InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ The Plot Thickens ( Chapter 49 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.06.2010 | Updated On: 02.17.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.3K | Visits: 2.8K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.06.2010 | Updated On: 02.17.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.3K | Visits: 2.8K | 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.
The Plot Thickens
Upon returning to the village, the group immediately sought out Kaede to inform her of the joyous news. The old miko congratulated them and promptly put Sango on a special nutritional regime she had fine-tuned over the years, designed to assure the health of mother and child. Kagome wished she could take Sango through the well for modern prenatal care, but the slayer appeared to be in more than capable hands. It was a sobering reminder of just how dangerous childbirth was in this time, before C-sections and other lifesaving advances. But the reward was worth the risk, and whatever fears the newlyweds might have at this point were easily outweighed by their excitement at the prospect of becoming parents. The pair headed down to the river together, ostensibly to “bathe,” but no one doubted there would be more than washing going on.
Inuyasha reclined on the roof for a mid-afternoon nap, leaving Kagome to shake her head at him. And I thought cats were supposed to be lazier than dogs. But a little solitude sounded nice after a few days on the road, so she headed into the forest for a quiet walk. She ended up standing before Goshinboku, smiling up into its branches and recalling all the memories it held. She was just about to return to the village when a specter floating in overhead stopped her in her tracks. Kikyou’s Shinidamachu! It circled above her, and Kagome realized it was summoning her. But what was the dead miko doing here? And why reveal herself to her reincarnation? Why not just go straight for Inuyasha? Perhaps that was what Kikyou would have done before, Kagome mused, but things had changed. She reminded herself that Kikyou had in fact released Inuyasha, even going so far as to reject his offer to accompany her to hell. The last thing she should feel was jealousy or anger toward Kikyou. She was grateful to the older miko.
Kagome decided to find out what Kikyou wanted, and followed the Shinidamachu through the trees until she finally spotted her standing in a small clearing. As Kagome watched she turned and regarded her solemnly. Kikyou’s expression was guarded, but Kagome could sense no hostility from her.
“You come so easily, girl, without your hanyou to protect you,” Kikyou observed, a mild rebuke in your tone.
Kagome shook her head. “I know you mean me no harm. I don’t think you ever really did.”
Kikyou’s eyes widened just slightly, but then she nodded. “If I had truly intended to kill you back then, I would have.”
“Kikyou…I wanted to thank you. For not taking Inuyasha to hell.”
“I do not make a habit of taking that which does not belong to me,” Kikyou replied tersely, perhaps revealing just how tempting Inuyasha’s offer had been.
“Well, thank you anyway, really,” Kagome said, executing a small bow.
“Have you forgiven his foolishness?”
“M-more or less,” Kagome answered truthfully.
“Good. I would hate for my sacrifice to have been in vain.”
Kagome’s eyes widened. She actually wants me and Inuyasha to be together. She promptly scolded herself for her surprise. Of course she does. She released Inuyasha, and she knows his heart no longer belongs to her. She doesn’t want him to be alone. In some way, she still loves him, which is why she released him in the first place. Kagome’s expression softened as she came to see Kikyou in a new light. It wasn’t as simple as letting Inuyasha go. The hanyou had been the only love she had ever known. And even though their relationship had been ruined in part by her own prejudice, Kikyou still cared deeply for him. Her actions immediately after her resurrection were those of a jilted lover, rash and not fully thought out. Now, after more time had passed, and perhaps one wake-up call when her reincarnation retained her miko powers in a hanyou body, Kikyou was ready to move on. Kagome could appreciate the sacrifice she was making. In the old days, she herself had been willing to make that same sacrifice if Inuyasha had chosen to go with Kikyou.
“Here,” Kikyou said, holding out her hand palm-down, her fist closed around something. Kagome approached without hesitation, taking what Kikyou offered. She gasped as she recognized the object in her palm as a large chunk of the Shikon no Tama. Oh, right! Kikyou still had the piece of the jewel she took from Inuyasha, probably to keep it from becoming tainted. It looks like she did a good job purifying it.
“That contains the portion of the Shikon no Tama Inuyasha surrendered to me,” Kikyou stated, confirming Kagome’s thoughts, “as well as several shards I came across in my travels. I do not wish to have anything more to do with the jewel. The sooner it is banished from this world, the better.”
“Thank you, Kikyou. This will make things a lot easier,” Kagome replied, removing her piece of the jewel from the bottle around her neck and fusing the two pieces together. They now had almost half of the jewel, but who knew how many shards were still out there. It might take months or even years, but she and Inuyasha would collect them all and find a way to forever rid the world of the danger presented by the Shikon no Tama.
“I wish you luck on your quest,” Kikyou said, lowering her eyes to the ground. Kagome frowned in confusion. The statement itself was strange enough, but the way she said it…
“Kikyou?”
“I grow tired of this cursed existence. Naraku has been destroyed, Inuyasha has found happiness, and the jewel is in capable hands. There is no longer any reason for me to remain in this world. Soon I will release these souls and return to the afterlife.”
“B-but—” Kagome tried, almost surprised that she was trying to talk Kikyou out of it.
“Do not concern yourself, Kagome. I believe I have finally found…peace.” She lifted her head, and Kagome saw the truth of her statement. There was real warmth in Kikyou’s gaze, and tranquility in her expression. Kagome watched in stunned silence as Kikyou strode past her toward the village. Then she stopped and slowly spun to face her once more.
“One more thing, Kagome.”
“Y-yes, Kikyou?”
“You do not mind if I bid Inuyasha farewell before I leave?”
Kagome didn’t even have to think about it. “Of course not, Kikyou.”
Kikyou smiled, perhaps her first true smile since her resurrection. She glowed, both literally and figuratively, the trapped souls within sensing what was about to happen and clamoring for release. Kagome watched her go, then settled against Goshinboku’s trunk, deciding to give her and Inuyasha some privacy. This was one time she knew she didn’t need to spy on them.
Inuyasha found her there perhaps an hour later, watching the sunset. He said nothing as he settled down by her side on his haunches, something clearly worrying him. Kagome grinned, having a pretty good idea what it was.
“What’s wrong, Inuyasha?”
“She…kissed me. And I let her.”
Kagome nodded, her grin never faltering. What was there to be jealous about? Kikyou had returned to the afterlife, and Inuyasha was hers for all eternity. “It’s okay. I expected as much.”
“Y-you did?” he asked, surprise warring with relief.
“Uh-huh.” Kagome wanted to ask about the moment of Kikyou’s second ‘death,’ but she bit her tongue. If Inuyasha wanted to tell her about it, he would. A few minutes later, her patience paid off.
“I’ve never seen her so peaceful,” he said simply.
“I’m glad.”
“Thank you, for never making me choose between the two of you.”
That had Kagome doing a double-take. “Alright, who are you and where’s Inuyasha?” she teased.
Inuyasha harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest. Kagome chuckled at his antics. She had never forced Inuyasha to choose because at least in the beginning, she knew she would have lost. And she couldn’t blame him for that, not when he and Kikyou had history together and Inuyasha had only known her for a few months. Then later, when it became clear that Inuyasha had at least some feelings for her, she had refrained from forcing his decision more out of respect for him than anything else. She had trusted Inuyasha to make the best decision in the end, whether that was her or Kikyou, and her faith had been rewarded.
“Come on, Inuyasha, don’t be cranky,” she said, reaching up to rub his ear. He flicked it away, unwilling to drop the hurt act so easily. “Well fine then,” Kagome lamented playfully, “I guess I won’t rub your ears.”
“Fine by me,” he replied in a low, sultry tone, just before taking her in his arms and finding her lips with his own. They spent the next half hour in blissful exploration, alternating kissing and simply holding each other, basking in the knowledge that the past would never again come between them.
“Uhhh, Kami…”
This time had started out like any other. Nearing the end of their afternoon run, Kagome had pulled Inuyasha aside—and to the ground—for some post-exercise fooling around. She had wound up in his lap, straddling him, and in that position she couldn’t help but notice the obvious effect their oral activities had on him. She also couldn’t resist grinding against him, the sensation of his hardness pressing against her core too good to simply ignore.
“Ugh…’gome.”
That was how they had ended up in their current pursuit, moving feverishly against each other through the barrier of their clothing. But the fabric could do little to stifle the passion between them. Kagome moaned, throwing her head back. It had been so long since her last orgasm, and until today she hadn’t realized how badly she wanted one. Judging by his own barely-stifled groans, Inuyasha felt the same. His hands dug into her hips, aiding her motion as his hips worked in perfect synch with hers. His hardness pressed against her clitoris with every thrust, the constant friction setting her core aflame. Their breathing became ragged as each neared a devastating climax.
Inuyasha came with a strangled cry, shuddering beneath her as his cock pulsed repeatedly, releasing itself into his hakama. Kagome continued to ride him, milking every last drop of semen from his balls until her own climax washed over her. She collapsed against him, both of them shuddering with the aftershocks of their first orgasms in weeks, blissful smiles gracing their features. His arms looped around her, his hands moving leisurely up and down her back in a manner which she found incredibly relaxing. But as much as she wanted to doze off in his lap, they were both sweaty and sticky, not to mention hungry. A mutual but separate dip in the river followed; they still had yet to see each other naked since the tragedy, and they figured that would cause more trouble than good, as neither of them felt ready for actual sex yet. But Kagome couldn’t help but wonder what new turn their playtime would take tomorrow. At the very least, she mused, it gave her yet another reason to look forward to seeing Inuyasha after school.
“What’s wrong, Kagome?” Inuyasha asked as she approached, sensing something was up.
“Sorry, Inuyasha, but I have to study with my friends in the library again.”
He nodded, hiding his disappointment. “At least you remembered to come out and tell me this time,” he said, grinning to let her know that he was just teasing her.
“What, after the fuss you made last time?” she joked. “Your head would have exploded if I’d forgotten again.”
“Keh.”
Kagome smiled at his typical response. “Okay, well I’d better go. Bye, Inuyasha.” A parting kiss later and she was off, jogging back toward the school to meet up with her friends. Inuyasha watched her go, then turned and began walking toward the shrine, deciding to take the street-level route this time. He was glad Kagome hadn’t left him hanging again. He didn’t think he would have exploded on her, but he would have been concerned. He didn’t worry too much while she was at school, because everything he’d seen and been told suggested she was quite safe there. But out in the city was another story. He was always naturally suspicious of unknown environments, and modern Tokyo definitely qualified. Kagome’s time was apparently much safer than the feudal era, but he would never truly allow himself to let his guard down, especially when it came to her well-being.
He was halfway up the shrine steps when the sensation hit him like a freight train, nearly causing him to lose his balance. He recognized it immediately; it was identical to the feeling he got right before the final battle with Naraku. The only difference was that this time, instead of building up slowly, the sensation appeared suddenly out of nowhere. He didn’t pause to consider the reason behind the variation. Kagome was in danger. The faint tingle of miko energy washing over him from far in the distance confirmed it. He launched himself onto the nearest rooftop, sprinting and leaping as he let his instincts guide him. Dammit, I should never have let her out of my sight! Hang on, Kagome!
They were almost to the library, entering a relatively quiet part of the city. Kagome breathed deeply of the fresher air, which wasn’t as heavy with pollutants as downtown was. Her breath caught in her throat as the atmosphere suddenly changed, taking on an ominous aura of magic. It had been like passing through an invisible doorway, and with a sinking feeling Kagome realized she had experienced something like this before. Turning around, she reached out her hand…and quickly withdrew it when she received a rather nasty shock. It was just as she feared; they were inside a barrier. And whoever had let them in apparently didn’t want them to leave.
“Kagome?” Yuka called from up ahead. “What’s wrong? You leave something at school?”
Kagome didn’t reply, her mind too busy pondering the new development. The obvious questions were who and why, which she couldn’t begin to answer. Whoever they were, she was reasonably certain their intentions were not friendly. Normally, she could be certain that Inuyasha was on his way, but would the barrier prevent him from sensing that she was in danger through their bond? For now, it appeared she and her friends were on their own; no one else was inside the shimmering surface, which she could just barely make out if she peered closely. But that could change, as other pedestrians went about their way, unaware of the obstacle in their path. As she watched, a woman approached the barrier, and she was just about to call out in warning when the woman simply vanished into thin air. Her friends, who had been looking back in her direction, also noticed.
“Oh, Kami! Did you guys see that?”
“Where did that woman go?”
“She just disappeared!”
Kagome looked around frantically, concerned about the innocent bystander. Then she spied her, walking along about a hundred feet down the road like nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. It was as if she had been instantaneously teleported to the other end of the barrier. They were trapped in their own private bubble, separated from the outside world. Kagome was quickly realizing that this barrier was unlike anything she’d seen before.
“Whatsa matter, hanyou?” came a condescending male voice. “Ain’tcha ever seen an isolation barrier before?”
Darting eyes swiftly located the owner of the voice, a dark-haired male entering the barrier on the far side. And he wasn’t alone; five others soon joined him. All were dressed in jeans and muscle shirts, with dyed and spiked hair and tattoos—the typical punk look. They all appeared human, but Kagome already had her suspicions. They definitely didn’t have spiritual powers, so how could they know she was a hanyou unless…
“Pretty gutsy bein’ out in the open without a concealment charm,” the leader of the group continued. “Some of us don’t appreciate the stink of tainted blood, you know.”
Kagome narrowed her eyes. Some things never change. These guys were definitely youkai. She couldn’t sense any youki from them, and they smelled like normal humans, but this whole situation left little doubt. They must be wearing those ‘concealment charms’ he mentioned.
“You’re youkai,” she stated, no uncertainty in her tone.
The group of males snickered at her. “Wasn’t that obvious? Man, you really are clueless.” They had another round of menacing laughter at the trio of terrified humans cowering behind her, wondering what the hell they were talking about. Her friends had already tried and failed to exit the barrier, and the air was rapidly becoming perfumed with their fear. It was the same fear Kagome had experienced the first time she had been thrust into a supernatural situation.
“Well, boys,” the leader said in amusement, “she’s a little slow. Why don’t we make it easy on her.” All at once they removed pieces of jewelry from their person, one a necklace, one an earring, one a ring. The instant the object left the thug’s skin, his appearance shifted dramatically. Ears and fangs elongated, hair shifted color, and eyes became more animalistic. Youki and true scents were revealed, and wicked grins sprouted on their faces at sight of the three petrified humans stunned into silence.
“Ah,” the leader commented, “I’ll never grow tired of the look on a human’s face when she first realizes that there are monsters out there, and she’s just a mouse.”
“What do you want with us?” Kagome demanded, placing herself more fully between her friends and the youkai.
“We want you, plain and simple. And we’re getting paid a lot of money to retrieve you. But the guy who hired us doesn’t have any interest in humans, so we’ll take these three little mice as an added bonus.”
“Y-you stay away from us!” Yuka yelled, and all six thugs roared with laughter at her false bravado. Kagome turned to her friends and regarded them solemnly.
“Stay together, guys. Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of this,” she promised with a reassuring smile. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi could only nod; none of them had ever seen such steely determination in their friend’s eyes before. Kagome turned and faced their cackling foes, reaching for the headband hiding her ears and tossing it off to the side. Three gasps sounded behind her, but to Kagome’s relief the scent of fear in the air did not increase. Her friends trusted her, even though they didn’t know what she was anymore, and she would not let them down. Calling to mind everything Inuyasha had ever taught her about hand-to-hand combat, she bent her knees and dropped into a fighting stance.
“Ooooh, we never get to fight girls in mini-skirts,” one of the goons quipped. “Should be fun!”
Kagome made no response, refusing to allow them to rile her up. The odds were already stacked six to one against her, and she didn’t need to make it any worse by allowing her emotions to come into play. Their youki wasn’t all that powerful, but neither were they what she would consider small fry. They were some type of mammalian youkai, possibly feline. It didn’t matter; she felt no affinity whatsoever to these thugs. If she had one advantage, it was that they had been sent to “retrieve” her, presumably alive. That meant they had to hold back, if only slightly, while she could fight with her full strength. No time like the present. As Inuyasha had taught her: when you’re outnumbered, don’t wait for your enemies to attack. Strike first and even the odds a bit. Oh, yes, it was time to make these punks eat their words.
The leader didn’t have time to react; she was on him in two great strides. She could have lopped his head off, but at the last moment she folded her hand into a fist and settled for slamming him in the chin instead. His head snapped around and he careened backwards, collapsing into an unmoving heap. Kagome cursed her weakness, hoping it wouldn’t come back to haunt her. She had already killed one person with her bare hands, and hoped to avoid adding to that total. But she would do whatever was necessary to save her friends, and if that included killing these bastards, then so be it.
The other five youkai responded immediately, closing in on her. She feinted right and then dove to the left, rolling to escape grasping arms. She couldn’t face them all at once; she had to find a way to separate one or two from the others. Unfortunately, the sight of their leader being incapacitated had made them more cautious, and as a result they were disinclined to oblige her. Each time she went after one youkai he retreated out of the way, and she barely escaped the barrage of punches and kicks from his comrades. One of them managed to land a blow to her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. She quickly climbed to her feet and leapt away before they could pin her. Rolling her shoulder experimentally, she decided that it wasn’t dislocated, though there would be a nasty bruise there. The thugs surrounded her in a rough half-circle now, and Kagome settled on a new approach. The element of surprise was long gone, so she would go on the defensive and let the enemy come to her.
They rushed her all at once, which was exactly what she’d been hoping for. She sprinted to her right, targeting the youkai on the end. His frantic haymaker was easily ducked, and she launched him off his feet with a vicious uppercut to the chin. The second youkai received a powerful side kick to the gut as he closed, and Kagome was just turning to face the third youkai when an unseen fist connected squarely with her temple, sending her sprawling to the pavement. Dizzily she rolled onto her hands and knees, but they were upon her before she could rise any further. Three of them pinned her down despite her struggles, two on her arms and one on her legs. They wrenched her arms behind her and she felt cool metal click around her wrists. The jyaki in the cuffs made her skin tingle, and dashed any hopes of simply breaking them with her hanyou strength.
“Let me go! Bastards!”
Her protests were silenced by a foot striking her cheek, snapping her head to the side and splitting her lip. She spit the blood onto the pavement, glaring up at her attacker, who was nursing his sore chin.
“Fucking bitch!” he swore, rearing back to kick her again.
“Noc i-off,” came the stern voice of the leader, stilling his comrade’s leg. “We aan’t suphosed ta damage her mo’ tha’ necessawy.”
The three thugs on top of her chuckled openly. “You sound funny, boss,” one of them observed.
“Shuh-up! The ‘itch boke ma jaw!” he replied. Then he turned to the other two youkai. “Go ge’ our li’l mice.”
The thugs grinned, abruptly forgetting all thoughts of maiming Kagome. “Here, mousey, mousey, mousey,” one of them called, stalking toward his prey. Kagome saw red; that was the last straw. She focused her concentration, and righteous purifying energy exploded from her being. The three youkai on top of her perished instantly, as did the leader just a few feet away. The other two turned back at the dying screams of their comrades.
“What the fuck?!”
“Shit, she’s a miko? Let’s get the hell out of here!”
Kagome was having none of that. These bastards were never going to threaten her friends or any other human girls ever again. Unable to focus her attack from her prone position, she called upon her full strength, pulling forth every last ounce of pure energy she possessed. The pink light washed outward in a great wave, shattering the barrier and closing on the fleeing youkai. Darkness nibbled at the edges of her consciousness, but she refused to stop. The last thing she heard before blackness took her were the horrified shrieks of her enemies as they turned to dust.
“Inuyasha!” her three friends exclaimed at once, obviously happy to see him. He ignored them, focusing instead on his mate. She was unconscious, but breathing normally. There was a large bruise on the side of her face and a cut on her lip still slowly oozing blood. He cringed at the sight, guilt weighing on him heavily. Whoever did this was going to pay dearly! Though judging by the charred, misshapen lump that looked like it had once been a set of metal handcuffs, perhaps her attacker had already met his end. He turned to Kagome’s friends with a hundred questions on his tongue, but realized they would have to wait until he got them all to a more private setting. They were surrounded by about a dozen suspicious humans, all of whom had apparently seen a group of schoolgirls standing and chatting on the sidewalk, when one of them suddenly fainted. Their words confused him greatly; if Kagome had simply fainted, why the burst of miko energy? Just what the hell is going on here?
“Hey, is she alright?” a man asked. Fortunately, Eri stood and spoke up before Inuyasha could tell the meddler to mind his own damn business.
“Oh, she’s fine,” the girl replied as nonchalantly as she could, which was quite difficult under the circumstances. “She faints all the time. We’ll just take her home.”
“Who’s he?” a woman demanded, pointing at Inuyasha.
“That’s her boyfriend.”
“How did she get that bruise on her face?”
“S-she got that when she fell.”
Inuyasha had officially had enough of this. He didn’t like that nosy bitch’s accusing tone, and he sure as hell didn’t care what a bunch of strange humans thought. Picking Kagome up bridal style, he started walking back to the shrine. Heh, just let any of them try and stop me. None of the spectators did; it was easier just to believe the story and move on with their lives. The three schoolgirls hurrying to catch up to the pair also assuaged their concerns.
Inuyasha wanted to simply take to the rooftops, but he couldn’t abandon Kagome’s friends, especially not after they had apparently been part of the altercation. He glanced over and caught them staring at his ears. Modern humans had always assumed he was something called a ‘cos-player’ when they saw them, but he had a sinking feeling that these three knew they were the real thing. Their scents reeked of fear and confusion. It looked like they weren’t the only ones with some explaining to do. Oh, boy.
It seemed to take forever to get back to the shrine, but that was probably just a result of Inuyasha’s concern for the girl in his arms. He guessed she had just overused her miko powers, like during the final battle with Naraku, but he wouldn’t stop worrying until she woke up. His heart clenched as he gazed down at her battered face. Knowing the wounds were superficial and would heal in a day or two didn’t make him feel any better. She had still been injured, and he had failed to protect her. The prospect of what could have happened chilled his blood.
Mrs. Higurashi poked her head into the hallway when she heard the door open. “Welcome ba—Kami, what happened?!” she exclaimed, rushing over to check on her daughter.
“They were attacked, apparently,” Inuyasha answered calmly, hiding his anxiety. “Kagome’s fine; she just exhausted herself.”
“Attacked? By who? Wait…you said ‘they?’” the older woman asked, finally noticing the other three schoolgirls standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened as she realized the possible implications of this development. But she saw how frightened they were, and quickly responded with her customary kind spirit, ushering them into the living room and going to prepare some warm tea. Inuyasha laid Kagome down on the couch and placed her head in his lap. Her mother returned with an icepack for her face, and he gingerly held it in place. After a few seconds, Kagome began to stir, instinctively shying away from the cold. Her eyes blinked open, gradually regaining their clarity and focus.
“Inu…yasha?”
“How are you feeling, Kagome?”
“Tired.” Suddenly she bolted upright, glancing furiously around the room. “My friends! Where are they? Are they alright?”
“We’re here, Kagome,” Yuka spoke from her seat facing the couch. “We’re all fine, thanks to you.”
“Thank goodness,” Kagome breathed, slumping as the sudden rush of adrenaline faded as quickly as it had appeared. Inuyasha eased her back down into a prone position, unwittingly pressing against her injured shoulder in the process. Kagome hissed in discomfort.
“Here too?” Inuyasha asked, an apology in his tone. He lifted the neckline of her blouse, gazing at the wound and tenderly prodding it with a finger to gauge how sore it was. “It’s not that bad. It’ll be healed in a couple days.”
Kagome settled down again, the unblemished side of her face resting on Inuyasha’s thigh, and allowed him to hold the ice pack against the other side. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi just sat there, taking it all in. Inuyasha and Kagome weren’t doing anything extraordinary, but looking at them, it just didn’t feel like your average teenage romance. Perhaps the furry, triangular ears on top of their heads had something to do with it; they certainly gave the couple a mystical quality. It was just another question to add to the long list each of them had already compiled.
“Oh, Kagome, you’re awake!” Mrs. Higurashi observed as she reentered the room, carrying a tray of tea. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine, Mama. Just tired.”
“Thank goodness. But dear, what happened?”
“We were heading to the library to study, and on the way we were attacked by a group of youkai.”
“A group of youkai?” Inuyasha repeated incredulously. He had suspected a youkai as the culprit, as unfathomable as that seemed before today, but more than one? “How many were there?”
“Six.”
“SIX!!!”
“Calm down, Inuyasha. I handled it.”
“B-but I haven’t even gotten a whiff of youkai scent here since the Noh mask. How can there be youkai in this time?”
“They were wearing some sort of special jewelry. The leader called it a ‘concealment charm’ and criticized me for being out in the open without one. I guess most if not all youkai in this time wear them. It hid their true appearance and disguised them as humans. And I couldn’t detect any youkai scents or auras until they removed them.”
Inuyasha frowned. So that’s why I haven’t sensed any youkai in this time. They keep themselves hidden and live among humans.
“So they attacked you. Were they after the jewel?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. The leader said they were sent to ‘retrieve’ me, and someone was paying them handsomely to do it.”
“WHAT?!!!” Inuyasha was flabbergasted now. He had assumed the youkai attack was motivated by the jewel or traditional disdain for hanyou, but this was much worse. What Kagome just said meant that someone in this time knew who they were, and wanted Kagome for some undoubtedly insidious reason. And that person was still out there. Inuyasha growled. I never thought I’d say this, but the feudal era might actually be safer than Kagome’s time. At least with Naraku dead there aren’t any youkai specifically out to kill her. Kagome’s hand found his on top of the icepack and squeezed it firmly. She too fully realized the significance of today’s attack. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated.
“So you purified them?” he inquired, taking her offered comfort and willing himself to relax. For the moment at least, Kagome was safe.
He felt her nod against his leg. “How did you know?”
“I felt your miko energy all the way at the shrine.”
“Wow! No wonder I passed out.”
“Why did you overdo it like that? There could have been more youkai, you know. And you would have been defenseless.”
“I had to, Inuyasha. I beat a few of them pretty badly, but I couldn’t handle all six. They had me pinned down and were going after my friends. So I released my powers, and when two of them tried to run away, I pushed myself to the limit. I couldn’t let them escape and threaten more innocent girls.”
Inuyasha nodded, knowing that such a decision hadn’t come easy for her. Even with all the violence she’d lived through, Kagome had never become comfortable with taking life. He was just glad she could apparently do it when she had to. But there was still one thing that didn’t add up.
“Okay, so with all that fighting and purifying, why did the humans at the scene only see you pass out while talking with your friends?”
“That’s what they said?” Kagome asked, somewhat perplexed.
“That’s what I overheard when I got there.”
Kagome’s eyes widened as understanding dawned. “They trapped us in this really weird barrier, an ‘isolation barrier,’ I think he called it. It was like we were no longer part of the outside world. I guess the humans just saw an illusion of us talking together, and then the barrier was destroyed right before I passed out.”
“Damn,” Inuyasha cursed, felling a bit overwhelmed. Barriers? Charms? What other fancy shit do youkai have in this time? At least it explained why he couldn’t sense that Kagome was in danger; the barrier blocked whatever signal communicated that sensation to him. And he now had a working idea of what went on today. The next big question was who would send a bunch of youkai thugs after Kagome, and for what purpose. When they found that out, he had a feeling they would have another fight on their hands. But he would be there when that happened, and he would make whoever ordered the attack on his mate wish they’d never been born.
The conversation paused for a few moments, leaving the door open for other parties to get involved. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi hadn’t thought it possible, but listening to Inuyasha and Kagome discuss what happened today had only deepened their confusion. Finally, Yuka could take no more.
“Um, could someone please tell us what’s going on here?”
Inuyasha and Kagome passed each other looks that plainly said ‘this could take awhile.’ Meanwhile, Yuka wasn’t done, nor was she particularly calm. The slightly frantic nature of her speech was perfectly understandable under the circumstances, however.
“Youkai, miko, I thought these were just myths. They can’t be real can they? But that pink light, and that barrier, and those ears, and—”
“Calm down, Yuka,” Kagome soothed. “We’ll explain everything, I promise.” The other girl took a deep breath, and Kagome made reassuring eye contact with her other two friends as well. “Now, where would you like us to start?”
“What are you?” Eri asked, her tone one of wonder rather than reproach.
“Hanyou,” Inuyasha answered simply. When the girls just blinked at him, he endeavored to explain. “Half youkai, half human. My father was an Inu-youkai, and my mother was the daughter of a human lord.”
“So…Mr. Higurashi was a youkai?” Ayumi inquired.
“No, no,” Kagome replied, “I wasn’t born a hanyou. I became one later.”
“Became one? How did that happen?”
“Well, you see—”
“Kagome,” Inuyasha interjected, “let’s start at the very beginning.”
“Good idea. It all started on my fifteenth birthday…”
And so the tale began, as Kagome walked her friends through the grand adventure that had been the past two years of her life. How the Shikon no Tama was inside her body, how she had shattered it, and the long journey she and Inuyasha had embarked on to put it back together again. Their eyes hardened when they heard of Kikyou’s revival; they immediately sensed that she was the one Inuyasha had always two-timed Kagome with. But as they came to understand the situation fully, the history Inuyasha and Kikyou shared, their attitudes softened. Truthfully, Inuyasha and Kagome had never been together to begin with, and therefore he couldn’t have two-timed her in the conventional sense. They saw the blissful smile on Kagome’s face as she told them of the day she had asked to remain by his side, and the gratitude in his eyes as he listened. And in that moment they saw how much she loved him, and he loved her in return. No, this was definitely not your average teenage romance.
Inuyasha took over after awhile, telling them of their adventures with Tetsusaiga, the Band of Seven, and Naraku. Finally he reached that fateful attack all those months ago when Kagome had acquired her youkai blood, and she jumped in to relate what had gone on inside her head. She told them how difficult it had been at first, and how Inuyasha had helped her learn to live with her new senses. Now, she felt blind and deaf without them. Inuyasha took over again, describing the battles with Takehiko and Sora, and how he and Kagome finally ‘got together.’ No more detail was given, but the three girls all had their suspicions, not that they had any problems with the prospect of the two hanyou being intimate. Finally, Inuyasha told them how Naraku had been defeated and the jewel shattered a second time. Again, he left out several details, choosing not to inform them of his and Kagome’s recent troubles or why they were currently staying in the present. They didn’t need to know, and he didn’t want to burden them with the knowledge. He could tell from her scent that Kagome approved of his discretion.
“Wow…that’s quite a story,” Yuka declared after a few moments of silence.
“Every word of it is true,” Kagome promised.
“I believe you. I would have thought you were crazy before today, but…”
“I know what you mean. It took me a few hours to come to terms with reality after Mistress Centipede dragged me through the well. For awhile I hoped I was dreaming, and then I realized that I could never in my wildest dreams have made all of this up.”
“So now you know,” Inuyasha said. “You’ll keep all of this to yourselves, right?”
“Who would believe us if we told?” Eri joked. “They’d send us to the loony bin!”
All the women in the room laughed, and though Inuyasha didn’t get the joke, he was happy to see the girls in relatively high spirits. Their worlds had been turned upside down in the span of a single afternoon, a traumatic event for anyone. They were handling it remarkably well so far. That changed a little bit when Mrs. Higurashi asked them if they were staying for dinner. All three girls said no, that they should be getting home. But they didn’t appear particularly anxious to go outside; they fidgeted in their seats, fear intensifying in their scents. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was wrong.
“Those youkai were after me today,” Kagome soothed. “You guys just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“They’re dead now, anyway,” Inuyasha added. “And whoever sent them has no reason to go after you.” When the girls still didn’t look entirely convinced, he decided to be a gentleman for once. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll walk you home.” The girls readily accepted; such an offer made them feel a lot better.
“I’ll come too,” Kagome declared, starting to rise from the couch.
“No, you’ll stay here and rest,” Inuyasha told her sternly. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi observed the pair, wondering if they were about to witness a major argument. Kagome was usually pretty even-keeled in their presence, but they had become acquainted with the legendary Higurashi temper a few times over the years. Fortunately, it appeared the two of them were more inclined to have a civil conversation.
“So after everything that happened today, you’re going to just leave me here by myself, with the jewel, and with my miko powers drained?” Kagome asked incredulously. When Inuyasha grimaced, she knew she had him. His heart was in the right place, but his head needed a little help catching up. They had to stick together now, regardless of how nice the thought of napping on the couch was. Not remaining by his side seemed to be asking for trouble.
“Fine, but you’re riding on my back,” he said, leaving no room for argument. No objections here, Kagome thought, stifling a yawn. Maybe she could doze off on the way, but somehow she knew the journey wouldn’t be quite as peaceful as she hoped.
A/N – I know modern youkai and concealment charms have been done before, but I always planned on having some modern action in this story. The fact that Inuyasha never sensed present-day youkai in canon is a tough thing to get around, and charms seem to be the best way to do it. Though I don’t think I’ve ever seen Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi be involved, much less told about everything. More to come soon!
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The Plot Thickens
Upon returning to the village, the group immediately sought out Kaede to inform her of the joyous news. The old miko congratulated them and promptly put Sango on a special nutritional regime she had fine-tuned over the years, designed to assure the health of mother and child. Kagome wished she could take Sango through the well for modern prenatal care, but the slayer appeared to be in more than capable hands. It was a sobering reminder of just how dangerous childbirth was in this time, before C-sections and other lifesaving advances. But the reward was worth the risk, and whatever fears the newlyweds might have at this point were easily outweighed by their excitement at the prospect of becoming parents. The pair headed down to the river together, ostensibly to “bathe,” but no one doubted there would be more than washing going on.
Inuyasha reclined on the roof for a mid-afternoon nap, leaving Kagome to shake her head at him. And I thought cats were supposed to be lazier than dogs. But a little solitude sounded nice after a few days on the road, so she headed into the forest for a quiet walk. She ended up standing before Goshinboku, smiling up into its branches and recalling all the memories it held. She was just about to return to the village when a specter floating in overhead stopped her in her tracks. Kikyou’s Shinidamachu! It circled above her, and Kagome realized it was summoning her. But what was the dead miko doing here? And why reveal herself to her reincarnation? Why not just go straight for Inuyasha? Perhaps that was what Kikyou would have done before, Kagome mused, but things had changed. She reminded herself that Kikyou had in fact released Inuyasha, even going so far as to reject his offer to accompany her to hell. The last thing she should feel was jealousy or anger toward Kikyou. She was grateful to the older miko.
Kagome decided to find out what Kikyou wanted, and followed the Shinidamachu through the trees until she finally spotted her standing in a small clearing. As Kagome watched she turned and regarded her solemnly. Kikyou’s expression was guarded, but Kagome could sense no hostility from her.
“You come so easily, girl, without your hanyou to protect you,” Kikyou observed, a mild rebuke in your tone.
Kagome shook her head. “I know you mean me no harm. I don’t think you ever really did.”
Kikyou’s eyes widened just slightly, but then she nodded. “If I had truly intended to kill you back then, I would have.”
“Kikyou…I wanted to thank you. For not taking Inuyasha to hell.”
“I do not make a habit of taking that which does not belong to me,” Kikyou replied tersely, perhaps revealing just how tempting Inuyasha’s offer had been.
“Well, thank you anyway, really,” Kagome said, executing a small bow.
“Have you forgiven his foolishness?”
“M-more or less,” Kagome answered truthfully.
“Good. I would hate for my sacrifice to have been in vain.”
Kagome’s eyes widened. She actually wants me and Inuyasha to be together. She promptly scolded herself for her surprise. Of course she does. She released Inuyasha, and she knows his heart no longer belongs to her. She doesn’t want him to be alone. In some way, she still loves him, which is why she released him in the first place. Kagome’s expression softened as she came to see Kikyou in a new light. It wasn’t as simple as letting Inuyasha go. The hanyou had been the only love she had ever known. And even though their relationship had been ruined in part by her own prejudice, Kikyou still cared deeply for him. Her actions immediately after her resurrection were those of a jilted lover, rash and not fully thought out. Now, after more time had passed, and perhaps one wake-up call when her reincarnation retained her miko powers in a hanyou body, Kikyou was ready to move on. Kagome could appreciate the sacrifice she was making. In the old days, she herself had been willing to make that same sacrifice if Inuyasha had chosen to go with Kikyou.
“Here,” Kikyou said, holding out her hand palm-down, her fist closed around something. Kagome approached without hesitation, taking what Kikyou offered. She gasped as she recognized the object in her palm as a large chunk of the Shikon no Tama. Oh, right! Kikyou still had the piece of the jewel she took from Inuyasha, probably to keep it from becoming tainted. It looks like she did a good job purifying it.
“That contains the portion of the Shikon no Tama Inuyasha surrendered to me,” Kikyou stated, confirming Kagome’s thoughts, “as well as several shards I came across in my travels. I do not wish to have anything more to do with the jewel. The sooner it is banished from this world, the better.”
“Thank you, Kikyou. This will make things a lot easier,” Kagome replied, removing her piece of the jewel from the bottle around her neck and fusing the two pieces together. They now had almost half of the jewel, but who knew how many shards were still out there. It might take months or even years, but she and Inuyasha would collect them all and find a way to forever rid the world of the danger presented by the Shikon no Tama.
“I wish you luck on your quest,” Kikyou said, lowering her eyes to the ground. Kagome frowned in confusion. The statement itself was strange enough, but the way she said it…
“Kikyou?”
“I grow tired of this cursed existence. Naraku has been destroyed, Inuyasha has found happiness, and the jewel is in capable hands. There is no longer any reason for me to remain in this world. Soon I will release these souls and return to the afterlife.”
“B-but—” Kagome tried, almost surprised that she was trying to talk Kikyou out of it.
“Do not concern yourself, Kagome. I believe I have finally found…peace.” She lifted her head, and Kagome saw the truth of her statement. There was real warmth in Kikyou’s gaze, and tranquility in her expression. Kagome watched in stunned silence as Kikyou strode past her toward the village. Then she stopped and slowly spun to face her once more.
“One more thing, Kagome.”
“Y-yes, Kikyou?”
“You do not mind if I bid Inuyasha farewell before I leave?”
Kagome didn’t even have to think about it. “Of course not, Kikyou.”
Kikyou smiled, perhaps her first true smile since her resurrection. She glowed, both literally and figuratively, the trapped souls within sensing what was about to happen and clamoring for release. Kagome watched her go, then settled against Goshinboku’s trunk, deciding to give her and Inuyasha some privacy. This was one time she knew she didn’t need to spy on them.
Inuyasha found her there perhaps an hour later, watching the sunset. He said nothing as he settled down by her side on his haunches, something clearly worrying him. Kagome grinned, having a pretty good idea what it was.
“What’s wrong, Inuyasha?”
“She…kissed me. And I let her.”
Kagome nodded, her grin never faltering. What was there to be jealous about? Kikyou had returned to the afterlife, and Inuyasha was hers for all eternity. “It’s okay. I expected as much.”
“Y-you did?” he asked, surprise warring with relief.
“Uh-huh.” Kagome wanted to ask about the moment of Kikyou’s second ‘death,’ but she bit her tongue. If Inuyasha wanted to tell her about it, he would. A few minutes later, her patience paid off.
“I’ve never seen her so peaceful,” he said simply.
“I’m glad.”
“Thank you, for never making me choose between the two of you.”
That had Kagome doing a double-take. “Alright, who are you and where’s Inuyasha?” she teased.
Inuyasha harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest. Kagome chuckled at his antics. She had never forced Inuyasha to choose because at least in the beginning, she knew she would have lost. And she couldn’t blame him for that, not when he and Kikyou had history together and Inuyasha had only known her for a few months. Then later, when it became clear that Inuyasha had at least some feelings for her, she had refrained from forcing his decision more out of respect for him than anything else. She had trusted Inuyasha to make the best decision in the end, whether that was her or Kikyou, and her faith had been rewarded.
“Come on, Inuyasha, don’t be cranky,” she said, reaching up to rub his ear. He flicked it away, unwilling to drop the hurt act so easily. “Well fine then,” Kagome lamented playfully, “I guess I won’t rub your ears.”
“Fine by me,” he replied in a low, sultry tone, just before taking her in his arms and finding her lips with his own. They spent the next half hour in blissful exploration, alternating kissing and simply holding each other, basking in the knowledge that the past would never again come between them.
* * *
The ensuing days passed quickly, and before Kagome knew it the following weekend had come and gone. Things had become more and more heated between her and Inuyasha, but in the good way. Most of their kissing was no longer innocent, and they seldom went a full day without making out. Both thought it was a healthy change. They knew they were building up to something, waiting until the annoying voices of restraint in their heads finally chose to be silent. “Uhhh, Kami…”
This time had started out like any other. Nearing the end of their afternoon run, Kagome had pulled Inuyasha aside—and to the ground—for some post-exercise fooling around. She had wound up in his lap, straddling him, and in that position she couldn’t help but notice the obvious effect their oral activities had on him. She also couldn’t resist grinding against him, the sensation of his hardness pressing against her core too good to simply ignore.
“Ugh…’gome.”
That was how they had ended up in their current pursuit, moving feverishly against each other through the barrier of their clothing. But the fabric could do little to stifle the passion between them. Kagome moaned, throwing her head back. It had been so long since her last orgasm, and until today she hadn’t realized how badly she wanted one. Judging by his own barely-stifled groans, Inuyasha felt the same. His hands dug into her hips, aiding her motion as his hips worked in perfect synch with hers. His hardness pressed against her clitoris with every thrust, the constant friction setting her core aflame. Their breathing became ragged as each neared a devastating climax.
Inuyasha came with a strangled cry, shuddering beneath her as his cock pulsed repeatedly, releasing itself into his hakama. Kagome continued to ride him, milking every last drop of semen from his balls until her own climax washed over her. She collapsed against him, both of them shuddering with the aftershocks of their first orgasms in weeks, blissful smiles gracing their features. His arms looped around her, his hands moving leisurely up and down her back in a manner which she found incredibly relaxing. But as much as she wanted to doze off in his lap, they were both sweaty and sticky, not to mention hungry. A mutual but separate dip in the river followed; they still had yet to see each other naked since the tragedy, and they figured that would cause more trouble than good, as neither of them felt ready for actual sex yet. But Kagome couldn’t help but wonder what new turn their playtime would take tomorrow. At the very least, she mused, it gave her yet another reason to look forward to seeing Inuyasha after school.
* * *
Unfortunately, luck was not on their side the following day. She had a difficult test looming on the horizon, and another long study session with her friends was in order. “What’s wrong, Kagome?” Inuyasha asked as she approached, sensing something was up.
“Sorry, Inuyasha, but I have to study with my friends in the library again.”
He nodded, hiding his disappointment. “At least you remembered to come out and tell me this time,” he said, grinning to let her know that he was just teasing her.
“What, after the fuss you made last time?” she joked. “Your head would have exploded if I’d forgotten again.”
“Keh.”
Kagome smiled at his typical response. “Okay, well I’d better go. Bye, Inuyasha.” A parting kiss later and she was off, jogging back toward the school to meet up with her friends. Inuyasha watched her go, then turned and began walking toward the shrine, deciding to take the street-level route this time. He was glad Kagome hadn’t left him hanging again. He didn’t think he would have exploded on her, but he would have been concerned. He didn’t worry too much while she was at school, because everything he’d seen and been told suggested she was quite safe there. But out in the city was another story. He was always naturally suspicious of unknown environments, and modern Tokyo definitely qualified. Kagome’s time was apparently much safer than the feudal era, but he would never truly allow himself to let his guard down, especially when it came to her well-being.
He was halfway up the shrine steps when the sensation hit him like a freight train, nearly causing him to lose his balance. He recognized it immediately; it was identical to the feeling he got right before the final battle with Naraku. The only difference was that this time, instead of building up slowly, the sensation appeared suddenly out of nowhere. He didn’t pause to consider the reason behind the variation. Kagome was in danger. The faint tingle of miko energy washing over him from far in the distance confirmed it. He launched himself onto the nearest rooftop, sprinting and leaping as he let his instincts guide him. Dammit, I should never have let her out of my sight! Hang on, Kagome!
* * *
Kagome trailed along behind her friends, enjoying their nonsensical gossip. She had no intention of joining in, but it was nice to listen. Her friends seemed to understand that her priorities were a little different from theirs, though they couldn’t possibly know just how wide the gap actually was. And with any luck, they would never find out. They were almost to the library, entering a relatively quiet part of the city. Kagome breathed deeply of the fresher air, which wasn’t as heavy with pollutants as downtown was. Her breath caught in her throat as the atmosphere suddenly changed, taking on an ominous aura of magic. It had been like passing through an invisible doorway, and with a sinking feeling Kagome realized she had experienced something like this before. Turning around, she reached out her hand…and quickly withdrew it when she received a rather nasty shock. It was just as she feared; they were inside a barrier. And whoever had let them in apparently didn’t want them to leave.
“Kagome?” Yuka called from up ahead. “What’s wrong? You leave something at school?”
Kagome didn’t reply, her mind too busy pondering the new development. The obvious questions were who and why, which she couldn’t begin to answer. Whoever they were, she was reasonably certain their intentions were not friendly. Normally, she could be certain that Inuyasha was on his way, but would the barrier prevent him from sensing that she was in danger through their bond? For now, it appeared she and her friends were on their own; no one else was inside the shimmering surface, which she could just barely make out if she peered closely. But that could change, as other pedestrians went about their way, unaware of the obstacle in their path. As she watched, a woman approached the barrier, and she was just about to call out in warning when the woman simply vanished into thin air. Her friends, who had been looking back in her direction, also noticed.
“Oh, Kami! Did you guys see that?”
“Where did that woman go?”
“She just disappeared!”
Kagome looked around frantically, concerned about the innocent bystander. Then she spied her, walking along about a hundred feet down the road like nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. It was as if she had been instantaneously teleported to the other end of the barrier. They were trapped in their own private bubble, separated from the outside world. Kagome was quickly realizing that this barrier was unlike anything she’d seen before.
“Whatsa matter, hanyou?” came a condescending male voice. “Ain’tcha ever seen an isolation barrier before?”
Darting eyes swiftly located the owner of the voice, a dark-haired male entering the barrier on the far side. And he wasn’t alone; five others soon joined him. All were dressed in jeans and muscle shirts, with dyed and spiked hair and tattoos—the typical punk look. They all appeared human, but Kagome already had her suspicions. They definitely didn’t have spiritual powers, so how could they know she was a hanyou unless…
“Pretty gutsy bein’ out in the open without a concealment charm,” the leader of the group continued. “Some of us don’t appreciate the stink of tainted blood, you know.”
Kagome narrowed her eyes. Some things never change. These guys were definitely youkai. She couldn’t sense any youki from them, and they smelled like normal humans, but this whole situation left little doubt. They must be wearing those ‘concealment charms’ he mentioned.
“You’re youkai,” she stated, no uncertainty in her tone.
The group of males snickered at her. “Wasn’t that obvious? Man, you really are clueless.” They had another round of menacing laughter at the trio of terrified humans cowering behind her, wondering what the hell they were talking about. Her friends had already tried and failed to exit the barrier, and the air was rapidly becoming perfumed with their fear. It was the same fear Kagome had experienced the first time she had been thrust into a supernatural situation.
“Well, boys,” the leader said in amusement, “she’s a little slow. Why don’t we make it easy on her.” All at once they removed pieces of jewelry from their person, one a necklace, one an earring, one a ring. The instant the object left the thug’s skin, his appearance shifted dramatically. Ears and fangs elongated, hair shifted color, and eyes became more animalistic. Youki and true scents were revealed, and wicked grins sprouted on their faces at sight of the three petrified humans stunned into silence.
“Ah,” the leader commented, “I’ll never grow tired of the look on a human’s face when she first realizes that there are monsters out there, and she’s just a mouse.”
“What do you want with us?” Kagome demanded, placing herself more fully between her friends and the youkai.
“We want you, plain and simple. And we’re getting paid a lot of money to retrieve you. But the guy who hired us doesn’t have any interest in humans, so we’ll take these three little mice as an added bonus.”
“Y-you stay away from us!” Yuka yelled, and all six thugs roared with laughter at her false bravado. Kagome turned to her friends and regarded them solemnly.
“Stay together, guys. Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of this,” she promised with a reassuring smile. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi could only nod; none of them had ever seen such steely determination in their friend’s eyes before. Kagome turned and faced their cackling foes, reaching for the headband hiding her ears and tossing it off to the side. Three gasps sounded behind her, but to Kagome’s relief the scent of fear in the air did not increase. Her friends trusted her, even though they didn’t know what she was anymore, and she would not let them down. Calling to mind everything Inuyasha had ever taught her about hand-to-hand combat, she bent her knees and dropped into a fighting stance.
“Ooooh, we never get to fight girls in mini-skirts,” one of the goons quipped. “Should be fun!”
Kagome made no response, refusing to allow them to rile her up. The odds were already stacked six to one against her, and she didn’t need to make it any worse by allowing her emotions to come into play. Their youki wasn’t all that powerful, but neither were they what she would consider small fry. They were some type of mammalian youkai, possibly feline. It didn’t matter; she felt no affinity whatsoever to these thugs. If she had one advantage, it was that they had been sent to “retrieve” her, presumably alive. That meant they had to hold back, if only slightly, while she could fight with her full strength. No time like the present. As Inuyasha had taught her: when you’re outnumbered, don’t wait for your enemies to attack. Strike first and even the odds a bit. Oh, yes, it was time to make these punks eat their words.
The leader didn’t have time to react; she was on him in two great strides. She could have lopped his head off, but at the last moment she folded her hand into a fist and settled for slamming him in the chin instead. His head snapped around and he careened backwards, collapsing into an unmoving heap. Kagome cursed her weakness, hoping it wouldn’t come back to haunt her. She had already killed one person with her bare hands, and hoped to avoid adding to that total. But she would do whatever was necessary to save her friends, and if that included killing these bastards, then so be it.
The other five youkai responded immediately, closing in on her. She feinted right and then dove to the left, rolling to escape grasping arms. She couldn’t face them all at once; she had to find a way to separate one or two from the others. Unfortunately, the sight of their leader being incapacitated had made them more cautious, and as a result they were disinclined to oblige her. Each time she went after one youkai he retreated out of the way, and she barely escaped the barrage of punches and kicks from his comrades. One of them managed to land a blow to her shoulder, knocking her to the ground. She quickly climbed to her feet and leapt away before they could pin her. Rolling her shoulder experimentally, she decided that it wasn’t dislocated, though there would be a nasty bruise there. The thugs surrounded her in a rough half-circle now, and Kagome settled on a new approach. The element of surprise was long gone, so she would go on the defensive and let the enemy come to her.
They rushed her all at once, which was exactly what she’d been hoping for. She sprinted to her right, targeting the youkai on the end. His frantic haymaker was easily ducked, and she launched him off his feet with a vicious uppercut to the chin. The second youkai received a powerful side kick to the gut as he closed, and Kagome was just turning to face the third youkai when an unseen fist connected squarely with her temple, sending her sprawling to the pavement. Dizzily she rolled onto her hands and knees, but they were upon her before she could rise any further. Three of them pinned her down despite her struggles, two on her arms and one on her legs. They wrenched her arms behind her and she felt cool metal click around her wrists. The jyaki in the cuffs made her skin tingle, and dashed any hopes of simply breaking them with her hanyou strength.
“Let me go! Bastards!”
Her protests were silenced by a foot striking her cheek, snapping her head to the side and splitting her lip. She spit the blood onto the pavement, glaring up at her attacker, who was nursing his sore chin.
“Fucking bitch!” he swore, rearing back to kick her again.
“Noc i-off,” came the stern voice of the leader, stilling his comrade’s leg. “We aan’t suphosed ta damage her mo’ tha’ necessawy.”
The three thugs on top of her chuckled openly. “You sound funny, boss,” one of them observed.
“Shuh-up! The ‘itch boke ma jaw!” he replied. Then he turned to the other two youkai. “Go ge’ our li’l mice.”
The thugs grinned, abruptly forgetting all thoughts of maiming Kagome. “Here, mousey, mousey, mousey,” one of them called, stalking toward his prey. Kagome saw red; that was the last straw. She focused her concentration, and righteous purifying energy exploded from her being. The three youkai on top of her perished instantly, as did the leader just a few feet away. The other two turned back at the dying screams of their comrades.
“What the fuck?!”
“Shit, she’s a miko? Let’s get the hell out of here!”
Kagome was having none of that. These bastards were never going to threaten her friends or any other human girls ever again. Unable to focus her attack from her prone position, she called upon her full strength, pulling forth every last ounce of pure energy she possessed. The pink light washed outward in a great wave, shattering the barrier and closing on the fleeing youkai. Darkness nibbled at the edges of her consciousness, but she refused to stop. The last thing she heard before blackness took her were the horrified shrieks of her enemies as they turned to dust.
* * *
Inuyasha was amazed at just how far away from the shrine Kagome was. Her release of miko energy must have been truly massive for him to have felt it from that distance. As for what had forced her to go to such lengths, it was apparently no longer around. Pushing past the small crowd of humans gathering around the four schoolgirls, he knelt by Kagome’s side. “Inuyasha!” her three friends exclaimed at once, obviously happy to see him. He ignored them, focusing instead on his mate. She was unconscious, but breathing normally. There was a large bruise on the side of her face and a cut on her lip still slowly oozing blood. He cringed at the sight, guilt weighing on him heavily. Whoever did this was going to pay dearly! Though judging by the charred, misshapen lump that looked like it had once been a set of metal handcuffs, perhaps her attacker had already met his end. He turned to Kagome’s friends with a hundred questions on his tongue, but realized they would have to wait until he got them all to a more private setting. They were surrounded by about a dozen suspicious humans, all of whom had apparently seen a group of schoolgirls standing and chatting on the sidewalk, when one of them suddenly fainted. Their words confused him greatly; if Kagome had simply fainted, why the burst of miko energy? Just what the hell is going on here?
“Hey, is she alright?” a man asked. Fortunately, Eri stood and spoke up before Inuyasha could tell the meddler to mind his own damn business.
“Oh, she’s fine,” the girl replied as nonchalantly as she could, which was quite difficult under the circumstances. “She faints all the time. We’ll just take her home.”
“Who’s he?” a woman demanded, pointing at Inuyasha.
“That’s her boyfriend.”
“How did she get that bruise on her face?”
“S-she got that when she fell.”
Inuyasha had officially had enough of this. He didn’t like that nosy bitch’s accusing tone, and he sure as hell didn’t care what a bunch of strange humans thought. Picking Kagome up bridal style, he started walking back to the shrine. Heh, just let any of them try and stop me. None of the spectators did; it was easier just to believe the story and move on with their lives. The three schoolgirls hurrying to catch up to the pair also assuaged their concerns.
Inuyasha wanted to simply take to the rooftops, but he couldn’t abandon Kagome’s friends, especially not after they had apparently been part of the altercation. He glanced over and caught them staring at his ears. Modern humans had always assumed he was something called a ‘cos-player’ when they saw them, but he had a sinking feeling that these three knew they were the real thing. Their scents reeked of fear and confusion. It looked like they weren’t the only ones with some explaining to do. Oh, boy.
It seemed to take forever to get back to the shrine, but that was probably just a result of Inuyasha’s concern for the girl in his arms. He guessed she had just overused her miko powers, like during the final battle with Naraku, but he wouldn’t stop worrying until she woke up. His heart clenched as he gazed down at her battered face. Knowing the wounds were superficial and would heal in a day or two didn’t make him feel any better. She had still been injured, and he had failed to protect her. The prospect of what could have happened chilled his blood.
Mrs. Higurashi poked her head into the hallway when she heard the door open. “Welcome ba—Kami, what happened?!” she exclaimed, rushing over to check on her daughter.
“They were attacked, apparently,” Inuyasha answered calmly, hiding his anxiety. “Kagome’s fine; she just exhausted herself.”
“Attacked? By who? Wait…you said ‘they?’” the older woman asked, finally noticing the other three schoolgirls standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened as she realized the possible implications of this development. But she saw how frightened they were, and quickly responded with her customary kind spirit, ushering them into the living room and going to prepare some warm tea. Inuyasha laid Kagome down on the couch and placed her head in his lap. Her mother returned with an icepack for her face, and he gingerly held it in place. After a few seconds, Kagome began to stir, instinctively shying away from the cold. Her eyes blinked open, gradually regaining their clarity and focus.
“Inu…yasha?”
“How are you feeling, Kagome?”
“Tired.” Suddenly she bolted upright, glancing furiously around the room. “My friends! Where are they? Are they alright?”
“We’re here, Kagome,” Yuka spoke from her seat facing the couch. “We’re all fine, thanks to you.”
“Thank goodness,” Kagome breathed, slumping as the sudden rush of adrenaline faded as quickly as it had appeared. Inuyasha eased her back down into a prone position, unwittingly pressing against her injured shoulder in the process. Kagome hissed in discomfort.
“Here too?” Inuyasha asked, an apology in his tone. He lifted the neckline of her blouse, gazing at the wound and tenderly prodding it with a finger to gauge how sore it was. “It’s not that bad. It’ll be healed in a couple days.”
Kagome settled down again, the unblemished side of her face resting on Inuyasha’s thigh, and allowed him to hold the ice pack against the other side. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi just sat there, taking it all in. Inuyasha and Kagome weren’t doing anything extraordinary, but looking at them, it just didn’t feel like your average teenage romance. Perhaps the furry, triangular ears on top of their heads had something to do with it; they certainly gave the couple a mystical quality. It was just another question to add to the long list each of them had already compiled.
“Oh, Kagome, you’re awake!” Mrs. Higurashi observed as she reentered the room, carrying a tray of tea. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine, Mama. Just tired.”
“Thank goodness. But dear, what happened?”
“We were heading to the library to study, and on the way we were attacked by a group of youkai.”
“A group of youkai?” Inuyasha repeated incredulously. He had suspected a youkai as the culprit, as unfathomable as that seemed before today, but more than one? “How many were there?”
“Six.”
“SIX!!!”
“Calm down, Inuyasha. I handled it.”
“B-but I haven’t even gotten a whiff of youkai scent here since the Noh mask. How can there be youkai in this time?”
“They were wearing some sort of special jewelry. The leader called it a ‘concealment charm’ and criticized me for being out in the open without one. I guess most if not all youkai in this time wear them. It hid their true appearance and disguised them as humans. And I couldn’t detect any youkai scents or auras until they removed them.”
Inuyasha frowned. So that’s why I haven’t sensed any youkai in this time. They keep themselves hidden and live among humans.
“So they attacked you. Were they after the jewel?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. The leader said they were sent to ‘retrieve’ me, and someone was paying them handsomely to do it.”
“WHAT?!!!” Inuyasha was flabbergasted now. He had assumed the youkai attack was motivated by the jewel or traditional disdain for hanyou, but this was much worse. What Kagome just said meant that someone in this time knew who they were, and wanted Kagome for some undoubtedly insidious reason. And that person was still out there. Inuyasha growled. I never thought I’d say this, but the feudal era might actually be safer than Kagome’s time. At least with Naraku dead there aren’t any youkai specifically out to kill her. Kagome’s hand found his on top of the icepack and squeezed it firmly. She too fully realized the significance of today’s attack. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated.
“So you purified them?” he inquired, taking her offered comfort and willing himself to relax. For the moment at least, Kagome was safe.
He felt her nod against his leg. “How did you know?”
“I felt your miko energy all the way at the shrine.”
“Wow! No wonder I passed out.”
“Why did you overdo it like that? There could have been more youkai, you know. And you would have been defenseless.”
“I had to, Inuyasha. I beat a few of them pretty badly, but I couldn’t handle all six. They had me pinned down and were going after my friends. So I released my powers, and when two of them tried to run away, I pushed myself to the limit. I couldn’t let them escape and threaten more innocent girls.”
Inuyasha nodded, knowing that such a decision hadn’t come easy for her. Even with all the violence she’d lived through, Kagome had never become comfortable with taking life. He was just glad she could apparently do it when she had to. But there was still one thing that didn’t add up.
“Okay, so with all that fighting and purifying, why did the humans at the scene only see you pass out while talking with your friends?”
“That’s what they said?” Kagome asked, somewhat perplexed.
“That’s what I overheard when I got there.”
Kagome’s eyes widened as understanding dawned. “They trapped us in this really weird barrier, an ‘isolation barrier,’ I think he called it. It was like we were no longer part of the outside world. I guess the humans just saw an illusion of us talking together, and then the barrier was destroyed right before I passed out.”
“Damn,” Inuyasha cursed, felling a bit overwhelmed. Barriers? Charms? What other fancy shit do youkai have in this time? At least it explained why he couldn’t sense that Kagome was in danger; the barrier blocked whatever signal communicated that sensation to him. And he now had a working idea of what went on today. The next big question was who would send a bunch of youkai thugs after Kagome, and for what purpose. When they found that out, he had a feeling they would have another fight on their hands. But he would be there when that happened, and he would make whoever ordered the attack on his mate wish they’d never been born.
The conversation paused for a few moments, leaving the door open for other parties to get involved. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi hadn’t thought it possible, but listening to Inuyasha and Kagome discuss what happened today had only deepened their confusion. Finally, Yuka could take no more.
“Um, could someone please tell us what’s going on here?”
Inuyasha and Kagome passed each other looks that plainly said ‘this could take awhile.’ Meanwhile, Yuka wasn’t done, nor was she particularly calm. The slightly frantic nature of her speech was perfectly understandable under the circumstances, however.
“Youkai, miko, I thought these were just myths. They can’t be real can they? But that pink light, and that barrier, and those ears, and—”
“Calm down, Yuka,” Kagome soothed. “We’ll explain everything, I promise.” The other girl took a deep breath, and Kagome made reassuring eye contact with her other two friends as well. “Now, where would you like us to start?”
“What are you?” Eri asked, her tone one of wonder rather than reproach.
“Hanyou,” Inuyasha answered simply. When the girls just blinked at him, he endeavored to explain. “Half youkai, half human. My father was an Inu-youkai, and my mother was the daughter of a human lord.”
“So…Mr. Higurashi was a youkai?” Ayumi inquired.
“No, no,” Kagome replied, “I wasn’t born a hanyou. I became one later.”
“Became one? How did that happen?”
“Well, you see—”
“Kagome,” Inuyasha interjected, “let’s start at the very beginning.”
“Good idea. It all started on my fifteenth birthday…”
And so the tale began, as Kagome walked her friends through the grand adventure that had been the past two years of her life. How the Shikon no Tama was inside her body, how she had shattered it, and the long journey she and Inuyasha had embarked on to put it back together again. Their eyes hardened when they heard of Kikyou’s revival; they immediately sensed that she was the one Inuyasha had always two-timed Kagome with. But as they came to understand the situation fully, the history Inuyasha and Kikyou shared, their attitudes softened. Truthfully, Inuyasha and Kagome had never been together to begin with, and therefore he couldn’t have two-timed her in the conventional sense. They saw the blissful smile on Kagome’s face as she told them of the day she had asked to remain by his side, and the gratitude in his eyes as he listened. And in that moment they saw how much she loved him, and he loved her in return. No, this was definitely not your average teenage romance.
Inuyasha took over after awhile, telling them of their adventures with Tetsusaiga, the Band of Seven, and Naraku. Finally he reached that fateful attack all those months ago when Kagome had acquired her youkai blood, and she jumped in to relate what had gone on inside her head. She told them how difficult it had been at first, and how Inuyasha had helped her learn to live with her new senses. Now, she felt blind and deaf without them. Inuyasha took over again, describing the battles with Takehiko and Sora, and how he and Kagome finally ‘got together.’ No more detail was given, but the three girls all had their suspicions, not that they had any problems with the prospect of the two hanyou being intimate. Finally, Inuyasha told them how Naraku had been defeated and the jewel shattered a second time. Again, he left out several details, choosing not to inform them of his and Kagome’s recent troubles or why they were currently staying in the present. They didn’t need to know, and he didn’t want to burden them with the knowledge. He could tell from her scent that Kagome approved of his discretion.
“Wow…that’s quite a story,” Yuka declared after a few moments of silence.
“Every word of it is true,” Kagome promised.
“I believe you. I would have thought you were crazy before today, but…”
“I know what you mean. It took me a few hours to come to terms with reality after Mistress Centipede dragged me through the well. For awhile I hoped I was dreaming, and then I realized that I could never in my wildest dreams have made all of this up.”
“So now you know,” Inuyasha said. “You’ll keep all of this to yourselves, right?”
“Who would believe us if we told?” Eri joked. “They’d send us to the loony bin!”
All the women in the room laughed, and though Inuyasha didn’t get the joke, he was happy to see the girls in relatively high spirits. Their worlds had been turned upside down in the span of a single afternoon, a traumatic event for anyone. They were handling it remarkably well so far. That changed a little bit when Mrs. Higurashi asked them if they were staying for dinner. All three girls said no, that they should be getting home. But they didn’t appear particularly anxious to go outside; they fidgeted in their seats, fear intensifying in their scents. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was wrong.
“Those youkai were after me today,” Kagome soothed. “You guys just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“They’re dead now, anyway,” Inuyasha added. “And whoever sent them has no reason to go after you.” When the girls still didn’t look entirely convinced, he decided to be a gentleman for once. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll walk you home.” The girls readily accepted; such an offer made them feel a lot better.
“I’ll come too,” Kagome declared, starting to rise from the couch.
“No, you’ll stay here and rest,” Inuyasha told her sternly. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi observed the pair, wondering if they were about to witness a major argument. Kagome was usually pretty even-keeled in their presence, but they had become acquainted with the legendary Higurashi temper a few times over the years. Fortunately, it appeared the two of them were more inclined to have a civil conversation.
“So after everything that happened today, you’re going to just leave me here by myself, with the jewel, and with my miko powers drained?” Kagome asked incredulously. When Inuyasha grimaced, she knew she had him. His heart was in the right place, but his head needed a little help catching up. They had to stick together now, regardless of how nice the thought of napping on the couch was. Not remaining by his side seemed to be asking for trouble.
“Fine, but you’re riding on my back,” he said, leaving no room for argument. No objections here, Kagome thought, stifling a yawn. Maybe she could doze off on the way, but somehow she knew the journey wouldn’t be quite as peaceful as she hoped.
A/N – I know modern youkai and concealment charms have been done before, but I always planned on having some modern action in this story. The fact that Inuyasha never sensed present-day youkai in canon is a tough thing to get around, and charms seem to be the best way to do it. Though I don’t think I’ve ever seen Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi be involved, much less told about everything. More to come soon!
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