InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lemon-Scented Bath Salts of Fate & Time ❯ Fate Steps In ( Chapter 1 )

Lemon-scented Bath Salts of Fate & Time.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I make no profit off this story other than the ability to sleep at night because it’s not longer pinging around in my skull.

This story was written in response to the Makin’ Lemonaide week 37 challenge: "Splish, Splash, I was takin' a bath," do it in the tub, the shower, the sink? Oh, and if the practical joke theme wins this week, you can take it as answer to THAT, too! I did have that theme in mind when writing it.
Sometimes the theme just takes over and won’t stop. This is one of those times. This started out as me not being able to decide whether to make the story be a practical joke or not, and whether to use IY x KAG or SAN x MIR. Finally, with encouragement from Gretel-chan, I decided to do both.
So YOU get extra long fic to read – with chapters and everything!




Chapter 1 – Fate steps in & sets things up

One hand raised itself, but stopped short of touching long raven tresses. Stopped because said raven tresses were coated in a layer of gore about a half inch deep. Bits of the blood-red mess dripped off the ends of her hair and slopped next to her shoes with a sickening PLAP.

But it wasn't the sliminess. It wasn't that she had splotches of what was once a living being all over her. It was the smell that was getting to her. It wasn't as bad as getting sprayed with skunk - which took a month to wear off unless you soaked in tomato juice for about 5 hours. But she thought that if she didn't know this smell would come off when she washed, she might think it was worse. Apparently, this particular demon was ill. Dying, actually. Had thought to itself, "What the hell have I got to lose? If I get a shard, at least I'll live!" And the illness in its flesh was what made that flesh reek.

'For once, I'm glad I don't have Inuyasha's nose. But at least he's not covered in it like me. And Sango. Sheesh. Why is it only us girls who ever get covered in ick when we slay these things?' She looked over at Sango, who was sporting an expression of distaste that clearly matched her own.

'If I didn't know better, I'd think that Miroku was bribing Inuyasha to wait to use his Windscar until he knew that Sango and I were in the direct path of fallout - so that he could sneak in to watch us bathe!' Giving the monk a glare, the look she got in return was so innocent, so, 'What'd *I* do?' that she knew she'd stumbled onto the truth.

"Sango. I'm going home to take a bath," she declared loudly.

Grimacing, the demon slayer responded, "Would you not rather accompany me to the hot spring?"

She smiled softly to let her friend know that it wasn't that she didn't want to bathe with her friend. "Um. I really really want a hot shower. I feel so gross right now, and I think I just want a piece of home."

Sango's gentle smile let Kagome know that no feelings were hurt. "I understand. I wish that I could join YOU there."

Turning toward the well, she called, "I'll be back later to take care of Shippo. OH! And be careful. I think a certain hentai monk may have peeping on his mind!" She stuck her tongue out at the monk, then walked to the well. He had the good grace to feign astonishment, but Kagome could see him gulping and wondering how she knew.

"I shall make certain that he stays away from the spring while I bathe. And I'll make sure Shippo knows you'll be back later." The kitsune had snuck a bunch of candy out of Kagome's pack earlier that day and had been stuck at Kaede's with a stomach ache while the latest fight had ensued.

She sat on the edge of the well and was turning to swing her legs over the lip when she heard, "OI! Where do you think YOU're going, wench?"

"I'm going home to clean up, Inuyasha."

"You can't leave yet. We have work to do."

"If YOU hadn't waited to use your Windscar until I was right in the fallout zone for demon guts, I wouldn't have to go back to bathe. What did Miroku promise you, anyway?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." She would have believed him if he hadn't swallowed and cast a quick evil glance at the monk. "Why the hell do you have to go through the well to bathe anyway?"

"Because I LIKE a nice hot shower every now and then - not that it matters. I'm going!"

"Okay, then, I'll come with you."

"You've been hanging around Miroku too much. Like I'm gonna let you hang around while I shower!?"

"Who said anything about that? I just want to get away from the stink and get some ramen." His nose was quivering. If it smelled this bad to her, how bad must it be for his dog nose?

She almost relented, but she saw Miroku trying to not look like he cared whether the hanyou left or stayed. Which meant that he knew he'd have a harder time sneaking after Sango if the half-demon stayed behind.

"Inuyasha, someone has to clean up after this mess. I know it's hard on your nose, but I'm sure the townsfolk will help if Kaede and Miroku ask them. They'll want to be rid of the stench that much faster. Just stay upwind and keep on eye on Miroku so he doesn't sneak off to go spying on Sango as she bathes. I'll bring back some ramen when I'm done."

Miroku attempted to appear innocent and offended. "Lady Kagome, I really must protest. I would never think of shirking my duties. And as for the intimation that I would be so low as to SPY on the lovely Sango, I assure you that, while the beauty of our demon slayer in all her glory would be an image that would keep even the coldest heart warm for the rest of one's life, to attempt such a feat would indicate a baseness of character that I am offended you would attribute to me." He put on a sad face. "I thought we were friends."

With a snort, Inuyasha interrupted, "Feh! Yeah right. Baka bouzo just knows that if he tried spyin' on her, Sango'd beat him within an inch of his life!"

"Oh, how you wound me. I am all alone in the world."

"Yeah, right. It's your own fault for being a pervert." Sango had caught the gist of the conversation and walked over to interject. "Anyway, I'll keep an eye on the monk until the mess is cleaned up. And I'll have Kaede join me at the bath."

Inuyasha snorted at the monk's discomfort. 'No way he'd try to sneak a peek if he might accidentally be peeking at the old hag naked. Hah!'

"Well, if you're going to stay to help, I'll stay, too." Even though she really just wanted to jump through the well and get clean, if Sango was going to stick it out, she'd stick it out as well.

Without looking her in the eye, Sango shifted her weight on her feet. "Um... Well, actually Kagome, I was thinking that it might be best if you and Inuyasha visited your home while WE clean up." She saw Kagome's startlement and continued by bowing toward the dog hanyou. "It's just that... Well, the villagers can be foolish, and some of them don't really understand that - just like humans, demons and hanyou come in all sorts of varieties. Some are," she smiled gently at her half-demon companion, "recklessly brave, good, and loyal." She looked back at Kagome apologetically. "And others are selfish, vindictive and have no regard for others or even respect for life."

"That is quite true," the bouzo interjected. "There are those in the village who have reaped the benefits of living under the protection of a powerful hanyou and would still react with prejudice and hatred toward that same hanyou. It is foolish. But it is the way people are. Perhaps Sango is correct in suggesting that they will be more amenable to assisting us in the clean-up if he were not there to trigger such irrational reactions."

"Keh! Whatever!" Kagome's heart was heavy for him. No matter what he did, people still treated him like an outsider. It was unfair. "Well, wench, what're you waiting for?"

She turned to see him standing on the lip of the well. Shaking her head, she turned back to wave at her friends. "Thanks, guys! Be back soon!" And she jumped into the future.

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