InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ A Nose for Trouble ( Chapter 7 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Trouble comes in many sizes, shapes, and smells.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.01.2008 | Updated On: 12.14.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 4.6K | Status: Completed
Trouble comes in many sizes, shapes, and smells.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.01.2008 | Updated On: 12.14.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 4.6K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
Fanfiction of the Week: Big League Affair, by Selina MacCloveror
A great AU. A love at first sight affair, with plenty of suspense and drama. And a boatload of steamy lemons to boot!
A Nose for Trouble
Inuyasha was happy to note he had been wrong in predicting a night of little sleep. The image of Kagome in the hot spring had been persistent, but eventually he pushed it away with thoughts of his favorite foods from her time—ramen, those crunchy fried potato crisps, and the Big Wac. He dozed off, only waking during the night when his ever-alert senses picked up a disturbance. He roused at dawn as he normally did, but was surprised to see Kagome stirring a few minutes later. Usually she was the last to wake, but today she sat up in her sleeping bag, moving her eyes over the humans still slumbering around the burned-out embers of the fire.
“You’re up early, wench,” Inuyasha said from his perch in the tree, causing Kagome to jump. Glancing up at him, then at the position of the sun, still hidden by the trees, she shrugged.
“Yeah, but I feel well-rested. I guess you were right about me not needing as much sleep.” She climbed out of the bag, careful not to disturb Shippou, and stretched languidly. It started with her hands over her head, then morphed into a full-body stretch. Her movements were completely feline, as she pushed her hands out in front of her as far as they would go, her back arching from her kneeling position. All this was accompanied by a cavernous, fang-bearing yawn. Inuyasha’s mouth was open just as wide, but he wasn’t yawning. He was gaping, unable to tear his gaze away from the vixen below him, who had no idea just how enticing she was making herself look. He found himself unconsciously shifting to get a closer look, then closer…closer… A weightless feeling enveloped him, but at the moment he lacked the mental capacity to figure out what it meant.
THUD!!
Kagome jolted upright at the sudden noise, only to find Inuyasha lying face down on the ground a few feet away. And as he peeled his face from the dirt, Kagome couldn’t help her giggles, though she did try to hide them. His glare, made less intimidating by his reddened cheeks, only made her laugh all the harder.
“Inuyasha,” she breathed, trying to control her mirth, “how’d you fall out of the tree?”
“I…I…” the hanyou stuttered, “I didn’t! You said ‘osuwari’ by accident!”
“I did?” Kagome replied, mentally going over the previous few minutes in her head. She’d woken up and spoken to Inuyasha, then stretched before finding him sprawled out next to her. I know I didn’t ‘osuwari’ him when we spoke, so how…wait! He fell out of the tree as I was stretching…like a cat! Kagome felt her own cheeks flushing as she recalled just how she had gone about working the sleep out of her body. I can’t believe I did that! I never would have stretched like that before, not with people watching! But it had seemed perfectly natural, so natural, in fact, that she hadn’t even thought about it. Stupid youkai instincts! Then the implications of her deduction set in, and Kagome suddenly felt lightheaded. I made…I made Inuyasha fall out of the tree? Just by arching my body and making my shirt ride up a little?! Glancing back at the hanyou, who was now sitting up and staring pensively at the remains of the fire, caused her to grin. She learned a few days ago that he was attracted to her, but she had never known she held such a power over him. It made her heart swell. Still, looking at Inuyasha and taking in his nervous scent, she knew she had to let it go. Eventually she would reveal what she knew, but now clearly wasn’t the time.
“Well, if I did ‘osu—’ do that to you,” she corrected, earning herself a heated glare, “then I’m sorry.” Then, to complete the unnecessary apology, she reached up and gently massaged his ear with one hand. He leaned into her for a few seconds, his eyes almost drifting shut before he came back to himself.
“C-cut that out, wench!” he ordered, swatting her hand away. “Feh!” With that, he leapt up into the tree once more, alighting to the higher branches so he was no longer visible from the ground. Kagome lay back down on the sleeping bag, smirking and chuckling merrily.
The rest of the morning was peaceful, and a bowl of ramen for breakfast cured Inuyasha’s embarrassment-induced grumpiness. They reached the edge of Totosai’s domain around noon, and the rest of the group agreed to set up camp while Inuyasha and Kagome went to see the old swordsmith. Inuyasha offered the miko his back, but Kagome wanted to try out her new hanyou legs.
“It ain’t as easy as I make it look, wench,” he said with just a hint of arrogance. Kagome scoffed. It’s just running. How hard can it be? But in a short while, she found herself wishing she’d just hopped on his back like usual. Maybe it would have been easy if the land was completely flat, but it was rugged, covered in rocks and small hills and valleys. Every five or ten steps brought a stumble, and Inuyasha, running dutifully at her side, was forced to snatch her out of the air more than once. How he managed to weave so effortlessly through the obstacles, even while much of his attention was focused on her, was a mystery. Out of courtesy he avoided the thickest undergrowth, but even so Kagome’s legs looked like a chess board by the time they arrived at their destination. She was eternally grateful for the quick demonic healing ability. And yet, even though their journey had been several kilometers, Kagome found she wasn’t very tired. Her youkai half had rejoiced in the exercise, the chance to stretch its muscles, and she knew today would not be the last time she ran. I’ll have to bring some more appropriate clothes from my time. This skirt isn’t exactly built for hanyou-speed running. I’m just glad nobody was running behind me today.
“Not bad for your first time, wench,” Inuyasha said as they walked toward the cave entrance. Kagome gaped at him. Did he just compliment me? “Maybe next time we can take it up a notch.”
“Y-you mean you go faster than that?!”
“Keh! Are you kiddin’? Today’s pace was like walking for me.”
Kagome suddenly felt a little deflated, but she comforted herself with the knowledge that it had taken years of practice for Inuyasha to become as graceful as he was now. And he did compliment me.
“Oi, Totosai! You in there?!” Inuyasha yelled into the cave.
“Inuyasha?” came the reply. “What did you do to my beautiful Tetsusaiga this time?”
“I didn’t do anything to it, jiji. Get your wrinkly ass out here!”
“Ah, sometimes I think I prefer Sesshoumaru’s company,” Totosai mumbled, his voice nevertheless carrying to their ears. Inuyasha’s response was cut off when Kagome cried “Ouch!” and slapped her neck.
“Myouga!” he growled when Kagome held out her hand, “I thought I told you never to suck on Kagome!”
The flea, however, completely ignored him, focusing his attention on said miko. “Why, Kagome-sama, your blood tastes diff—Kami! What happened to your ears?! I knew I tasted youkai blood!”
“Can it, flea,” Inuyasha interrupted. “That’s what we came here to talk about.”
Totosai had by this time emerged from the cave, but wisely kept his questions to himself. He invited everyone inside, and when they were settled Kagome launched into the slightly edited version of events she had related to her mother.
“The rebirth spell, you say?” Myouga repeated thoughtfully when she was finished. “A very rare power indeed, one that Inuyasha-sama’s father never had to face. And you are able to use your miko powers without purifying yourself or Inuyasha-sama, for that matter? The size of your heart is truly amazing, Kagome-sama.”
Kagome blushed under the praise. “Why does everybody keep saying that?” she wondered aloud. “All I did was spare the soul of a child the torment of hell, something any decent person would do.”
“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, Kagome-sama. In this world, there are many perfectly decent humans who would care not for the fate of a youkai’s soul. The ones who do are truly rare, and to be cherished, as Inuyasha-sama’s father cherished his mother. Because those souls who judge others by the strength of their hearts, and not by the substance of their blood; I believe they will someday help bring about a world where humans and demons can coexist peacefully.” Myouga directed his piercing gaze at Inuyasha as he said this, but the dense hanyou either didn’t get the message or chose to ignore it.
“Alright, jiji, enough of your philosophical crap. Is there a way to reverse it?”
The flea sighed. “I know not, Inuyasha-sama. I have never heard of anything like this happening before. Nor have I heard of a youkai wishing to purge herself of her youkai blood and become human. Most youkai consider their status a privilege—”
“Feh! Trust me, being a hanyou ain’t a privilege most days.”
Totosai, who had up until this point been sitting quietly, reached out and pulled Tetsusaiga out of its sheath. Inuyasha let him, figuring it was the swordsmith’s right to inspect his creation. The old youkai looked the rusty katana up and down, then turned his ear toward it.
“Tetsusaiga says you are a fool, Inuyasha. It says you should let Kagome decide whether she wants to transform back or not. It also says you should draw Totosai a hot bath.”
“You’re fucking hilarious, jiji. Now did Tetsusaiga really say I was a fool?”
“Say what?” Totosai answered, scratching his head in confusion.
“That’s it! Come here so I can pound some memory back into that empty head of yours!” As Inuyasha chased Totosai around the cave, Myouga hopped onto Kagome’s shoulder and spoke softly.
“Kagome-sama, is this what you truly want? Do you wish to return to being human?”
Kagome frowned. “Yeah, I guess so. I hadn’t really thought about it.”
“Fair enough. I will visit some old friends of mine to see if they can help you. It will take several days, perhaps more, and then I shall meet you back in your village. Promise me you will at least think about what I said.”
“Deal,” Kagome replied. Then, deciding that Totosai had enough lumps on his head, she called Inuyasha’s name in the tone of voice she only used right before osuwari-ing him. Inuyasha growled in annoyance, but lowered his fist nonetheless, and turned to storm out of the cave.
“Come on, wench. I don’t wanna spend all freakin’ day with a couple of useless old men.”
“Goodbye!” she called hastily before hurrying to join her companion. “Inuyasha! You shouldn’t call Myouga and Totosai useless. They’ve both helped us a lot, and—”
“Feh! Totosai forgets what he said a few seconds ago, and Myouga runs away whenever there’s even a hint of danger. They sound pretty useless to me!” The sounds of arguing slowly faded out, leaving the two ‘useless old men’ in silence.
“So, Totosai, what do you think of this turn of events?”
“That young whipper-snapper will find a way to screw it up, as always. He’s too headstrong, too much like his father in his younger days.”
“I’m not so sure, Totosai. I trust Kagome-sama will make the right choice in the end. As for whether or not Inuyasha-sama will accept her decision…”
“We’ll have to wait and see,” they both said at the same time.
The next few days passed peacefully as the Inu-gang wandered without aim, searching for rumors of Naraku, since the dark hanyou probably had all the jewel shards that weren’t in Kagome’s or Kouga’s possession. They had no luck in that regard, but they did stumble across a village in dire need of a youkai extermination. Driven by hunger, a swarm of giant cricket youkai had emerged from the forest and begun devouring crops. They were otherwise harmless, but the blunt tools of the villagers were no match for the insects’ tough exoskeleton. The same could not be said of Inuyasha’s claws, however, as he and Sango made short work of the bugs and Miroku sucked up the remains with his kazaana. The village headman offered the whole group free room and board for the night, though he did cast several wary glares in the direction of the two hanyou. Thus, Kagome was treated to a phenomenon that she realized Inuyasha must have gone through at nearly every village he had ever been to.
The whispers. They started out positively enough, as each villager whispered to his neighbor how grateful they were to the strangers, and how they could have starved to death during the winter if not for the extermination. Then, one by one, they would notice that at least two members of the group were not human, prompting a round of observations and arguments over what exactly the two animal-eared strangers were. Not for the first time, Kagome’s clothing helped lump her in with the demonic crowd. In the end, the general consensus was that both were youkai of some kind, and that they could only be trusted because they traveled with a houshi and a taijiya, who could surely be relied upon to “keep them in line.” The whole experience left Kagome harboring an odd mixture of irritation and sympathy. Irritation because Inuyasha had slain as many youkai as Sango, if not more, and hadn’t so much as raised a finger to threaten anyone, but the villagers still judged him by his appearance, his youkai blood. And sympathy because this wasn’t the first time he had been treated that way, if his placid indifference to the whispers was any indication. She waited until everyone was asleep that night before rising from her bag and moving to sit by his side. He looked at her quizzically, but otherwise made no move to accept or reject her presence.
“I’m sorry,” Kagome said, voice cracking slightly with pent-up emotion.
“For what?” he asked, his eyes reflecting genuine confusion.
“Them!” she cried, waving her arms toward the village proper. “What they said about you. What all the villages must say about you.”
“Feh!” he replied gruffly. “Don’t worry about that shit. I haven’t cared what humans say about me since I was a kid. I just ignore it now.”
“You don’t care…what any humans say about you?” Kagome asked shyly. Inuyasha paused for a long time, considering his response, and whether it was okay to finally take down this barrier. If he admitted he cared what others thought about him, then he also admitted they could hurt him, something that should terrify him. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to fear Kagome’s rejection; in fact, the only thing he was afraid of at the moment was pushing her away.
“I care…what some humans—and maybe one hanyou—think about me,” he ground out softly, looking away from her with a light flush on his cheeks. Grinning, Kagome leaned her head on his shoulder. Instinctively, Inuyasha’s arm came up to wrap around her own shoulder, pulling her closer.
“Well, if you care what this hanyou thinks, then I think you’re brave, honorable, strong and kind, and I l—really care about you.” Kagome blushed, hoping Inuyasha missed her near-Freudian slip.
“Alright, wench, that’s enough of your female mushy shit,” he replied, though his tone suggested amusement rather than annoyance. Inside, however, he was deeply touched. Oh sure, he knew Kagome and the others thought pretty highly of him; otherwise, they would surely find someone else to travel with. He also knew they thought he was arrogant, selfish, and inconsiderate, among other less-than-flattering adjectives. But to hear his good qualities stated so openly like that, by Kagome no less! He would be repeating those words inside his head for a long while. Perhaps that was why he didn’t pull away when he felt a small hand begin to tentatively massage his left ear. He closed his eyes, giving into the sensation as the hand grew bolder, and another gave his right ear the same delicious treatment.
His breathing evened out, and Kagome concluded that he’d fallen asleep. Still irritated at the villagers, but otherwise deliriously happy, she returned to her sleeping back and had no trouble finding slumber herself. Inuyasha cracked one eye open when he sensed her slip into unconsciousness. He knew he could not afford to fall asleep tonight, in the middle of a potentially hostile village. Sighing, he tried to push back poignant memories their discussion had dredged up. What would Kagome do with the knowledge that it gets a hundred times worse than just whispers?
The following morning, after they departed the village, Kagome brought up the always sensitive topic of returning to Kaede’s village. For once, Inuyasha did not object, though he did threaten to pound Myouga into a flea-pancake if the older youkai wasn’t waiting for them when they arrived. Secretly, Kagome hoped to go home for another night in her own bed, but she would keep that to herself for now. There was, however, one thing she couldn’t keep to herself. It had been bothering her all morning, this strange scent coming off of Sango. Her youkai instincts told her that distinctive odor could only be one thing, and it filled her with concern. Any wound, no matter how small, carried with it a risk of infection, after all.
“Sango-chan, are you bleeding?” she asked, sidling up to her friend, who was currently walking next to Miroku. The taijiya gasped, halting mid-step as her faced turned beat red.
“Uh…yep! I cut my hand while polishing my katana this morning! I’m so clumsy! It must have reopened!” she yelled, flashing her hand in front of Kagome’s face so quickly that the miko wasn’t sure she saw a wound. Kagome frowned; this loud, motormouth behavior wasn’t like Sango, though she chalked it up to the embarrassment she could feel flowing off the older girl in waves.
“Oh, well will you at least let me clean and bandage it when we stop for lunch?”
“Sure, Kagome-chan.”
By this point, Miroku was chuckling quietly to himself, which was really pissing Sango off for some reason. It wasn’t until twenty minutes later, when Sango pulled her aside, that Kagome understood why.
“Kagome-chan,” the taijiya whispered, face heating again. “I didn’t cut my finger. The scent you smelled was my…feminine blood.”
Kagome’s eyes widened comically, her hands flying up to cover her own reddening cheeks. Oh, no! What have I done?! I blurted that out in front of Miroku, of all people! Gah!
“Oh, Sango-chan, I’m so sorry! I—”
“It’s okay, Kagome-chan. You didn’t know,” Sango interrupted, chuckling at her friend’s panic.
“Still! This stupid nose! There are things I just don’t want to know about people!”
“Relax, Kagome-chan. It’s just a natural part of having youkai blood.”
Kagome’s reply died on her lips as a new, horrifying thought occurred to her. Natural part… If I can smell Sango’s ‘time of the month’ now, then that means…
“INUYAASHAAAAAAAA!!!!!”
Inuyasha cringed. He didn’t need to turn around to know Kagome was storming his way with fire in her eyes, lightning in her hair, and thunder in her steps. He had been waiting all morning for this explosion, from the moment he caught the scent of Sango’s blood on the wind. Not quite resigned to his fate, he turned to face his angel of death, hoping she would let him plead his case before making him ‘one with the Earth.’
“Wench!” he yelled, stilling her tongue just as it was about to form the dreaded word. Satisfied, he lowered his voice so only she would be able to hear it. “Wouldn’t you rather tear my head off about this in private?”
Turning, Kagome glanced at the other members of their group, who were watching the two of them with varying degrees of amusement.
“Fine,” she growled out, stomping into the forest without waiting for Inuyasha. The male hanyou knew better than to not follow. Once they were a suitable distance from their companions, Kagome spun around and folded her arms in front of her chest, favoring Inuyasha with a look that told him he had about five seconds—and counting—to explain himself.
“Feh! So I can smell when you bleed. What’s the big deal?” If the searing glare she sent him was anything to judge by, perhaps that hadn’t been the wisest thing to say.
“It’s private, Inuyasha! Why didn’t you tell me you could smell…that?!”
“Two words, wench! Self. Preservation.”
“That’s garbage! I wouldn’t have been so angry if you’d told me in the first place! Instead, you’ve been hiding this behind my back for a whole year!”
“Bullshit! You would have sat me straight to hell back then, too! You probably would’ve accused me of being a pervert or something, even though I can’t help what I smell.”
“That’s not—”
“Really? You fuckin’ ‘osuwari’ me for everything, Ka-Go-Me! You’ve gotten better recently, but back then you were really bad! Whenever you got embarrassed, whenever you got mad at me, whenever I saw Kikyou! How can you say you wouldn’t have said it back then, when you used to use that damn word all the fuckin’ time?!”
All through this tirade, which was obviously long in coming, Kagome felt her anger turn to shame. It was true; she really did abuse the rosary. How many times had she slammed his face into the dirt out of anger, or because he was rude, or on some other flimsy pretext? And I claim to be his friend? She lowered her head, her ears drooping pitifully.
“I’m sorry.” The apology caught Inuyasha by surprise, but his anger evaporated as he took in Kagome’s slumped posture and the scent of her sadness and guilt. He felt an overpowering urge to embrace her. In the past he might have restrained himself, but he saw no reason for that anymore.
“All those times,” Kagome whispered against his shoulder, deep in thought. “I never realized…friends don’t do that to each other!” (1)
“Keh,” Inuyasha replied gently, shifting his tone dramatically. “I was a jackass back then, and sometimes I deserved it. Besides, this rosary is the only protection you’ve got if I transform. If I really lose myself, you have to use it to stop me. And you’re right,” he confessed, “I should’ve told you back then. But it’s not like it’s something you just come right out and say!”
Kagome actually laughed at that, and Inuyasha felt the tension in the air begin to dissipate.
“I can imagine you coming right out and admitting something like that,” she said, finally lifting her head from his chest. And whatever crazy hypothetical her mind was concocting amused her greatly, as she continued to giggle, chasing away the last traces of melancholy from her beautiful face. It was then that Inuyasha noticed how close they were, noses only inches apart. Kagome noticed it as well, her laughter abruptly dying away as she felt Inuyasha’s hot breath mingle with her own. Golden amber met chocolate brown, and neither could look away. Time seemed to stretch infinitely, as they leaned closer…closer…
“HOOT!!”
The sudden noise caused them to launch apart just before their lips could meet. They turned and glared at the offending owl who, upon being awoken by the sounds their argument, had climbed outside its hole and decided to voice its displeasure. In doing so, the damn bird had ruined the moment, broken the spell they had cast over each other, and left the missed opportunity hanging tauntingly in the air for both of them. (2)
“Come on, let’s head back,” Inuyasha said gruffly, masking his disappointment behind his customary grumpiness. Kagome heaved an exasperated sigh, but followed him back to the road nonetheless.
The remainder of the day was uneventful, though the rest of the group did notice an odd sort of tension hanging between the two hanyou. Perhaps an hour before dusk, they stumbled upon an abandoned hut, and were able to persuade Inuyasha to stop for the night. The hanyou grumbled doubly because he knew they were going to make him stop at the hot spring near the village the next night. The same hot spring where he had seen Kagome naked…
Inuyasha stepped outside, needing some fresh air, especially considering their near-kiss. It baffled him, how easy it had been to hold Kagome close, to try to kiss her, and how furious he’d been when that stupid owl interrupted them. I should’ve caught that thing and eaten it for dinner! As for why he wanted to kiss her so badly, well, that just led to a bunch of questions he didn’t have answers for.
Inuyasha bolted to his feet as a strange scent reached his nose. Youkai…two of them. Sure enough, two figures appeared on the darkening horizon, speeding towards him. Inuyasha rested his hand on Tetsusaiga’s hilt as the strangers came to a stop. The male was an inu-youkai, perhaps resembling what Sesshoumaru would look like as a peasant. He wore no decorative robes, nor was his clothing immaculate white, but his forehead did bear a single crest in the shape of a diamond. The other youkai was a bird of some kind, probably a hawk. Her wings were folded behind her, and her hands and feet bore oversized talons. She was also dressed plainly, in the same shade of black as her companion.
“Well,” the inu-youkai spoke, “since I have never heard of another inu-hanyou, you must be Inuyasha.”
“Who’s asking?”
“Watch your tone with me, cretin. My name is Takehiko, and this is my sister Sora. Some weeks ago, our brother Minoru left us to seek you out and claim possession of your jewel shards. We have come to ascertain his whereabouts.”
Inuyasha smirked. “Sorry to disappoint you, but your bastard of a brother is dead. I ran him through with my sword. If you don’t want to meet the same fate, I suggest you leave while you can still stand.”
Both youkai became understandably enraged at this. “Damn you!” Sora cried. “How could a half-breed like you defeat our brother?!”
“Come at me and find out, bitch!”
“Very well. Come, Takehiko, let’s tear this hanyou limb from limb. Takehiko?” But the inu-youkai wasn’t listening; his focus was entirely on something behind Inuyasha, something that caused his eyes to widen in absolute shock. Turning back to Inuyasha, his rage returned full force.
“What have you and that woman done to our brother?!”
Name Translations (courtesy of behindthename.com)
Takehiko – “military” and “boy, prince”
Sora – “sky”
Minoru – “truth”
(1) As you can probably tell, I loath the kotodama rosary. You will see it removed in nearly every story I write.
(2) Inspired by chapter 494 of the manga. I was so disappointed! (And I wanted to share that feeling with all of you, lol)
Converting /tmp/phpRWMvKf to /dev/stdout
Fanfiction of the Week: Big League Affair, by Selina MacCloveror
A great AU. A love at first sight affair, with plenty of suspense and drama. And a boatload of steamy lemons to boot!
A Nose for Trouble
Inuyasha was happy to note he had been wrong in predicting a night of little sleep. The image of Kagome in the hot spring had been persistent, but eventually he pushed it away with thoughts of his favorite foods from her time—ramen, those crunchy fried potato crisps, and the Big Wac. He dozed off, only waking during the night when his ever-alert senses picked up a disturbance. He roused at dawn as he normally did, but was surprised to see Kagome stirring a few minutes later. Usually she was the last to wake, but today she sat up in her sleeping bag, moving her eyes over the humans still slumbering around the burned-out embers of the fire.
“You’re up early, wench,” Inuyasha said from his perch in the tree, causing Kagome to jump. Glancing up at him, then at the position of the sun, still hidden by the trees, she shrugged.
“Yeah, but I feel well-rested. I guess you were right about me not needing as much sleep.” She climbed out of the bag, careful not to disturb Shippou, and stretched languidly. It started with her hands over her head, then morphed into a full-body stretch. Her movements were completely feline, as she pushed her hands out in front of her as far as they would go, her back arching from her kneeling position. All this was accompanied by a cavernous, fang-bearing yawn. Inuyasha’s mouth was open just as wide, but he wasn’t yawning. He was gaping, unable to tear his gaze away from the vixen below him, who had no idea just how enticing she was making herself look. He found himself unconsciously shifting to get a closer look, then closer…closer… A weightless feeling enveloped him, but at the moment he lacked the mental capacity to figure out what it meant.
THUD!!
Kagome jolted upright at the sudden noise, only to find Inuyasha lying face down on the ground a few feet away. And as he peeled his face from the dirt, Kagome couldn’t help her giggles, though she did try to hide them. His glare, made less intimidating by his reddened cheeks, only made her laugh all the harder.
“Inuyasha,” she breathed, trying to control her mirth, “how’d you fall out of the tree?”
“I…I…” the hanyou stuttered, “I didn’t! You said ‘osuwari’ by accident!”
“I did?” Kagome replied, mentally going over the previous few minutes in her head. She’d woken up and spoken to Inuyasha, then stretched before finding him sprawled out next to her. I know I didn’t ‘osuwari’ him when we spoke, so how…wait! He fell out of the tree as I was stretching…like a cat! Kagome felt her own cheeks flushing as she recalled just how she had gone about working the sleep out of her body. I can’t believe I did that! I never would have stretched like that before, not with people watching! But it had seemed perfectly natural, so natural, in fact, that she hadn’t even thought about it. Stupid youkai instincts! Then the implications of her deduction set in, and Kagome suddenly felt lightheaded. I made…I made Inuyasha fall out of the tree? Just by arching my body and making my shirt ride up a little?! Glancing back at the hanyou, who was now sitting up and staring pensively at the remains of the fire, caused her to grin. She learned a few days ago that he was attracted to her, but she had never known she held such a power over him. It made her heart swell. Still, looking at Inuyasha and taking in his nervous scent, she knew she had to let it go. Eventually she would reveal what she knew, but now clearly wasn’t the time.
“Well, if I did ‘osu—’ do that to you,” she corrected, earning herself a heated glare, “then I’m sorry.” Then, to complete the unnecessary apology, she reached up and gently massaged his ear with one hand. He leaned into her for a few seconds, his eyes almost drifting shut before he came back to himself.
“C-cut that out, wench!” he ordered, swatting her hand away. “Feh!” With that, he leapt up into the tree once more, alighting to the higher branches so he was no longer visible from the ground. Kagome lay back down on the sleeping bag, smirking and chuckling merrily.
The rest of the morning was peaceful, and a bowl of ramen for breakfast cured Inuyasha’s embarrassment-induced grumpiness. They reached the edge of Totosai’s domain around noon, and the rest of the group agreed to set up camp while Inuyasha and Kagome went to see the old swordsmith. Inuyasha offered the miko his back, but Kagome wanted to try out her new hanyou legs.
“It ain’t as easy as I make it look, wench,” he said with just a hint of arrogance. Kagome scoffed. It’s just running. How hard can it be? But in a short while, she found herself wishing she’d just hopped on his back like usual. Maybe it would have been easy if the land was completely flat, but it was rugged, covered in rocks and small hills and valleys. Every five or ten steps brought a stumble, and Inuyasha, running dutifully at her side, was forced to snatch her out of the air more than once. How he managed to weave so effortlessly through the obstacles, even while much of his attention was focused on her, was a mystery. Out of courtesy he avoided the thickest undergrowth, but even so Kagome’s legs looked like a chess board by the time they arrived at their destination. She was eternally grateful for the quick demonic healing ability. And yet, even though their journey had been several kilometers, Kagome found she wasn’t very tired. Her youkai half had rejoiced in the exercise, the chance to stretch its muscles, and she knew today would not be the last time she ran. I’ll have to bring some more appropriate clothes from my time. This skirt isn’t exactly built for hanyou-speed running. I’m just glad nobody was running behind me today.
“Not bad for your first time, wench,” Inuyasha said as they walked toward the cave entrance. Kagome gaped at him. Did he just compliment me? “Maybe next time we can take it up a notch.”
“Y-you mean you go faster than that?!”
“Keh! Are you kiddin’? Today’s pace was like walking for me.”
Kagome suddenly felt a little deflated, but she comforted herself with the knowledge that it had taken years of practice for Inuyasha to become as graceful as he was now. And he did compliment me.
“Oi, Totosai! You in there?!” Inuyasha yelled into the cave.
“Inuyasha?” came the reply. “What did you do to my beautiful Tetsusaiga this time?”
“I didn’t do anything to it, jiji. Get your wrinkly ass out here!”
“Ah, sometimes I think I prefer Sesshoumaru’s company,” Totosai mumbled, his voice nevertheless carrying to their ears. Inuyasha’s response was cut off when Kagome cried “Ouch!” and slapped her neck.
“Myouga!” he growled when Kagome held out her hand, “I thought I told you never to suck on Kagome!”
The flea, however, completely ignored him, focusing his attention on said miko. “Why, Kagome-sama, your blood tastes diff—Kami! What happened to your ears?! I knew I tasted youkai blood!”
“Can it, flea,” Inuyasha interrupted. “That’s what we came here to talk about.”
Totosai had by this time emerged from the cave, but wisely kept his questions to himself. He invited everyone inside, and when they were settled Kagome launched into the slightly edited version of events she had related to her mother.
“The rebirth spell, you say?” Myouga repeated thoughtfully when she was finished. “A very rare power indeed, one that Inuyasha-sama’s father never had to face. And you are able to use your miko powers without purifying yourself or Inuyasha-sama, for that matter? The size of your heart is truly amazing, Kagome-sama.”
Kagome blushed under the praise. “Why does everybody keep saying that?” she wondered aloud. “All I did was spare the soul of a child the torment of hell, something any decent person would do.”
“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, Kagome-sama. In this world, there are many perfectly decent humans who would care not for the fate of a youkai’s soul. The ones who do are truly rare, and to be cherished, as Inuyasha-sama’s father cherished his mother. Because those souls who judge others by the strength of their hearts, and not by the substance of their blood; I believe they will someday help bring about a world where humans and demons can coexist peacefully.” Myouga directed his piercing gaze at Inuyasha as he said this, but the dense hanyou either didn’t get the message or chose to ignore it.
“Alright, jiji, enough of your philosophical crap. Is there a way to reverse it?”
The flea sighed. “I know not, Inuyasha-sama. I have never heard of anything like this happening before. Nor have I heard of a youkai wishing to purge herself of her youkai blood and become human. Most youkai consider their status a privilege—”
“Feh! Trust me, being a hanyou ain’t a privilege most days.”
Totosai, who had up until this point been sitting quietly, reached out and pulled Tetsusaiga out of its sheath. Inuyasha let him, figuring it was the swordsmith’s right to inspect his creation. The old youkai looked the rusty katana up and down, then turned his ear toward it.
“Tetsusaiga says you are a fool, Inuyasha. It says you should let Kagome decide whether she wants to transform back or not. It also says you should draw Totosai a hot bath.”
“You’re fucking hilarious, jiji. Now did Tetsusaiga really say I was a fool?”
“Say what?” Totosai answered, scratching his head in confusion.
“That’s it! Come here so I can pound some memory back into that empty head of yours!” As Inuyasha chased Totosai around the cave, Myouga hopped onto Kagome’s shoulder and spoke softly.
“Kagome-sama, is this what you truly want? Do you wish to return to being human?”
Kagome frowned. “Yeah, I guess so. I hadn’t really thought about it.”
“Fair enough. I will visit some old friends of mine to see if they can help you. It will take several days, perhaps more, and then I shall meet you back in your village. Promise me you will at least think about what I said.”
“Deal,” Kagome replied. Then, deciding that Totosai had enough lumps on his head, she called Inuyasha’s name in the tone of voice she only used right before osuwari-ing him. Inuyasha growled in annoyance, but lowered his fist nonetheless, and turned to storm out of the cave.
“Come on, wench. I don’t wanna spend all freakin’ day with a couple of useless old men.”
“Goodbye!” she called hastily before hurrying to join her companion. “Inuyasha! You shouldn’t call Myouga and Totosai useless. They’ve both helped us a lot, and—”
“Feh! Totosai forgets what he said a few seconds ago, and Myouga runs away whenever there’s even a hint of danger. They sound pretty useless to me!” The sounds of arguing slowly faded out, leaving the two ‘useless old men’ in silence.
“So, Totosai, what do you think of this turn of events?”
“That young whipper-snapper will find a way to screw it up, as always. He’s too headstrong, too much like his father in his younger days.”
“I’m not so sure, Totosai. I trust Kagome-sama will make the right choice in the end. As for whether or not Inuyasha-sama will accept her decision…”
“We’ll have to wait and see,” they both said at the same time.
The next few days passed peacefully as the Inu-gang wandered without aim, searching for rumors of Naraku, since the dark hanyou probably had all the jewel shards that weren’t in Kagome’s or Kouga’s possession. They had no luck in that regard, but they did stumble across a village in dire need of a youkai extermination. Driven by hunger, a swarm of giant cricket youkai had emerged from the forest and begun devouring crops. They were otherwise harmless, but the blunt tools of the villagers were no match for the insects’ tough exoskeleton. The same could not be said of Inuyasha’s claws, however, as he and Sango made short work of the bugs and Miroku sucked up the remains with his kazaana. The village headman offered the whole group free room and board for the night, though he did cast several wary glares in the direction of the two hanyou. Thus, Kagome was treated to a phenomenon that she realized Inuyasha must have gone through at nearly every village he had ever been to.
The whispers. They started out positively enough, as each villager whispered to his neighbor how grateful they were to the strangers, and how they could have starved to death during the winter if not for the extermination. Then, one by one, they would notice that at least two members of the group were not human, prompting a round of observations and arguments over what exactly the two animal-eared strangers were. Not for the first time, Kagome’s clothing helped lump her in with the demonic crowd. In the end, the general consensus was that both were youkai of some kind, and that they could only be trusted because they traveled with a houshi and a taijiya, who could surely be relied upon to “keep them in line.” The whole experience left Kagome harboring an odd mixture of irritation and sympathy. Irritation because Inuyasha had slain as many youkai as Sango, if not more, and hadn’t so much as raised a finger to threaten anyone, but the villagers still judged him by his appearance, his youkai blood. And sympathy because this wasn’t the first time he had been treated that way, if his placid indifference to the whispers was any indication. She waited until everyone was asleep that night before rising from her bag and moving to sit by his side. He looked at her quizzically, but otherwise made no move to accept or reject her presence.
“I’m sorry,” Kagome said, voice cracking slightly with pent-up emotion.
“For what?” he asked, his eyes reflecting genuine confusion.
“Them!” she cried, waving her arms toward the village proper. “What they said about you. What all the villages must say about you.”
“Feh!” he replied gruffly. “Don’t worry about that shit. I haven’t cared what humans say about me since I was a kid. I just ignore it now.”
“You don’t care…what any humans say about you?” Kagome asked shyly. Inuyasha paused for a long time, considering his response, and whether it was okay to finally take down this barrier. If he admitted he cared what others thought about him, then he also admitted they could hurt him, something that should terrify him. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to fear Kagome’s rejection; in fact, the only thing he was afraid of at the moment was pushing her away.
“I care…what some humans—and maybe one hanyou—think about me,” he ground out softly, looking away from her with a light flush on his cheeks. Grinning, Kagome leaned her head on his shoulder. Instinctively, Inuyasha’s arm came up to wrap around her own shoulder, pulling her closer.
“Well, if you care what this hanyou thinks, then I think you’re brave, honorable, strong and kind, and I l—really care about you.” Kagome blushed, hoping Inuyasha missed her near-Freudian slip.
“Alright, wench, that’s enough of your female mushy shit,” he replied, though his tone suggested amusement rather than annoyance. Inside, however, he was deeply touched. Oh sure, he knew Kagome and the others thought pretty highly of him; otherwise, they would surely find someone else to travel with. He also knew they thought he was arrogant, selfish, and inconsiderate, among other less-than-flattering adjectives. But to hear his good qualities stated so openly like that, by Kagome no less! He would be repeating those words inside his head for a long while. Perhaps that was why he didn’t pull away when he felt a small hand begin to tentatively massage his left ear. He closed his eyes, giving into the sensation as the hand grew bolder, and another gave his right ear the same delicious treatment.
His breathing evened out, and Kagome concluded that he’d fallen asleep. Still irritated at the villagers, but otherwise deliriously happy, she returned to her sleeping back and had no trouble finding slumber herself. Inuyasha cracked one eye open when he sensed her slip into unconsciousness. He knew he could not afford to fall asleep tonight, in the middle of a potentially hostile village. Sighing, he tried to push back poignant memories their discussion had dredged up. What would Kagome do with the knowledge that it gets a hundred times worse than just whispers?
The following morning, after they departed the village, Kagome brought up the always sensitive topic of returning to Kaede’s village. For once, Inuyasha did not object, though he did threaten to pound Myouga into a flea-pancake if the older youkai wasn’t waiting for them when they arrived. Secretly, Kagome hoped to go home for another night in her own bed, but she would keep that to herself for now. There was, however, one thing she couldn’t keep to herself. It had been bothering her all morning, this strange scent coming off of Sango. Her youkai instincts told her that distinctive odor could only be one thing, and it filled her with concern. Any wound, no matter how small, carried with it a risk of infection, after all.
“Sango-chan, are you bleeding?” she asked, sidling up to her friend, who was currently walking next to Miroku. The taijiya gasped, halting mid-step as her faced turned beat red.
“Uh…yep! I cut my hand while polishing my katana this morning! I’m so clumsy! It must have reopened!” she yelled, flashing her hand in front of Kagome’s face so quickly that the miko wasn’t sure she saw a wound. Kagome frowned; this loud, motormouth behavior wasn’t like Sango, though she chalked it up to the embarrassment she could feel flowing off the older girl in waves.
“Oh, well will you at least let me clean and bandage it when we stop for lunch?”
“Sure, Kagome-chan.”
By this point, Miroku was chuckling quietly to himself, which was really pissing Sango off for some reason. It wasn’t until twenty minutes later, when Sango pulled her aside, that Kagome understood why.
“Kagome-chan,” the taijiya whispered, face heating again. “I didn’t cut my finger. The scent you smelled was my…feminine blood.”
Kagome’s eyes widened comically, her hands flying up to cover her own reddening cheeks. Oh, no! What have I done?! I blurted that out in front of Miroku, of all people! Gah!
“Oh, Sango-chan, I’m so sorry! I—”
“It’s okay, Kagome-chan. You didn’t know,” Sango interrupted, chuckling at her friend’s panic.
“Still! This stupid nose! There are things I just don’t want to know about people!”
“Relax, Kagome-chan. It’s just a natural part of having youkai blood.”
Kagome’s reply died on her lips as a new, horrifying thought occurred to her. Natural part… If I can smell Sango’s ‘time of the month’ now, then that means…
“INUYAASHAAAAAAAA!!!!!”
Inuyasha cringed. He didn’t need to turn around to know Kagome was storming his way with fire in her eyes, lightning in her hair, and thunder in her steps. He had been waiting all morning for this explosion, from the moment he caught the scent of Sango’s blood on the wind. Not quite resigned to his fate, he turned to face his angel of death, hoping she would let him plead his case before making him ‘one with the Earth.’
“Wench!” he yelled, stilling her tongue just as it was about to form the dreaded word. Satisfied, he lowered his voice so only she would be able to hear it. “Wouldn’t you rather tear my head off about this in private?”
Turning, Kagome glanced at the other members of their group, who were watching the two of them with varying degrees of amusement.
“Fine,” she growled out, stomping into the forest without waiting for Inuyasha. The male hanyou knew better than to not follow. Once they were a suitable distance from their companions, Kagome spun around and folded her arms in front of her chest, favoring Inuyasha with a look that told him he had about five seconds—and counting—to explain himself.
“Feh! So I can smell when you bleed. What’s the big deal?” If the searing glare she sent him was anything to judge by, perhaps that hadn’t been the wisest thing to say.
“It’s private, Inuyasha! Why didn’t you tell me you could smell…that?!”
“Two words, wench! Self. Preservation.”
“That’s garbage! I wouldn’t have been so angry if you’d told me in the first place! Instead, you’ve been hiding this behind my back for a whole year!”
“Bullshit! You would have sat me straight to hell back then, too! You probably would’ve accused me of being a pervert or something, even though I can’t help what I smell.”
“That’s not—”
“Really? You fuckin’ ‘osuwari’ me for everything, Ka-Go-Me! You’ve gotten better recently, but back then you were really bad! Whenever you got embarrassed, whenever you got mad at me, whenever I saw Kikyou! How can you say you wouldn’t have said it back then, when you used to use that damn word all the fuckin’ time?!”
All through this tirade, which was obviously long in coming, Kagome felt her anger turn to shame. It was true; she really did abuse the rosary. How many times had she slammed his face into the dirt out of anger, or because he was rude, or on some other flimsy pretext? And I claim to be his friend? She lowered her head, her ears drooping pitifully.
“I’m sorry.” The apology caught Inuyasha by surprise, but his anger evaporated as he took in Kagome’s slumped posture and the scent of her sadness and guilt. He felt an overpowering urge to embrace her. In the past he might have restrained himself, but he saw no reason for that anymore.
“All those times,” Kagome whispered against his shoulder, deep in thought. “I never realized…friends don’t do that to each other!” (1)
“Keh,” Inuyasha replied gently, shifting his tone dramatically. “I was a jackass back then, and sometimes I deserved it. Besides, this rosary is the only protection you’ve got if I transform. If I really lose myself, you have to use it to stop me. And you’re right,” he confessed, “I should’ve told you back then. But it’s not like it’s something you just come right out and say!”
Kagome actually laughed at that, and Inuyasha felt the tension in the air begin to dissipate.
“I can imagine you coming right out and admitting something like that,” she said, finally lifting her head from his chest. And whatever crazy hypothetical her mind was concocting amused her greatly, as she continued to giggle, chasing away the last traces of melancholy from her beautiful face. It was then that Inuyasha noticed how close they were, noses only inches apart. Kagome noticed it as well, her laughter abruptly dying away as she felt Inuyasha’s hot breath mingle with her own. Golden amber met chocolate brown, and neither could look away. Time seemed to stretch infinitely, as they leaned closer…closer…
“HOOT!!”
The sudden noise caused them to launch apart just before their lips could meet. They turned and glared at the offending owl who, upon being awoken by the sounds their argument, had climbed outside its hole and decided to voice its displeasure. In doing so, the damn bird had ruined the moment, broken the spell they had cast over each other, and left the missed opportunity hanging tauntingly in the air for both of them. (2)
“Come on, let’s head back,” Inuyasha said gruffly, masking his disappointment behind his customary grumpiness. Kagome heaved an exasperated sigh, but followed him back to the road nonetheless.
The remainder of the day was uneventful, though the rest of the group did notice an odd sort of tension hanging between the two hanyou. Perhaps an hour before dusk, they stumbled upon an abandoned hut, and were able to persuade Inuyasha to stop for the night. The hanyou grumbled doubly because he knew they were going to make him stop at the hot spring near the village the next night. The same hot spring where he had seen Kagome naked…
Inuyasha stepped outside, needing some fresh air, especially considering their near-kiss. It baffled him, how easy it had been to hold Kagome close, to try to kiss her, and how furious he’d been when that stupid owl interrupted them. I should’ve caught that thing and eaten it for dinner! As for why he wanted to kiss her so badly, well, that just led to a bunch of questions he didn’t have answers for.
Inuyasha bolted to his feet as a strange scent reached his nose. Youkai…two of them. Sure enough, two figures appeared on the darkening horizon, speeding towards him. Inuyasha rested his hand on Tetsusaiga’s hilt as the strangers came to a stop. The male was an inu-youkai, perhaps resembling what Sesshoumaru would look like as a peasant. He wore no decorative robes, nor was his clothing immaculate white, but his forehead did bear a single crest in the shape of a diamond. The other youkai was a bird of some kind, probably a hawk. Her wings were folded behind her, and her hands and feet bore oversized talons. She was also dressed plainly, in the same shade of black as her companion.
“Well,” the inu-youkai spoke, “since I have never heard of another inu-hanyou, you must be Inuyasha.”
“Who’s asking?”
“Watch your tone with me, cretin. My name is Takehiko, and this is my sister Sora. Some weeks ago, our brother Minoru left us to seek you out and claim possession of your jewel shards. We have come to ascertain his whereabouts.”
Inuyasha smirked. “Sorry to disappoint you, but your bastard of a brother is dead. I ran him through with my sword. If you don’t want to meet the same fate, I suggest you leave while you can still stand.”
Both youkai became understandably enraged at this. “Damn you!” Sora cried. “How could a half-breed like you defeat our brother?!”
“Come at me and find out, bitch!”
“Very well. Come, Takehiko, let’s tear this hanyou limb from limb. Takehiko?” But the inu-youkai wasn’t listening; his focus was entirely on something behind Inuyasha, something that caused his eyes to widen in absolute shock. Turning back to Inuyasha, his rage returned full force.
“What have you and that woman done to our brother?!”
Name Translations (courtesy of behindthename.com)
Takehiko – “military” and “boy, prince”
Sora – “sky”
Minoru – “truth”
(1) As you can probably tell, I loath the kotodama rosary. You will see it removed in nearly every story I write.
(2) Inspired by chapter 494 of the manga. I was so disappointed! (And I wanted to share that feeling with all of you, lol)
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