ever do anything. Why is that?" The other three stared at her intently. "From what I've seen, you're not all that busy."

 

"Well," Kagome's mind raced furiously, "when my Mom was here, it was a lot more busy. Everything just started to wind down, actually." No, it was all just buried beneath the surface so that they wouldn't see.

 

"Hm." They nodded skeptically. Eri turned back to the shopping area. "Where should we go?" The others shrugged. None of them knew the area well enough -if at all, as was the case with Ayumi, Eri and Yuka- to really decide.

 

"Well, why don't we explore?" Yuka grabbed Ayumi's hand and pulled her away, Kagome and Eri following after. "There must be something here that's interesting."

 

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"Okay, maybe I was wrong," Yuka conceded. "Nothing here is very interesting." She turned to Kagome. "How have you not died of boredom yet?" Kagome shrugged and idly picked up a magazine from the cluttered rack.

 

"Everything's pretty hectic at home…" She trailed off. Home. She used to call it "the house". She cleared her throat. "and it's normally a lot more… interesting. But yeah, the shopping district isn't that interesting." She flipped through the magazine and put it down again.

 

"Why don't we go get some ice cream?" Ayumi glanced out of the window at the shop across the street. Yuka put down her own magazine and dragged Eri away from another.

 

"Hey! I wasn't done yet!" the schoolgirl protested. "There were only a few more sentences to go. Just a few seconds, 'kay?" Yuka sighed as Eri grabbed the magazine and flipped through hastily in search of the page that she was reading. Her eyes rushed across the page, taking in final paragraph in a rush.

 

"Okay, now put it down." Yuka grabbed her arm in one hand and the magazine in the other and placing it on the rack. "Let's go." She dragged the other girl out of the building and across the street, Kagome and Ayumi laughing lightheartedly in the background. A great pressure seemed to lift from her shoulders as Kagome walked along with the others, joking and laughing with each other.

 

She hadn't realized how much pressure she was under before, the constant worrying over Kagura's sudden attacks and Inuyasha's spell. At that moment, she was just another laughing schoolgirl, not the bearer of an ancient and powerful spell.

 

"So how was your date with Hojo?" Ayumi turned with a grin to the other girl. "He took you to this ice cream place, didn't he?" She nudged Kagome as the walked down the sidewalk.

 

"Yeah, Kagome!" The other two turned to her as well. "You never mentioned it. When did he leave, anyway? A few days ago?" Kagome shrugged carelessly, and Eri's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

 

"I don't know when he left, but he did take me here." She indicated the shop and opened the door. Yuka paused at the doorway, surprise and puzzlement clearly written upon her face.

 

"What's with you?" She stepped through the doorway and looked skeptically at Kagome. "Aren't you interested at all? I mean, he was here for two weeks and you only went out on one date! I thought you liked Hojo!"

 

The man tending the shop looked at the four of them with interest as the conversation took on a note of accusation, then glanced down at the table and pretended to be busy. "I do!" Kagome spluttered. "He's really nice, polite, generous, smart and considerate!" She rattled off the list of attributes that she'd listed, subconsciously counting on her fingers as she did so.

 

"But you refused him twice, and went out with him once for only half an hour!" She paused and then looked at Kagome with a conspiratorial expression. "There's another guy, isn't there?"

 

The man at the counter dropped all pretenses of doing something else and stared openly, a small smile on his lips. Ah, teen drama. "Wh-what? What makes you think that?" Kagome demanded, hands on hips. Ayumi came up behind the irate, black-haired girl and nudged her.

 

"It's Miroku, isn't it?" Her glance was almost accusatory. "Just because he's older than you doesn't mean anything. I mean, it's not like he's thirty or anything!" She blushed slightly.

 

"Hey, you like Miroku, don't you?" Eri looked at the flushed schoolgirl. Ayumi looked away. "Figures." She shook her head ruefully. Eri turned back to Kagome. "And you! Is it Miroku?" She pointed an accusatory finger.

 

"Of course not!" Kagome snapped. "He's an insane lecherous pervert!" She glared at her friend. "Now will you stop? We're here for ice cream, and this is the stupidest conversation anyway!" She turned to the man at the counter, who pretended that he was fascinated by the smooth metal surface. "I'll have a vanilla, please. In a cup." She turned towards the other three. "What about you guys?" Kagome's tone just dared anyone to bring up the previous discussion.

 

"Uh, I'll have chocolate. In a cup, please?" Ayumi grinned at the shopkeeper apologetically. The man nodded and grabbed a paper cup and the metal scoop. Eri stepped up and stared at the different flavors.

 

"Hm." Her gaze wandered from the mango to the cookie dough. "I think I'll get… um… cookie dough." The scoop loomed close to the tub. "No! Mango!" The metal utensil stopped and moved towards the other tub. "Oh wait. Cookie dough. Yeah. In a cone, please." The man looked at her.

 

"Are you sure?" There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

 

Eri nodded, red with embarrassment. "Sorry about that." She sat down at the table with Kagome and Ayumi after handing the man some money. The shopkeeper handed her the cone and looked at Yuka.

 

The schoolgirl glanced at the selection. "Well, I think I'll try the… mocha. In a cup." Out came the silver scoop and Yuka paid for her ice cream. "Thanks." She received her change and joined the others at the table.

 

"…said that this was stupid." Kagome's voice held weary patience. "Look, Hojo's great, as a friend." Eri rolled her eyes at Yuka as she sat down. Kagome mulishly dug her spoon into her ice cream.

 

"And you say that there's no other guy?" Eri snickered and Kagome glared. "You were over the moon about Hojo! So, who's the other guy? He must be pretty great if he beats Hojo." Kagome shook her head.

 

"You're not still denying it, are you?" Yuka asked laughingly. "Come on! It's obvious that there's another guy." Kagome sighed and put the spoon in her mouth thoughtfully.

 

"Again, this is a stupid conversation, and it's over," she said flatly, looking from one to another. "So let's just enjoy our ice cream, okay?" She looked at Yuka, who had an overprotective mother, and thus a cell phone with great service. "Do you wanna call and go back after this?"

 

Yuka looked to the others. "Fine with me. Eri? Ayumi?" Both of them nodded in agreement. "Sure." The little bell on the door jingled as someone else came in. Kagome and Ayumi kept chatting idly while Eri and Yuka quietly tried to guess who was the lucky guy.

 

"Kagome!" The four looked up with surprise and Kagome blinked. "It's wonderful to see you again, and so soon." Kouga grinned winningly and sat down at the table with them. He sniffed. "And without the stench idiot puppy, too."

 

Kagome colored slightly as the others stared. "Guys, this is Kouga," she said weakly. "I got lost a while ago, and he's the one who got me back home. Kouga this is Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri." Yuka looked as if she found their meeting just too romantic to be a coincidence, and was smiling coyly at Kagome, her look clearly saying, "well, here's the other guy."

 

Ayumi looked at him curiously. "What puppy?" She turned to Kagome. "I didn't know you had a dog." Ayumi could be incredibly oblivious at times. Kagome flinched slightly, praying that Kouga wouldn't answer the question.

 

"Of course Kagome has a puppy!" Kouga snorted at his own joke. "He follows her around and whimpers, begging for food and all those puppy things. What a pathetic creature!"

 

"He does not!" Kagome protested. The three schoolgirls watched the exchange with interest. "He doesn't do any of those things." Kouga shrugged. "So will you please stop calling him puppy?"

 

"You have a puppy?" Ayumi asked again. "Where is he?" She leaned in closer to the table, interest gleaming in her eyes. "What kind of dog?" Kagome blinked. She just didn't get it, did she?

 

"A stupid one," Kouga grinned. Kagome sighed and dug the plastic spoon into her ice cream. Kouga and Inuyasha were two of a kind; stubborn, impulsive, thick skulled and violent. She finished her ice cream and got up to throw the cup away. The chair scraped over the floor and behind her, the three schoolgirls laughed at some joke of Kouga's. She sat down again and the black-haired demon in disguise grinned at her. "You doing anything later?" Ayumi, Yuka and Eri watched intently.

 

"Yeah, I am," Kagome admitted. "They're spending the night." She indicated the other three. "And I have to catch up in math." She looked to her friends. "I didn't know that you guys were on the fifteenth chapter already! I'm only on the twelfth!" Eyes narrowed.

 

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you later, then." Kouga stood up and walked out. "Bye, Kags!" Kagome winced. The bell twinkled as the door shut and the wolf demon crossed the street and went to his car.

 

"Kags," Kagome muttered. "Ugh." The other three watched her with suspicion. Kagome looked up. "Hey Yuka, do you wanna call now?" The other girl continued to stare along with Ayumi and Eri.

 

"Who's the other guy?!"

 

(\ /)

(•. •)

(><)

 

"Hello?" Miroku frowned. "Hello? Is anyone there?" There was a lot of interference in the background of whoever was talking. "Wait, Kagome? Is that you?"

 

"Miroku? Can you come pick us up now?" Distantly, he heard Ayumi make some comment about boy magnets, while Eri was commenting loudly on Kouga -how did she know Kouga?- and insanity. "You guys, shut up!" Kagome's voice was full of exasperation. "I can't here a thing!"

 

"Uh…" Miroku paused. "Sure. I'll go get Sango right now. Where are you?" He sure wasn't going to sit in the car for forty-five minutes with those four at this point.

 

"Ice cream!" Kagome screamed above her friend's. "Please hurry!" Miroku agreed and hung up. He paused, then jogged outside and called for Sango, who was finally getting a chance to practice with Kirara.

 

"And where are you going in such a hurry?" A white ear flicked in his direction and gold eyes turned towards his direction. Inuyasha had removed the hated spell, but it didn't seem to have had an effect on his mood. He was still as grumpy as ever.

 

"Sango can drive them back," Miroku replied distractedly, running a hand through his black hair. He slid open the door and slid on a pair of shoes belonging to Mr. Higurashi. Whatever.

 

"Is Kouga there?" Inuyasha's voice was slightly harsh. Miroku blinked and turned around. But of course, the hanyou's hearing was incredible and he could probably hear the phone.

 

"I don't know." Miroku watched Inuyasha carefully. There was mulish obstinacy in his amber eyes, and his forehead was creased in a frown. "You aren't thinking of going down there and-"

 

"Shut up." Inuyasha stood up. "I'm going, too." Miroku sighed and looked out to the garden. "I'll go get Sango." Inuyasha walked out of the open door, not bothering with shoes as the grass swished around his ankles.

 

"Inuyasha, the spell!" Miroku shook his head and trotted after the hanyou. He pulled a sutra out of his pocket and slapped it onto Inuyasha's back. Ears shrank and lost their fur as claws dulled into fingernails. Fangs disappeared, leaving a relatively human Inuyasha striding across the grass.

 

Miroku was now very glad that he wasn't the one going to pick the girls up. If Kouga was really there, then things were bound to get out of hand. Hopefully, the worst that would happen would be a small fistfight, and they wouldn't destroy any buildings.

 

_|__|_

(•.•)

--( • )--

(____)

 

Her hands were getting numb.

 

Kagura put the sword down gingerly on the end of her feather. Tsubaki's magic wasn't incredibly powerful, but with the swords as its template, it was amplified and had a strong effect upon all forms of life. Only a few minutes ago, she'd put the deadly weapon down on the grass. Picking it up a few moments later, she noticed that the grass had withered and died, the earth turned to powdery ash.

 

The weapon in her hands was a double-edged blade, however. She knew what the sword would do to its wielder. While it was designed to completely obliterate the target, the aftershock was pretty much guaranteed to destroy the wielder. The effects of just being around the sword were devastating. Already her hands trembled slightly and her breathing was ragged. The sword fed off youki and spells, like the ones that preserved Tsubaki's life. "The fool should've known better than to touch the hilt," Kagura muttered, glancing back at the bundle of cloth and string. Already the feather's vanes were warped and tainted slightly grey from its influence.

 

"Shit." This was going to effect her flight, and not in a good way. Already her flight pattern was becoming bumpy and uneven. The sword lurched to the side and Kagura lunged, grabbing it by the strings. She could feel her hands becoming cold, painfully numb from the weapons influence. She put the sword down on another patch of feather and hoped that it wouldn't wear out too soon. The last time she'd seen her old acquaintance, Kaede had been about nine or so. She was her younger cousin, actually. They didn't know each other that well, but then again there was a startling age difference between them. All she knew was that her cousin was training to be a priestess. Long ago, Kagura had snorted at the fact, but now it could come to be quite a useful thing, on her part.

 

Kaede was installed at an old Shinto temple somewhere in the area. Scarlet eyes scanned the area, but it was really her demon instincts that were looking out for purifying energy. "There." The feather swooped low on the hillside and Kagura dropped onto the hill softly. She was actually looking forward to scaring the shrine's inhabitants a bit, with her pointed ears and scarlet, pupiless eyes. The constant secrecy and subtlety employed my Naraku and enforced upon her was suffocating. She was a wind witch, a demon, and that's what she would look like. And if anyone tried to stop her for it, she could kill them easily.

 

"Welcome-" the priestess cut herself off abruptly and stared blatantly at Kagura's appearance, then at the sword in her hand. "Please excuse me," the young woman said, and turned. "Tadako! Please come, right away!" She glanced back at the wind witch.

 

Another one of the temple's initiates hurried out of its depths. "What is it now, Usagi?" Her voice was exasperated. She stopped abruptly and long brown hair swung into her face. "That sword…" Tadako looked ill.

 

"Get me Kaede," Kagura commanded, scarlet eyes narrowing, daring them to disobey. Both of them dashed off, tabis sliding on the polished wooden floor and traditional red hakama flapping. The sword was making her hands tremble weakly. She didn't want to be around the thing any longer than she had to be.

 

A few moments later -Kagura put the sword down to preserve her hands at expense of the shrine's floor- a wizened old woman in the same garments as the other two stepped warily out from the depths of the shrine and stared slack-jawed. "Cousin?!" Her voice held incredulity.

 

"Hello, Kaede," Kagura drawled in response, snapping her fan open in the process. "It's been a while, hasn't?" She smirked. There were more than a few advantages to being a demon. Not only could she control the wind and fly, but her human cousin -ten years her younger- was an old woman, whereas she still thriving.

 

"You're a demon?" Warily, Kaede shooed the other two away. Kagura looked at her with raised eyebrows. "How?" Brown eyes just as sharp as ever narrowed fractionally. "What do you want?"

 

"Now, is that any way to greet family, cousin?" Kagura's smile was mocking. "A reunion after fifty years, when I am thought to be dead, and you can't give me a proper hello?" She glanced down at the sword. The wood beneath it was dry and grey, the varnish dull.

 

Kaede watched her without saying anything. A demon was a demon, and while she never really believed in them, now that one was standing in front of her -even if the demon was family- she couldn't throw out all the legends that warned of cruel and brutal beasts.

 

"But I didn't come here to make up for lost time." Kagura dropped the banter and looked pointedly at the sword on the ground. "I need to ask a favor." Kaede remained silent, waiting. "I need you to put a spell on this sword." She indicated the weapon.

 

"I'm a priestess," the old woman said with dignity. "I wouldn't touch that defiled thing if my life depended on it." Kagura sighed. She had a feeling that this would happen.

 

"Well, it's not just your life that's depending on it," the wind witch said flatly. "It's a lot of people's." The wood beneath the weapon was starting to crumble into dust, and Kagura kicked it to another spot on the floor. She looked up at her cousin. "Do you know what this weapon is supposed to do?"

 

"No, I can't say that I do," the old priestess replied warily. "But I can tell from here that that sword is a weapon forged with a malevolent intent." As if in testimony to Kaede's statement, the powdery ash from where the sword had sat began to crumble into dust, leaving a gaping hole in the floor.

 

"You're right there," Kagura commented. "This sword will cut an urn in half, one created by your distant ancestor, Kikyo. And when this urn is split and the spell released, an ancient demon will be free after five hundred years of waiting." She paused for effect. "And do you know that demon's name, Kaede?"

 

The old woman paused as she searched her memory. "I know of no such demon, or spell." She glanced at the sword as it continued to rot the wood beneath it. Kagura kicked it again to another location, wincing slightly at the jarring effect it had with her foot, even though it was encased in her shoe. "But if the spell was laid by Kikyo, then I imagine that a very powerful weapon would be needed to break it."

 

"So you've never heard of the name 'Naraku', am I correct?" Kaede looked surprised, and Kagura smiled smugly. Now she had her attention completely. Kaede would do whatever she asked of her now.

 

"I have heard that name, but the stories that accompany it say that Kikyo died killing him. He is no longer alive." But there was doubt in her voice, a small, slight waver that betrayed her thoughts.

 

"Are you sure?" Kagura confirmed. "I know for a fact that Naraku is still alive, trapped in the urn." She picked up the sword and her hands were assaulted immediately with that painful numbing sensation. "And the only way for him to get out is this sword." Kaede looked at the bundle. "All I'm asking you to do is to put a little spell on it, one that will make the sword backfire and purify the bastard instead of set him free." She approached Kaede. "I already have the marks of a black priestess, all I need are yours and Naraku is as good as dead."

 

Kaede shook her head. "As much as I would like to get rid of Naraku permanently, my powers aren't enough. It would take someone with powers rivaling Kikyo's to properly apply the spell and make it strong enough to completely purify Naraku."

 

Kagura bit back a curse. Damn, but she needed it now! There were only two weeks left… Kaede watched her cousin's expression fall. She was taking a gamble, but if she remembered correctly, her cousin was proud and honorable, a straightforward person who said what they meant. "I believe that I may know someone who can help you, however." Kagura looked up sharply. "He's a bit eccentric and has no spiritual power himself -though he thinks that he does- he can probably offer you a few addresses of those willing to help you. He is from a shrine himself and has probably kept in touch with these people."

 

Kaede walked into the depths of the shrine and came back with a ballpoint pen and a scrap of paper. "Here." She wrote something down quickly and handed her the paper. The wind witch scanned the piece of paper briefly, and scarlet eyes widened with surprise.

 

"Higurashi?!" She looked up at her cousin. Kaede nodded. "Tokyo…" Kagura muttered to herself. "I should make it in time, if I hurry…" Without a backwards glance and just a murmur of "thanks", Kagura pulled out the second white feather from her hair -the first one was now useless- she took off, the small thing growing and a gust of wind nearly bowling the old priestess over.

 

"Good luck, cousin," Kaede murmured as the last whispers of wind died down in the temple, leaving the old woman alone with a flurry of rushed thoughts and imaginings.

 

AN: Okay, so it didn't pop up in this chapter. The sit: Inuyasha can't be sat unless:

 

Kagome is touching the prayer beads

 

Inuyasha is tangible

 

Sounds simple enough… Anyway, thanks for reading, and I'm very sorry about how long this chapter took me to write!