InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love Drives You to Unthinkable Places ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: As you all may have guessed, I don't own Inu-Yasha. I do, however, own Himura and Shinnaro. Made them up for this fanfic.

"So, they've killed the demon that I've manipulated..." said the priestess, Kikyo, quietly. They were deep in the forest, shielded from any light that would betray their location. The dark treetops loomed ominously overhead, their trunks looking as if they were executioners standing over the condemned.

"I'm terribly sorry for failing you, Mistress!" cried Himura, a demon that was being controlled by Kikyo and was acting as her henchman. He fell to his knees, beseeching his mistress's forgiveness.

"It's quite all right but I don't expect it to happen again, though. So you should either find a more fitting demon or I will have to go and do it myself," said Kikyo whose face was at this moment devoid of all emotions. She stood stoically, even though he failed her when she had commanded him not to.

"Please, mistress, don't! I will not fail again! I will go myself if it means keeping you from harm!" he pleaded. At this moment, Himura was in abject misery for displeasing his mistress in any way and was willing to give his life to repent for it.

"There will be no need for that, Himura." Then, she seemingly looked at one of the trees surrounding them and spoke to it. "I see you have been watching for some time."

A monk stepped out from behind the tree that Kikyo was looking at, surprising Himura, who had not seen him there.

"Your beauty surpasses that of any woman's I have ever seen. I could not help but stare. Please forgive my rudeness," said the monk, bowing his head in deference.

"Don't flatter me." Kikyo's expression was stony as she coolly regarded him.

"Ah, yes. Of course, I meant no offense," the monk said and lifted his head.

The two looked at each other for a moment, electricity passing between their eyes. Suddenly, Kikyo threw out a hand and released a singing beam of power toward the monk. It scorched any underbrush that it made contact with. He tried to counterattack but to no avail, and then resorted to hastily throwing up a shield around himself. It was no match for Kikyo's power, though. Her beam penetrated through his weak shield and pierced through the monk's body. When the light relinquished, the monk regained his senses but fell to his knees almost immediately.

"Mistress! Please command me!" cried the monk. The exact same thing had happened to Himura, who was still standing beside his mistress awestricken. He began to remember this event and some shred of what he used to be returned. It seemed like an eternity since Kikyo did the same to him. Himura couldn't remember anything beyond this happening to him, though.

"Heh, the petty fool. Before I send you on your mission, tell me what you were planning to do about what you heard me saying earlier," Kikyo said coldly.

"I was planning on using my exorcising powers to eliminate you and your demon henchman, mistress. Please forgive me trying or even thinking about harming you, mistress!" Teardrops spattered the ground before him as he became nauseous at even the thought of injuring his mistress. How could I think of hurting her? I must be flawed in some way...

"That's what I thought. For that you shall be punished but not yet. Now, go forth and kill Inu-Yasha and all his friends!" commanded Kikyo.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"I'm ho-o-me!" Kagome shouted as she opened the door to the house on her family's shrine. Her mother, who was, at the time, dusting furniture, greeted her.

"Goodness Kagome! You're covered in blood and dirt! Have you been hurt?" She paused in her dusting to examine her daughter.

"No, mom. I'm alright, I just tripped and fell into a mud puddle and on the way back here, someone splashed me with red paint." Kagome prayed that her mom would buy the lie and say no more on the subject. She really didn't know how to explain that she was actually in ancient Japan in the Feudal Era running around with a half demon named Inu-Yasha. And to make matters worse, her brother Souta came down, taking the stairs two at a time, hoping to greet Inu-Yasha as he arrived. He and Kagome's grandfather had met Inu-Yasha before and decided with Kagome to keep it an as much of a secret for as long as they could from her mother.

"Hey, sis! Aw man! I wish you could've at least brought Inu-Yasha with you..." said Souta.

"Huh? Who's Inu-Yasha?" inquired Kagome's mom as she bent down to dust a sofa.

"Oh, just one of my friends."

"No, he's not just your friend! He's the coolest, best..."

"...friend that Souta looks up to. Isn't that right Souta?" interrupted Kagome and gave Souta a look that told him to say no more on the subject. Fortunately for her, he got the idea and shut up. With one problem solved, another came up.

"You're back from your journey already, Kagome?" asked Grandpa.

"Journey? What journey? Kagome, was there a field trip in school that you forgot to tell me about?" asked her mom, who was a bit oblivious to her traveling between the two worlds, but was, by now, getting curious of all these goings-on that she didn't know of.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that, Mom. I, have to go and study for my math test tomorrow. If you need me, I'll be in my room!" She didn't know if her situation could get any worse. Luckily, it didn't. All that followed her up was the noise of the argument between her mother, brother, and grandfather about what happened and where she had gone.

"Kagome! Wait! *Sigh* Too late, she's already gone upstairs."

Meanwhile, back in the Feudal Era, Miroku and Sango were enjoying a rare chance to relax while Inu-Yasha was, as always, grumbling about something and looking really irritated.

Finally, unable to take the peacefulness any longer, Inu-Yasha exploded. "Why the hell are we still sitting here doing nothing?!"

"Because there is nothing to do at this moment," responded Miroku.

"Do you need to be reminded that Kagome is the only one who can see the jewel shards and that without her we can't look for them?" asked Sango who was petting Kirara, a demonic cat, on the head.

"Feh!" He made to jump off into a tree branch to sit and contemplate how idiotic everything was but never made it because just then, Kagome came back through the well. She seemed to struggle to get over the lip of it and soon, everyone saw the cause of it. She was lugging her backpack with her and it was huge. It was bulkier than normal, if that was at all possible.

"Hey! What's with your bag? Why do you always bring so much useless stuff?" Inu-Yasha jumped next to her to help her out.

"It's not useless Inu-Yasha! And for your information I have to study for a math test tomorrow but it was just too noisy inside my house so I came here," she said as she lifted a leg over the side.

"Think it'll be any quieter here?"

As if on cue, they all heard a yell coming from behind them.

"What was that?" Shippou asked uneasily and turned around to see what had caused the noise. There was a commotion somewhere farther in the forest, a loud stomping noise followed by more yelling and shouts for help, which caused the birds in the area to all take flight.

"It sounded like a man's voice. *Sigh* I had so wished to save a damsel in distress..." Miroku said, looking dismayed.

"Miroku! How could you??? Somebody's in trouble and all you can think of is that?" Sango said with a look that told him not to test her any further.

"Whatever it is, it's getting closer," Inu-Yasha said, breaking the argument between Miroku and Sango. Suddenly, a man clad in robes like that of Miroku's burst out from the trees and in hot pursuit was the object of his fears.

"Help me, please! Somebody help me!"

"Hiraitkotsu!" Sango yelled and threw her weapon. The demon was cut clean in half by her boomerang bone. As it veered around towards the group, Sango caught it in the air effortlessly, showing her mastery of it.

"Feh! You should've let me do it. I was looking forward to a some action all day, but I guess he wasn't that much of a tough guy anyway..."

"Don't stress too much Inu-Yasha. Remember, the world's full of demons like him and I assure you. They won't run out anytime soon," said Miroku. Having said that, Miroku then turned his attention on the stranger whose life was just spared. "I don't believe he'll be chasing after you anymore. You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Thank you! I thought sure that I was dead but thanks to you," the monk said, bowing his head like a bobble toy while thanking Sango.

"No problem. It is my job after all. Why was he chasing you?" asked Sango as she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I-I don't know. One moment I was minding my own business, trying to enjoy a nice stroll in the forest, and the next thing I knew I was running for my life. Of course I tried to fend it off on my own but my powers proved too weak and so my attempts to kill it were futile," explained the monk.

"Oh, quit flappin' your gums! I think I've had enough of your pathetic whining," said an annoyed Inu-Yasha. "Anyone could have defended against that weakling!"

That's right. Anyone could have seen that the demon chasing after him wasn't that strong. So why couldn't this monk overpower it? How strange... Sango thought to herself but thought better of voicing it.

"Of course, forgive me," said the monk and added a bow to his word. Inu-Yasha seemed to like being bowed down to and turned around with a smug look on his face but didn't say more.

"Hmm... If what you say is truly the truth, then perhaps..." pondered Miroku out loud but didn't finish his thought process probably due to the fact that he saw the perfect chance to ogle Sango's butt. However, she clunked him on the head before he got the chance to do more than just stare at her. Sango huffed and looked at Miroku indignantly, all the while thinking nasty thoughts about him. She stood a little ways off from the others to brood and watch over the area, making sure that no other demons would come upon them unexpectedly.

That Miroku! Honestly, I feel like he has nothing better to do than hit on girls! And that other monk looks like he's got something on his head too because it's showing all over his face...I just don't know what. But he looks like he's planning something...

At this point the other "monk", as Sango thought, was starting to look pretty suspicious and uncomfortable as he got strange looks from everyone, especially from Sango and Miroku. Just before the situation became unbearable, Kagome spoke up cheerfully.

"Oh! I'm sorry, but we weren't properly introduced yet, were we? My name's Kagome, this here's Inu-Yasha, the one who saved you is Sango, and that's Miroku." She pointed at each one in turn as she said their names.

"Hey Kagome! You forgot about me!" Shippou jumped up and waved his arms around, trying to get her attention.

"Oops! Sorry about that Shippou!"

"Now that you know all our names, what's yours?" inquired Miroku.

"My name is...uhh..."

He was stumped. It seemed as if he couldn't even recall his own name! He only remembered his mistress and wanting to please her...

Suddenly, a voice came out of nowhere. Your name is Shinnaro. Don't forget it again.

A moment passed by uneasily. Then abruptly, Shinnaro's face came over with a look of enlightening. "Ah, yes. I'm Shinnaro." How could I have forgotten my own name???

Hmm, this...monk, Shinnaro, seems a bit awkward, with a sort of...I can't place my finger on it, but his movement seems somewhat forced and familiar... Sango thought as she sat down on one of the larger lichen-covered rocks that jutted out from the ground. It had many cracks spread throughout the boulder looking like a giant spider web had covered it.

Looks like Sango's deep in thought as well. Kagome and Inu-Yasha look to be yet unaware of this but I feel an evil presence...or perhaps it's an aura. This is very strange indeed. This feeling of mine can't be pinpointed and it feels like it's near and far at the same time. How odd... He rubbed his chin as he mused about the recent turn of events.

"Sango, is it just me or do you feel a sort of evil around as well?" Miroku confided to Sango in hushed tones so as to be sure that no one else could hear them.

"I feel it too Miroku; as does Kirara. Her fur's been on end since the moment Shinnaro has been with us it seems." Sango said as she pointed to the cat on the ground. Kirara was watching Shinnaro intently, not letting a single of his moves escape its gaze.

"So you think it's Shinnaro too?"

"It seems a bit farfetched, but yes. His movement seems a bit awkward doesn't it? As if he were being..."

But Sango never finished her statement for she was cut off when Shinnaro suddenly started to ask what the group's aim was.

"To collect all of the jewel shards, of course! What else?!" Inu-Yasha said angrily, as if Shinnaro was the dumbest person in all of existence to not know that.

Shinnaro chose to ignore the look that Inu-Yasha gave him and said instead, "Well, as it just so happens, I have a couple of jewel shards that I've picked up in my travels. I'll let you have them if you let me join your group."

That's funny. I wonder why I didn't sense them...

"Shinnaro, why do you wish to join with us on our quest to collect all the pieces of the jewel? Not that I don't want the shards that you're offering of course," said Miroku.

"To repay you for saving my life, I will help you look for and secure the remaining shards," replied Shinnaro in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You're making this way too easy! What's the catch?" asked Inu-Yasha who was starting to get suspicious of the monk.

"I've already told you! To repay you for saving me! What else?"

"May I see your jewel shards?" asked Kagome suddenly.

"Of course, Mistress. I mean, Kagome!"

Hmm... Why did he call Kagome "Mistress"?

"Right, here you are." How could I have mistaken this wench for my mistress?! Shinnaro gave Kagome a good once over just to make sure that she was, in fact, not his mistress.

They seem real enough...but then, why didn't I sense them earlier? My ability isn't failing, is it? Kagome studied each shard closely, examining them.

"What's wrong Kagome? You look worried," Sango said.

"What do you mean?"

"Lady Kagome, do you feel all right?" inquired Miroku.

"I feel fine but that guy, Shinnaro, is really creeping me out! He keeps looking at me really strangely..."

At which Inu-Yasha issues a growl and an almost jealous (not sure) look at the newcomer.

"You better not do anything with Kagome or I'll rip your heart out!"

"Don't worry Inu-Yasha. I have no intention of stealing your girl. It would go against my very soul," answered Shinnaro.

Inu-Yasha turned as red as his kimono and started sputtering. He was about to say something rude but is cut off by Shippou who, until now, was relatively silent.

"Hey Inu-Yasha! Are you going out with Kagome? How come you guys never told me?" Shippou pouted at having been left out. That's when he looked around and saw that he wasn't the only one who didn't know.

"Because you never asked! That's why!" retorted Inu-Yasha.

"Inu-Yasha," Miroku said with an amused look, "I never knew."

"You and Kagome???" said Sango incredulously as she zipped her head to one and then the other.

Kagome turned bright red. "Yeah..."

There was an awkward silence for a few moments afterwards, and then Shinnaro spoke, breaking the silent spell.

"Uhh...sorry to speak but...?"

"Oops! I guess we kind of forgot about you! Sorry!" said Kagome as she blushed profusely.

"That's quite alright." Shinnaro waved it off.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The group was walking toward Kaede's village when suddenly, Sessho-maru and his not always so faithful servant, Jaken, appeared to a collective gasp from the group.