InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In The Most Innocent Of Places ❯ Sleeping Sun ( Chapter 2 )

A/N: Konnichi-wa! *is so full from Thanksgiving dinner* Hope everyone out there who celebrates it had a Happy Thanksgiving, full of turkey and cranberries. ^-^ Yummy… Anywho, thanks to those who have read and reviewed, it really means a lot. Now, onward with chapter two!

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Kouga sat upon a grassy cliff overlooking the waterfall near his camp, uncomforted by its steady rush, or by the security of his home. Solace seemed impossible, for his mind was greatly troubled with unfamiliar memories and emotions that raged through his head. Grunting with frustration, he gripped a jagged rock and pitched it into the water, which appeared jet-black by the night. Mist sprayed lightly across his face, chilling his body in the cool air. The darkness was as thick as velvet, heavier than usual due to the new moon.

He gazed up at the moonless sky, lit only by a tiny scattering of stars. Inuyasha, you'll be a human tonight. How do you stay strong even when I know your weakness? You had no fear standing up to face me, even when it was nearly sunset. I only had to stall a bit longer, and then I could have set my wolves upon you to rip you apart. Is that why Kagome loves you? Because you're strong and unwavering and can protect her? Or are you just stubborn and unrelenting? Either way you mock me, Inuyasha. You laugh in my face and gloat that you, a hanyou, can defeat me. And I hate you for that.

Sighing, he pulled his knees to his chest. He felt incredibly tired, like all the energy had been sapped from his body. A great weight settled in his limbs, almost begging him to sleep. His eyes slowly drooped shut, but he was abruptly awoken by the sound of people rustling clumsily in the brush behind him. He quickly sat up to attention, not daring to move. By the sounds of their muffled voices, barely audible over the waterfall, he could discern that there were two of them.

"Not me, you idiot. It was your idea, you go first," whispered the first.

"Are you kidding?! I'd really rather not be clawed to death for interrupting him," replied the other.

"Would you just shut up and get out there?"

Kouga breathed a sigh of relief and even chuckled to himself; it was only Ginta and Hatsukaku, his odd-haired companions. "Oi! Would you both shut up and come out here?"

Their talking quickly ceased and more rustling ensued before they finally stumbled out of the brush. They hurriedly composed themselves, putting on serious demeanors, but still with obvious concern in their eyes.

"Hey Kouga!" Hatsukaku greeted in his usual animated manner.

"We brought you something to eat, we thought you might be hungry," Ginta explained eagerly, giving a reason for their intrusion.

"Since you haven't returned to camp at all tonight, we were getting kinda worried…" continued Hatsukaku.

The duo stood before Kouga, holding a plate of meat, awaiting either his approval or his wrath. Uncertain grins adorned their faces as they waited hesitantly. They did not know how to interpret Kouga's mood, it was a mixing of many confusing emotions.

He couldn't help but smile at them; it was impossible not to be amused by them. "Would you two just sit down already?"

They visibly relaxed and slumped down in front of Kouga, pushing the plate towards him. He shook his head. "No, I'm not really hungry. I've been to busy thinking to be worried about food."

Ginta cocked his head. "Thinking about what?"

Kouga sighed and looked at his grey-haired friend. "Many things," he replied quietly. Ginta and Hatsukaku waited in silence for him to expound upon his brief answer.

He sighed again and continued. "What happened today with that youkai? I can barely remember."

Hatsukaku looked at him quizzically. "Kouga, you were there. How do you not remember?"

Kouga furrowed his brow in thought, straining for words. "I… I don't… It's hard to explain. When we found that youkai, I just… I don't know, I just lost it. It felt like I wasn't in control of my body. It moved on its own, using me. I said words that weren't mine. I saw that youkai and something within me let loose. The only thing that I can really remember is the incredible power that filled me. It coursed through my whole body. It clouded my mind, so I can't remember hardly anything… not even what I said to that damn Inuyasha."

Ginta and Hatsukaku glanced at each other, but didn't dare to say anything. They feared breaking Kouga out of his thoughts, especially serious ones like these. Instead, they sat, warily eyeing their companion's face.

He suddenly grew very solemn, cradling his left arm, his Shikon arm. After a long pause, he spoke gravely, "You know the worst thing, though? When I was beating that little youkai… I remember having the greatest feeling of satisfaction while doing it…. And I don't know why."

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"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jyaken tentatively queried. "M-might I ask if we could rest for tonight? My p-poor feet... and the wretched human girl won't stop whining."

"Reminds me of another one of my companions," Sesshoumaru replied coolly, not bothering to even glance at him.

"Oh-oh-oh! Sesshoumaru-sama! I apologize a million times if I have offended you!" Jyaken begged for forgiveness. "We'll walk on until daybreak! And then we'll still walk on and on until Sesshoumaru-sama says `Stop'. We'll never rest without his permission! Eh? Sesshoumaru-sama? Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Jyaken looked around him. Behind him, Rin lay upon Aa-Un's back, on the verge of sleep. Sesshoumaru stood ahead of him, looking into the night sky. Jyaken ran forward, stopping by his master's side. He looked hesitantly up at his face.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" he asked quietly. "What troubles you my lord?"

He remained quiet for a long while, studying the breeze. The air felt lighter tonight, less tense. But there was a presence that he knew, but at the same time, it was different. It was almost as if...

"Jyaken, rest here with Rin. I will return by sunrise."

"You are leaving Sesshoumaru-sama? Where are you going?"

"I only have to see something Jyaken. I will return soon."

Sesshoumaru walked forward with his steady pace, vanishing into the tree line, leaving Jyaken on babysitting duty.

****

"Damnit! I can't sense a fucking thing like this!" Inuyasha shouted with aggravation. He paced the length of the run-down, roadside shrine nervously, though he would never admit to anyone that he was uneasy.

Kagome was reminded of the caged animals in the Tokyo zoo. He paces just like them, she sadly thought. Abruptly, she changed her mind. No Kagome, Inuyasha is not an animal (though he may act like it sometimes) he is a person, well rather hanyou, but a person nonetheless. I know how hard he tries to wrestle with his demon and human sides, and how hard he tries to understand. He would be extremely hurt if I were to compare him to an animal.

"Inuyasha," Kagome called to him, trying to soothe his nerves. "You should try to get some sleep. We'll take care of things."

"Yes, leave all the sensing up to me," Miroku spoke up, waving his staff in front of him.

Inuyasha raised a skeptical eyebrow and grunted. "And just how reliable do you think your `sensing' skills are?"

"The most reliable we have. My skills are so fine tuned that nothing gets past me," he gloated.

"Yes, Miroku," Sango stated, holding their rescued youkai in her lap. "We'd leave it up to you, and you'd `sense' your way to the palace of some young beautiful princess who is in deadly peril, right?"

"Sango," he gasped, acting shocked. "What do you take me for?"

"A pervert," she replied tersely, glaring at him.

"Well, I am appalled. Ye of little faith! It's not my fault that trouble is literally attracted to young, beautiful princesses."

"Yes, and you being trouble, Miroku," she snapped at him.

Kagome laughed at the two of them. They were constantly play-fighting, so much so that they acted like a couple, and they weren't even together! She enjoyed watching them, wondering if she and Inuyasha would ever be that comfortable with each other. Speaking of Inuyasha…

She looked around the small room and found him crouching in the far corner, more calm than he was, but still very tense. Walking over, she sat on the wooden floor beside him. He glanced at her suspiciously, but didn't object to her presence.

She smiled at him. "I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing you with your black hair, Inuyasha."

He shot her a curious glance. "Is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

"Well, no…" she responded, blushing a bit. "It's just, you look… kinda cute like this, that's all."

A blush rose to his cheeks, but he quickly turned away. "Keh! Well, when I use the Shikon no Tama to become a full youkai, I won't have to worry about this black hair anymore."

Sighing, she rested her head upon Inuyasha's shoulder. He tensed up, ready to spring away, but instead relaxed, laying his head upon hers. He smiled contently to himself.

"Would you look at them?" Sango whispered to Miroku.

Miroku looked up from `sensing' and grinned. "Ah, young love… I think we should sit like that, don't you think Sango?"

"Not a chance," she smirked at him.

"So cruel…"

Sango returned to caring for the little Usagi youkai. She pressed a cool, damp cloth to its forehead, brushing the wispy light brown bangs away. She watched as its chest rose with each delicate breath. Sighing, she whispered sorrowfully, "Wake up little one, open your eyes. I bet that you have beautiful eyes…"

"Miroku," Kagome called from her position against Inuyasha. "Where has Shippo gotten off to?"

"Oh, I don't know… he left a little while ago with Kirara, saying that he would be back soon. I would think that he should have returned by now."

As if on cue, first Kirara padded in through the straw door, then Shippo, who was covered in dirt and dust. He had taken off his vest and was using it as a bundle for something.

"There he is, Kagome-chan," Miroku stated the obvious. "I could sense him coming."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Sure you could. And Shippo, where did you and Kirara run off to?"

He avoided her eyes, holding his bundle protectively. "No where special, I just wanted to take a walk."

"Keh. A walk on the night of the new moon? Without me to protect you?" Inuyasha snorted.

Sango smiled, saying, "Well then, what's in that bundle?"

"Nothing… just some things that I thought might be helpful." A light crimson color tainted Shippo's cheeks. "She still hasn't woken up?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

"No I'm afraid not," Sango answered.

Shippo took a seat next to Sango, and pulled his bundle onto his lap. Undoing the blue tie, it fell open, revealing five ripe orange carrots. He looked up at Sango with sheepish eyes. "I thought that Usagi youkai liked carrots…"

She smiled, touched by his caring nature. "They like them very much. When she wakes up, she'll be so happy that you cared enough to bring her some."

"But," Miroku spoke up. "I'm curious as to where you got them from. Carrots are in scarce quantity here."

"Well, I… me and Kirara found a patch off the road, so I grabbed some as we passed by… you know just in case." He didn't want to tell them that getting carrots was his whole reason for leaving. He had to search all over for a garden with them and had to steal them without the farm dogs finding out and chasing him down.

Suddenly Inuyasha was behind Shippo, poking him fiercely in the back. "So, you've got the hots for her, don'tcha?"

He jumped up in defense. "No! No, no, no I don't! That's not it at all!"

"Uh-Huh… Then why did you bother to go and get those carrots for?"

"I didn't! I only picked them up on our way back," Shippo retorted, his cheeks burning in a fervent blush with his blatant lie.

"Oh yeah?! Then why are you blushing like that?"

"Because… well, she's cute… I mean I've never seen a Usagi youkai before..."

"Well," Sango interrupted. "The Usagi tribes usually keep to themselves. I wonder why this one was out all alone."

"So! You said it yourself! You think she's hot," Inuyasha resumed.

"NO! Why are you always picking on me, Inuyasha?!" Shippo exclaimed, tears of frustration pricking at the corners of his eyes.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome muttered in a menacing tone.

"I was just having some fun! Why won't you ever-"

"Shush!" Sango ordered. "She's waking up!"

Everyone grew quiet and drew around as the little youkai's eyes slowly fluttered open. As she took in her surroundings, her eyes filled with terror and she tried to squirm out of Sango's arms.

"No, it's ok. Shhh," Sango tried to consol. "It's ok, we rescued you. Calm down, it's ok. You're safe with us."

The youkai's body relaxed, and she fell into Sango's arms again. She still looked around with a wary glance, and she probably would have run had she not been in so much pain.

Kagome stepped next to Sango. "What's your name? I'm Kagome."

The Usagi regarded her tentatively, and answered in a meek voice, "Mysouko."

"Well Mysouko, I knew it," Sango said. "I just knew that you had beautiful eyes. Yours are such a pretty emerald green."

Mysouko smiled gladly at Sango's comment. It had been so long since she had received affection of any kind, and now to receive such hospitality and kindness from a human woman was remarkable.

"Where are you from Mysouko?" Kagome questioned.

"Well, my village was near the city Heiwa Tokoro."

"Heiwa Tokoro?" Miroku repeated incredulously. "But that's so far! What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Um, it's a long story, I don't know if you want to hear it all."

"Of course we do!" Shippo exclaimed, but quickly bowed his head to hide his red face. "That is if you want to tell us."

She smiled at him and blushed a little. "Well… I lived with my mother and father and my brother in the village. We lived a simple life, until our village was attacked by evil youkai, they attacked almost everyday. We all got really scared.

"Then one day, the chief came to our house and spoke to my parents. Me and my brother were told to wait outside, so I don't know what they said, but when they came out, my mom was crying. I went to hug her to make her feel better, but the chief wouldn't allow it. He said that it'd only make it worse. That made her cry harder.

"He took me aside and talked to me alone. He was very serious. He told me that he was giving me an important job, and I was the only one who could do it. I had to find a miko to help our village. But he said that I would have to go alone. Anyone that got involved would be hurt in one way or another. I didn't understand why no one could go with me; I'd never been on a journey before. He simply wouldn't allow it. I hated him then. But I was willing to do what he said for our village. He told me that I had to find a miko named Kikyo-"

"Kikyo?!" Inuyasha shouted. "Why did you have to find Kikyo?"

"I don't know. He just said that she'd be able to help us," Mysouko responded, cringing back from Inuyasha's sudden outburst. "Do you know her? Can you help me find her?"

Inuyasha grew somber. "I know her. But I don't know where she is. She has the habit of coming whenever she pleases."

"Don't mind Inuyasha," Miroku told her. "Please continue."

Mysouko resumed from where she left off, "The chief said that I was to leave the next day. I didn't even know where I was going. But just as I was leaving, my father snuck up to me and told me that he was sending my brother to go with me. I was very happy, but at the same time very worried for my brother, what if what the chief said was true? But I didn't argue, I was very glad to have the company.

"And so, me and my brother set off to look for Kikyo. We didn't find anything for a while, until we ran into…" her sentence broke off and her lip trembled slightly. "We met a woman… we thought that she was Kikyo. We thought we succeeded in our mission. My brother approached her and asked if she was indeed Kikyo…" Tears threatened to flood down her cheeks, but still she kept going.

"She only smiled at him and said `So you're the ones looking for Kikyo.' He replied that we were. She had such a cruel smile. `Well, I can't let you find her, I'm sorry,' she stated. Then, she pulled out some kind of fan and… and she…" The tears rolled freely across her cheeks now. The others listened in silence as she whispered the ending to her tragic story.

"…she killed him. I saw him fall, his blood spreading across the green grass. She would have done the same to me, if it hadn't been for that man in the white fur cloak. He appeared from thin air and whispered something to her. She glanced at me, and then the two of them disappeared together.

"I ran to my fallen brother, but it was too late. He was already gone. I realized then that the chief was right. I couldn't have companions with me. I always have to be alone; horrible things happen to those around me. That's why I wear these black beads around my ankles, they were brother's. I'll never forget his death and never forget how he died because of me..."

"No Mysouko! You're wrong! You don't have to always be alone," Sango passionately cried. "What happened to your brother was a horrible tragedy, but it wasn't your fault. We'll defeat Naraku and Kagura, the two that murdered your brother, and we'll find Kikyo for you so you'll never have to be alone again!" Sango enveloped the tiny youkai in her arms, tears overflowing her eyes as well.

The entire shrine room was shrouded in the heartrending emotion, but Miroku sensed something besides coming from outside. He stood to attention, motioning for Inuyasha to do the same.

"Inuyasha," he whispered. "I can feel something very powerful outside, be ready."

"Maybe I doubted your senses after all," he whispered back.

"Sango, Kagome, take the others and get back away from the door," Miroku ordered, taking up a stance in front of the door, gripping the Kazanna's rosary beads.

With a mighty gust of wind, the straw door ripped from the frame, exposing the entrance to the shrine. Miroku took a step back, but never loosening his grip on the beads, nor taking his eyes off of the doorway.

Suddenly, a tall, domineering figure appeared in the doorway, and placed a foot indifferently within the shrine. "Forgive my intrusion," he apologized condescendingly in his usual stoic manner. "But I simply had to see if it was true, if my brother has in fact turned human."

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DUNDUNDUN!!!! Sesshoumaru knows Inuyasha's secret?! Find out what happens next time, it's all in Chapter Three!! (which I still have to type, but that's ok!)

Well kiddies, I gotta go to bed, I've been working on this for entirely too long. Hope you enjoyed. Oh, and be a philanthropist- Review. please? :)