InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Inexcusable Nature ❯ Something Completely Unexpected ( Chapter 2 )

Inexcusable Nature

Just A Starving Writer

Disclaimer: nope, not mine.

Part 2: Something Completely Unexpected

"Thank goodness ye are here. We were afraid ye truly had died." It wasn't much of greeting and immediately told Kagome all she needed to know about the nature of the information she was about to receive.

"What has happened?"

"Perhaps ye had better sit down."

The story was told throughout the day and by evening, Kagome had been most thoroughly updated. The news was indeed bad: the shard hunters had been captured by Naraku's minions in an attempt to bring her out of hiding. There were no signs that they were still alive and no indications of where they were after the first declaration. Kagura herself had made the announcement to Kaede four months previously. Now it seemed everyone was just waiting.

This information told the young miko that her fears had been founded: not only did Naraku apparently have all the rest of the jewel shards, but her friends were presumably being held hostage.

"Well, at least Naraku still can't get my jewel shards…"

"Ye do not have the shards?"

"Nope. I didn't have them on me when I went through and I'm too scared to try going back. There's no way I'm gonna try going home til this is over."

"Ye plan to continue?"

"Of course. It's my duty and they are my friends. I can't let them suffer like this. I'll leave in the morning."

"I'll inform the villagers to gather the preparations. I'm afraid ye will have to go alone, but ye will not go unarmed. Your bow and arrows are as you left them and as well, ye have received something. Inuyasha brought it to me for safekeeping one night before the capture with instructions that it was sent specifically for your use."

Interest, excitement, and worry fought for dominance as the young miko remembered she had neglected to open her birthday presents before taking this unexpected trip to the past. After all, a present was still a present, even with threat of death and torture.

The old miko pulled a long wooden box from the corner of the hut and Kagome took it eagerly. She hesitantly lifted the heavy top and soon discovered inside the hay packaging a katana and a scroll.

"It's from a sword smith that heard of me. All it says is `May an unexpected sword bring success when all else fails.' Huh. What an odd thing to say..." Exchanging the scroll for the katana, she ran her fingers lightly over the white sheath before drawing it out to examine the blade.

"Beautiful," she murmured as her eyes focused on the glittering sword. And her comment was true. The katana was a work in simple elegance. It was unadorned but the smooth lines more than made up for the lack. The dully shining white hilt was inlaid in black with the kanji for `unexpected'.

"Well, unexpected sword," Kagome began while sheathing the sword once more. "You are beautiful, but I don't know how to use you and hope I never have to learn."

Setting the sword aside, the two mikos went over strategies well before calling it a night. Lying down on a mat in the corner, weapons within reach, Kagome faded into a half sleep that plagued her vision with images of the shard hunters suffering.

*

"She got the package." Inuyasha's brief statement once again broke the silence of the dungeon.

"What exactly is in the package?" Miroku asked curiously, his tone oddly out of place considering his present location.

"A katana."

"But Kagome can't use a sword…" Sango began.

"Yeah, but it's been taken care of."

"What do you mean, Inuyasha?" Miroku inquired.

"Totosai made it. He said `it would suit her needs and personality perfectly.'"

"But…that means Kagome has a demonic sword…"

"And?"

"How can she possibly tap into its power, being human and miko?"

"Don't ask me. I just delivered the damn thing. Didn't even know he was making it."

"So strange…"

"Feh. Maybe it'll keep her from getting killed."

That thought was enough to throw everyone back into their own minds once more until Shippou once more broke the tension.

"Kagome with a sword…cool!"

Such was the splendor of youth.

*

"Okay…"

The crossroads was still as indecisive as it had been ten minutes ago. Still, she could not make a choice. Both directions seemed to be calling her. Setting down her heavy pack, she decided now was as good a time as any to have a bite for lunch. Pulling out what the villagers had prepared for her consumption, she sat down in the fork of the road and thought over the options while sating her hunger. By the time she had finished the bit of precooked rice, she had decided that the right road swirling west was calling her a bit more strongly than the left road that ran due north. Lifting the pack back onto her already weary shoulders, she continued onward.

What a strange sight she must have been in Feudal Japan, what with her dark blue sweater, bright yellow skirt (thankfully longer than her former school uniform), white sheathed sword on her hip, bow held in hand with a full quiver strapped to her back, and heavily laden folded cloth that served as her bag. At least she had worn athletic shoes this time as she wasn't sure she could have resumed this former life of heavy walking in her usual flip flops (not to mention lime green didn't seem like a color that would go over too well in this time, though the bright blue of her present sneakers couldn't be too much better).

Perhaps it was because of this odd picture she made that the following events occurred. All she knew was that before she was even aware of the danger, she had been attacked. Regaining her feet as the demon circled her warily in the shadows, she ran into the woods. It was a stupid move, she realized too late as the unknown demon jumped onto her back, shredding the pack and spilling her supplies even as she fell to the ground.

The pressure on her back relented enough for her to roll around and face her enemy, who had already moved beyond her sight. The danger she was in became more apparent as sharp claws tore into her shoulders from above her head and she was blinded in one eye by blood from a gash on her brow.

She felt for the new sword, feeling that even though she had no clue how to properly wield it, any advantage would be helpful in this matter. Before she could strike against her attacker, she felt the claws dig further into her collar and the pain was almost intense enough to knock her out.

With one last burst of strength, she thrust the sword upward into what had to be the demon at her head and was rewarded with the feeling of it cutting into flesh and the heart wrenching cries of a dying being. Lifting herself to her knees, she was only able to take a glance at her dead assailant, killed by the sword still protruding from its throat, before she passed out from strain, exertion, and injury.

*

"Did you feel that?" Sango asked her shackled companions.

"Yeah. Something bad happened to Kagome..." Miroku answered.

"But she's still alive," Inuyasha added quickly.

"Yes, of course she is. I just wonder why it is we can feel her so acutely now. It was never like this before." The monk had a point.

"Like I know." The hanyou also had a point.

"Maybe her miko abilities have grown stronger?" Sango questioned.

"Perhaps," the monk pondered and silence reigned once more in the mildew covered dungeon.

*