InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ MIKO, YOUKAI, AND FATE ❯ Friend ( Chapter 2 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Faerieschyld 
Kagome meets the wolf she saved and Kouga
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.26.2008 | Updated On: 08.26.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 127 | Status: Work In Progress
Kagome meets the wolf she saved and Kouga
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.26.2008 | Updated On: 08.26.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 127 | Status: Work In Progress
THE MIKO, YOUKAI AND FATE
Anime/Manga » Inuyasha »
Author: Faerieschyld
Fiction Rated: M- English- - Kag/Kog & all the rest of the Inu gang
Some R language in this chapter, just a warning!
This story is coming off of ideas I had from Warrior Shrine Priestess, which I am not happy with in the way in which it is going right now and I am definitely going to re-edit or combine into this story, (I decided to just pull that story) as I do want to keep all the ideas I have about Kagome. I'm a little tired of her being portrayed as so wimpy in the manga/anime sometimes. So remember those thoughts earlier were mine! :)
I do not own Inuyasha as that story is completely RUMIKO TAKAHASHI'S, (lucky her). If I had my way, the well would always stay open, and Kouga could travel through it too, and since this is my story it probably will.
So on we go again
FRIEND
Running, the brown back pack heavy on her shoulders, panting with exertion and sobbing with sorrow and the fear of being alone. Such grief breaking her heart from the unimaginable event that had turned her world upside down, and the words that had broken the bonds of trust and destroyed everything, almost her very soul...
--
She was dreaming again of that night. The night that forced her to abandon her closest friends, and most importantly, the first boy she had ever loved.
She had woken from a deep sleep, although from Shippo’s soft snores beside her in her sleeping bag, and Sango and Miroku’s soft inhales and exhales beside the embers of the dying fire, she could tell that they were all still asleep. Even though it still felt like the middle of the night, she could tell from the stars, which didn’t seem to be twinkling as bright, and the shadows that had taken on a purplish color, instead of full dark, that it must be going on towards morning.
She wasn’t quite sure what had awakened her, although when she looked up into the leafy tree nearby, she saw that Inuyasha wasn’t camped out on the thick tree branch. Gone again. He had been disappearing a little to often for her lately, but what could she say or do that hadn’t been said before?
--
As Kagome lay there just enjoying the peace and quiet of the early spring morning, she glanced over at the nearby forest, and what she saw made her heart fall. “Oh, shit,” she thought, “ It’s Kikyou’s soul collectors again.” Kagome clapped a hand to her mouth, as a miko she felt like she shouldn’t swear. But with Inuyasha gone and Kikyou near, it was really hard not to. “Well, should I drag my stupid self over there and listen to his lies again? Or maybe this time it was completely innocent?”, she thought somewhat hopefully.
Suddenly making up her mind, she quickly removed her sleepwear and threw on her leather vest and skirt, hoping while doing so that the hentai, Miroku would stay sleeping. She glanced over and heard him talking in his sleep about women and bearing him a child. Yep, fast asleep. She stomped on her knee high boots and checked to make sure each had a dagger stashed, then buckled on her upper leg armour and wrist brace. She scooped up her bow and quiver full of arrows before setting off towards the glow of the soul collectors.
As she walked as quickly as she could in the dark, for some reason holding her bow made her think of her Grandpa, so far away 500 years in the future. To be honest, thoughts of her loving family were always there in the back recesses of her mind. He was the one who had trained her as a miko, but also hired instructors to teach her how to fight with her hands, feet, knives, swords, and bow. Although she remembered guiltily how she hated the bow and had been extremely resistant in learning that skill. Now that she was in the Sengoku Jidai, she was especially grateful for the lessons.
She had always asked him why, as a miko living in 20th century Tokyo, who’d one day be running the family shrine, she needed to know how to defend herself so well, but he’d never tell her. Because she had so much respect for him, she always dropped it. It wasn’t until her first trip back from the well, that he had told her what he saw right after her birth. The aura he had seen surrounding her and the prophecy he’d been given. The prophecy which told him she’d be important in her era and another. The Shikon no Tama she would be guarding. What skills she’d need to survive in those eras. “Grandpa, thank you for believing or I’d of been in big trouble.” Or bigger at least. Although if he had told her before she had been grabbed by Mistress Centipede and dragged down their old well, she’d of probably made a doctors appointment for him, she thought wryly.
Shaking off her thoughts, she looked around and saw that she was fairly deep in the forest now. The trees were larger and it was much darker. Up ahead she saw what she had been seeking, Kikyou and her soul collectors, but to her relief no Inuyasha. Stepping carefully now to avoid making any unnecessary noise, she looked into the small clearing and gasped. Kikyou was trapped inside a barrier filled with noxious miasma, the kind only one abomination the world had ever produced could make. Naraku! That despicable hanyou who was intent on subjugating and destroying the world. What was going on? Naraku was supposed to still have feelings for Kikyou, and she was too smart to be caught this way besides.
Kagome drew an arrow and hoped against hope that she could penetrate the barrier as she had once before purified Naraku's miasma at his castle. Yes! She could! She ran to Kikyou to gently hold her in her arms, and saw that she had five or six stab wounds that were causing her to lose, blood? Kagome never could decide what it was that had been draining from her body. For some reason, to further entrap her she had been tied up as well. As Kikyou’s soul collectors were finally able to help their mistress, Kagome’s brow furrowed in thought as she reached into one of her boots to grab a dagger and loosen Kikyou’s bonds. Suddenly a furious voice sounded behind her.
“Kagome! How could you?” She swung around dagger in hand, and saw an enraged hanyou whose golden eyes were beginning to tint red.
“Inu, Inuyasha,” she stuttered , “You can’t think I’d do this do you? I found her. She was sealed in a barrier full of miasma. You know I could never hurt Kikyou, it would be wrong on so many levels. I know how it would hurt you and I love you to much to do something like this. I’m a miko sworn to help and heal people!” Her voice was rising and cracking, but with each word she spoke, the angrier he became.
His next words shattered her heart as he looked at her with hate in eyes, hate for her! “You’re lying. You’re standing there with a dagger in your hands while she’s losing her life. I know you’ve always had doubts about Kikyou and me, but to go this far is just plain evil. Just get out of my sight. I never want to see you again, you fucking bitch!” He had hissed the words at her, claws outstretched and had even sliced them into her arm, only to stop when Kikyou murmured his name.
“I, I, I...”, why won’t he believe her? He thought she was evil?
“Just. Go. Now. Before I do something we’ll all regret.” By now he was growling, showing his fangs.
Kagome had stumbled back to the camp holding her arm, crying bitterly.
As she began to awake, the last fragments of her dream whispered to her, as she told Sango, Miroku and Shippo, “I didn’t, I didn’t, I didn’t do it, you have to believe me!” to her confused friends, grabbed her things and ran off into the night.
--
With a start, Kagome woke up and realized that it had not been a dream after all. Inuyasha really had believed only what his eyes saw, not her words, in spite of everything they had already been through. He had said all those things to her, wounding her more deeply than his claws ever could. Tears started to prickle at the back of her eyes, but she mentally chanted, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, I have to be strong especially now that I’m on my own, can’t afford to be weak.”
A few deep breaths helped calm her and establish her equilibrium, and then she began to realize certain things. Her right shoulder and leg hurt, and she was laying on fur? She only had on underpants. Where were her clothes? At least she still had the sacred jewel shards on the necklace her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday. Last, she still had the brace buckled to her right wrist with the hidden blade that would spring out when she pressed the hidden button. Yes! Not completely defenseless, although it was hard not to feel that way with barely any clothes.
She lay there for a bit quietly thinking, eyes closed. “Oh yeah, I was fighting off those youkai who were attacking that poor wolf because he’d gotten caught in my snare, and then I was bitten by a snake youkai. It wasn’t a poisonous youkai was it?”, she thought in sudden alarm. Since she didn’t feel as if she had been poisoned, she crossed that worry off her list.
She could sense the presence of three jewel shards nearby, and was pretty sure they belonged to the same person she had sighted in the surrounding forests. She had considered giving chase, but they disappeared so fast that she had to give up, to leave for another day. If Inuyasha had been with her she might of had a chance, she thought bitterly. Her mind skittered away from that thought as she continued to explore her current situation with the heightened senses she had developed. She wasn’t ready to face the owner of the jewel shards just yet so she kept her eyes closed.
She could only hear the sounds of two other bodies breathing quietly in the room besides her own, although it didn’t have quite the feel of a room. It felt more closed in and a bit cool. There was the smell and crackling of a fire. She then realized her wounds had been bandaged. Huh. She could also hear the sounds of yips, whines, howls, and growls off in the distance. “That’s not good. I guess I better get up and find out just where I am.”, although she was beginning to have a sneaking suspicion.
She opened her eyes and turned her head to her left, and saw to her surprise the black wolf. To her relief he looked ok, although he had a bandage around his midsection and one fore paw. “Hey there again, I guess you decided not to eat me after all, hey boy? Did you figure I had enough bites taken out of me? Is that the paw that was caught in the snare? I’m so sorry, it was all my fault you were hurt.”
The black wolf swept his tail back and forth happily, touched his nose to her hair, and then to her amazement began to lick her face, tickling it, making her giggle. Well it looks like he forgave her. Kagome reached out slowly with her left hand, and started stroking his thick fur. “Wow, it’s so soft!” she thought, a smile on her face, the first real one she’d had in a long time.
Kagome suddenly heard a soft chuckle and looked up to see a handsome wolf youkai with midnight hair, blue eyes like the deepest ocean depths, a strong, muscular, tanned body, and a supremely confident attitude sauntering over to her. Well, well, the owner of the shards. She sighed and rolled her eyes, “Just what is it with these good looking demons in this era, I thought all demons were supposed to be gross.”
--
Kouga had been quietly sitting against the stone wall of his den for the last few hours, watching the young miko sleep with Tioru watching over her. The young wolf had even prevented the healers from treating his wounds, until he saw that the miko was being cared for. That had been yesterday, and since then the young woman had been sleeping. He’d been checking in occasionally on the two, making sure Tioru ate and the healers had been doing their jobs. Today he had stayed with them, tending the fire.
He figured she’d be waking up soon from the way she had been tossing and turning. His ears picked up the change in her breathing and he thought he had smelled tears. He stayed still and watched to see what she’d do, although he wondered why she had started to cry. Did her wounds bother her, or maybe she had had a bad dream? She could of, by the way she’d been moving so restlessly in her sleep. He was getting impatient for her to wake up, especially as he'd remembered where he had scented her before. It had been in his forest when he had been out running for the sheer joy of it. While the smell of honeysuckle and a woman in full bloom had been faint, it had gotten his blood roiling. He knew he’d never forget her scent again. Kouga inhaled her scent deeply, and tried to control his impatience which for him was not easy.
Suddenly, he sensed her anxiety and knew she was awake, although she kept her eyes closed. Her face had begun betraying her as her anxiety increased, and he had just about decided to say something to her, when she opened her eyes. “Finally! Now I get to see what color they are.” With his keen vision even with just the glow from the fire, he could see that they were a big dark brown with a very faint hint of green. He saw to his satisfaction that they were just as beautiful as the rest of her.
Still sitting quietly, he watched her as she turned her head to the left and saw Tioru. The words she spoke to the young wolf made him laugh, except he wondered why she said it was her fault. As she started smoothing Tioru’s fur, he knew the decision he had made rather quickly, after all Kouga’s mind had been known to be made up just as fast as he could run, was the right one. He decided it was time to introduce himself to his mate.
--
Tioru meanwhile was in heaven. His wounds were healing quickly and the human female who had saved him was awake, and hadn’t seemed to suffer from too much harm. He had been taking careful whiffs of her every now and then as she slept, just to make sure her wounds had started healing and had no scent of infection. When she opened her large brown eyes and looked at him, he felt his young wolfy heart swell with love, and couldn’t help himself as he first took another whiff of her hair and then licked her face. She seemed to like it! Even though he couldn’t quite understand her words, he sensed humor with a bit of sadness under them, and then to his delight she had started to pet him! This wonderful girl who had saved his life.
He heard Kouga’s chuckle, and then his leader’s voice as he jokingly asked, “So, just what spell did you put on my wolf?” Tioru looked up a bit apprehensively as his leader approached them, but not sensing anything especially wrong with his leader’s words or tone, whined softly and nudged the girl’s hand so she’d continue stroking his fur.
--
Kagome’s hand withdrew from the black wolf’s neck ruff, but when he whined and pushed at her hand she resumed her ministrations. She looked warily at the blue eyed wolf demon, as he crouched near her head, (How could anyone have eyes that color anyway?) and brown eyes widening, said “What?”
Kouga grinned, showing a hint of fangs and said, “Well just look at him. He’s supposed to be a fearsome ookami youkai, and he’s acting like a big baby cub with you! His eyes sparkled in amusement for his love struck wolf, but who could blame Tioru, she was beautiful. He became serious for a moment though when he thanked her for the life of his wolf. “I saw how hard you fought for him in that clearing. You were pretty amazing, not many humans, if any at all, would of done that for a wolf youkai, especially a miko like yourself. I am sorry you were injured.”
Kagome saw the concern in his eyes, and felt the guilt return. Picking at the soft brown fur covering her, she said “Uhh, you might not still feel that way after I tell you that the only reason I did it, was because it was my fault he was in the situation in the first place.” When he just raised a questioning eyebrow at her, Kagome sighed as she explained about the snare and, after seeing the wolf’s paw tangled in it as he was being attacked by all the youkai, how guilty she felt. “So that’s why I decided to step in. I’m really sorry he was hurt. I just wish I’d seen that damn snake youkai sooner.”, she said angrily. Tioru raised his head and whimpered at the tone of her voice, and Kagome soothed him again with her little, soft, strong hand. He thumped his tail once and put his head back down.
Kouga had frowned slightly when he heard about the snare, but when he heard her telling him how she had to fight for his wolf, it just increased his opinion of her. And she was sorry, so that was alright. He had laughed at her last comment, but stopped when he saw the glare on her face, the green in her dark eyes intensifying. “Look, I’m not mad and Tioru sure isn’t. You saved his life and that’s all that matters to me. In fact I should of sensed the snake youkai earlier but you were just so breathtaking.”, his voice trailed off. He thought a moment then asked, “So a snare is a device to catch food? Why didn’t you just shoot a rabbit or something with your bow and arrows?"
Kagome shook her head and ran her fingers through the black curly locks around her face. “Yuck, I need a bath.” she thought. Out loud she explained to the cocky looking wolf youkai sitting by her, that even though she might be able to shoot large things like youkai, she still had trouble with little animals like rabbits, and if she wanted to eat she had to improvise. By this time Kouga was really laughing. “Oh, just stop it already!”, Kagome said crossly double checking that she was still covered by the fur.
Kouga got himself under control, again thinking how perfect she was for him if she could make him laugh like that. “So, how come you have jewel shards?” he asked, “Don’t worry I didn’t touch them.”, as she started to open her pretty mouth.
“I know you didn’t touch them, since I still have them. How come you have three jewel shards? There’s one in your right arm, and one in each leg.” Looking at the startled look on his face, that settled into one of keen interest, she mentally slapped her forehead. “Good job Kagome, now he knows you can see them."
“This woman just keeps getting better and better.", Kouga thought, even though she neatly dodged his question. He gently took her hand in his large brown one, being careful not to grip to hard and said, “Well, since you don’t want to tell me why you’re carrying jewel shards right now, how ‘bout telling me your name.? I’m Kouga, Prince of the Eastern Ookami youkai tribe, and this other handsome wolf is Tioru.”, he said proudly. Kouga gave her a devilish grin and Tioru, a small yip of greeting at the sound of his name.
Kagome looked at her hand in Kouga’s and frowned. “It’s Kagome and why are you holding my hand?”
--
“Well that’s easy enough, you’re my woman now. Wolves mate for life and since you're my first, one and only, it’s never too late to start.”, As he was saying this, Kouga had begun running his thumb over the back of her hand with a slight blush. He had said first after all. Tioru upon hearing the word “mate” from his prince to his newly found best friend was ecstatic, and began to happily wave his tail like mad with a wolfy grin on his furry face. His girl would be staying. Staying forever! Her next words confused him.
At first Kagome was stunned, but then as the words sunk in she blushed bright red. He was crazy! Here she was lying wounded, with dirty hair, had almost killed one of his wolves and he was proposing marriage or mating to someone he didn’t even know! Ugh, he was so damn arrogant! Kagome sat up suddenly forgetting the clothing situation, and ignoring the pain on her right side, released the hidden blade from her brace. Kouga’s eyes widened, whether from the sight of her nakedness or the blade to his throat, it was hard tell. He blushed even more, even though he had this smirk that made her want to scratch it off. “Not. Interested.” Kagome said through gritted teeth. Too bad Kouga was a lot stronger than her, as he easily held her arm and unbuckled the brace. To give him credit he did try not to aggravate her right shoulder anymore than necessary.
“You had another weapon? Damn! I thought I’d gotten them all. I’m glad my woman can protect herself, even though I’ll be doing most of it for you. Ahh...,” looking down at her breasts again then looking away, blushing even more if possible, the young wolf prince said. “You might want to cover up, even though those are quite beautiful.”
Kagome looked down and let out a yelp as she quickly pulled the fur up to her neck and closed her eyes. Again with that damn wolfish grin on his face. He was arrogant and infuriating! Poor Kagome’s heart was starting to beat a little too fast. This is stupid she told herself, "I’m only reacting this way because not being around Miroku has caused my pervert radar to go on the fritz." Tioru was getting even more confused, and decided to run to the other side of the cave while his leader and soon to be mate worked things out. Kagome was secretly amused at Kouga’s blushes though. Maybe he wasn’t quite the confident, brash, young (handsome) wolf youkai?
When she got herself under control, Kagome sat with her back against the stone walls of the cave, clutching the fur cover to her. “Didn’t you hear me? I said I’m not interested. You don’t even know me and I don’t know you, except that most ookami youkai raid villages and eat humans when there’s plenty of game around! ”
Kouga had the grace to look ashamed, but then went back to his confident, smug self. “That’s just one reason why you’re going to be my mate, to help me be a better person, demon I mean. I’ll stop the raids just for you. Besides you're beautiful, courageous, brave, can purify our enemies, strong ,smart, you can see jewel shards, and you have spirit. You even captured the heart of Tioru, in other words your perfect for me. So your mine now.”
“ I’m a miko, a human, you're youkai, so for the third time no. It doesn’t matter how many words you use to compliment me. "Besides,” she added very quietly to herself, “I’m done with love.” Great now I’m going to cry, she thought. Just when I’ve finally learned how to live again. Kagome didn’t realize that she hadn’t been living though. She forgot that she was the kind of person people were drawn to, and loved, as she loved them freely in return. She had almost but not quite,( not Sango, her almost sister, never her), forgotten her best friends in all her two eras just because she had tried to shut the door to her heart. In her head she thought, "Inuyasha, do you still think I tried to kill Kikyou? If you don’t, how can I possibly forgive you? You must know deep down that it was just one of Naraku’s plots again.”
Kagome looked up and realized Kouga had heard the 'done with love'. “Oh crap, canine hearing.” For some reason he looked more angry than he had a right to be at her rejection of his advances.
Kouga had heard her and watched as her emotions played out in her beautiful eyes. He had sensed the deep sadness in her and came to the right conclusion. Kouga might be impulsive, forward, and make snap judgements, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t perceptive or stupid. Someone had hurt her, badly. His woman. Who was this bastard that had made her so sad? He hated him already. He was gonna pay. He found himself growling, a deep rumble in his throat.
--
Kagome was getting nervous with Kouga’s growling, but his next words surprised her. “You’re done with love? Someone broke your heart didn’t they? How dare they do that to someone as perfect as you?” Kouga’s eyes had narrowed dangerously and darkened to a stormy blue color. “Who is he? I’m going to rip his head off and feed him to my wolves. No one treats my woman that way. Just give me a name and description.” Kouga had his fists clenched and he was shaking, he was so angry.
Kagome gave a deep sigh at the thought of Kouga and Inuyasha ever meeting, even though she was sure Inuyasha could care less if someone wanted to defend her. But with his temper he wasn’t going to let anyone try and “rip his head off.” Kagome decided to try a different tactic. She had noticed that Tioru was lying on the opposite side of the cave with his tail covering eyes, whining pitifully. “Look, just forget it. You’re making Tioru all upset. See?” She pointed over at the distraught wolf and was even able to come up with a small smile for him, her black wolf, even if she didn't understand that he was her's yet.
Tioru had opened one gray eye when he heard her say his name, and felt a bit better when he saw Kagome’s smile. He had been getting so upset when he sensed Kagome’s sadness and Kouga’s anger. It made him feel the way he did before a violent thunderstorm. All shivery and tense at the same time.
“Where are my clothes anyway?" Her eyes narrowed. "You better not of undressed me." Kouga held up his hands. "Healers, healers!" Whew! "How about you give me my clothes and weapons back to me, and I can go back to my campsite, grab my bag, and go back to what I was doing?” Kagome got up with the fur wrapped around her body, when she realized that she was pretty weak and dizzy.
Before she had taken two steps, Kouga easily pushed her back down on his bed. “I don’t think you’re going any where, you’re not even healed and you can barely stand. Just tell me were you’re campsite is and I’ll send a few of my men for your things.” Kouga smiled and smoothed back his newly acquired mate’s hair, all the while thinking of the many ways he could kill the bastard who’d hurt her so.
--
Finally, the 2nd chapter! I wanted to establish Kouga's personality, and just how and when Kagome gets his pack to stop eating humans. It's always referred to but, never in detail. Then Naraku, I just figured while he wants to destroy stuff, what's the point of being a great demon if he can't have some pathetic souls bowing down to him. After all when he was Onigumo, he had a band of thieves under him and kept some women around for certain, ahem, activities. Don't worry everyone else will show up!
Until next time!
Anime/Manga » Inuyasha »
Author: Faerieschyld
Fiction Rated: M- English- - Kag/Kog & all the rest of the Inu gang
Some R language in this chapter, just a warning!
This story is coming off of ideas I had from Warrior Shrine Priestess, which I am not happy with in the way in which it is going right now and I am definitely going to re-edit or combine into this story, (I decided to just pull that story) as I do want to keep all the ideas I have about Kagome. I'm a little tired of her being portrayed as so wimpy in the manga/anime sometimes. So remember those thoughts earlier were mine! :)
I do not own Inuyasha as that story is completely RUMIKO TAKAHASHI'S, (lucky her). If I had my way, the well would always stay open, and Kouga could travel through it too, and since this is my story it probably will.
So on we go again
FRIEND
Running, the brown back pack heavy on her shoulders, panting with exertion and sobbing with sorrow and the fear of being alone. Such grief breaking her heart from the unimaginable event that had turned her world upside down, and the words that had broken the bonds of trust and destroyed everything, almost her very soul...
--
She was dreaming again of that night. The night that forced her to abandon her closest friends, and most importantly, the first boy she had ever loved.
She had woken from a deep sleep, although from Shippo’s soft snores beside her in her sleeping bag, and Sango and Miroku’s soft inhales and exhales beside the embers of the dying fire, she could tell that they were all still asleep. Even though it still felt like the middle of the night, she could tell from the stars, which didn’t seem to be twinkling as bright, and the shadows that had taken on a purplish color, instead of full dark, that it must be going on towards morning.
She wasn’t quite sure what had awakened her, although when she looked up into the leafy tree nearby, she saw that Inuyasha wasn’t camped out on the thick tree branch. Gone again. He had been disappearing a little to often for her lately, but what could she say or do that hadn’t been said before?
--
As Kagome lay there just enjoying the peace and quiet of the early spring morning, she glanced over at the nearby forest, and what she saw made her heart fall. “Oh, shit,” she thought, “ It’s Kikyou’s soul collectors again.” Kagome clapped a hand to her mouth, as a miko she felt like she shouldn’t swear. But with Inuyasha gone and Kikyou near, it was really hard not to. “Well, should I drag my stupid self over there and listen to his lies again? Or maybe this time it was completely innocent?”, she thought somewhat hopefully.
Suddenly making up her mind, she quickly removed her sleepwear and threw on her leather vest and skirt, hoping while doing so that the hentai, Miroku would stay sleeping. She glanced over and heard him talking in his sleep about women and bearing him a child. Yep, fast asleep. She stomped on her knee high boots and checked to make sure each had a dagger stashed, then buckled on her upper leg armour and wrist brace. She scooped up her bow and quiver full of arrows before setting off towards the glow of the soul collectors.
As she walked as quickly as she could in the dark, for some reason holding her bow made her think of her Grandpa, so far away 500 years in the future. To be honest, thoughts of her loving family were always there in the back recesses of her mind. He was the one who had trained her as a miko, but also hired instructors to teach her how to fight with her hands, feet, knives, swords, and bow. Although she remembered guiltily how she hated the bow and had been extremely resistant in learning that skill. Now that she was in the Sengoku Jidai, she was especially grateful for the lessons.
She had always asked him why, as a miko living in 20th century Tokyo, who’d one day be running the family shrine, she needed to know how to defend herself so well, but he’d never tell her. Because she had so much respect for him, she always dropped it. It wasn’t until her first trip back from the well, that he had told her what he saw right after her birth. The aura he had seen surrounding her and the prophecy he’d been given. The prophecy which told him she’d be important in her era and another. The Shikon no Tama she would be guarding. What skills she’d need to survive in those eras. “Grandpa, thank you for believing or I’d of been in big trouble.” Or bigger at least. Although if he had told her before she had been grabbed by Mistress Centipede and dragged down their old well, she’d of probably made a doctors appointment for him, she thought wryly.
Shaking off her thoughts, she looked around and saw that she was fairly deep in the forest now. The trees were larger and it was much darker. Up ahead she saw what she had been seeking, Kikyou and her soul collectors, but to her relief no Inuyasha. Stepping carefully now to avoid making any unnecessary noise, she looked into the small clearing and gasped. Kikyou was trapped inside a barrier filled with noxious miasma, the kind only one abomination the world had ever produced could make. Naraku! That despicable hanyou who was intent on subjugating and destroying the world. What was going on? Naraku was supposed to still have feelings for Kikyou, and she was too smart to be caught this way besides.
Kagome drew an arrow and hoped against hope that she could penetrate the barrier as she had once before purified Naraku's miasma at his castle. Yes! She could! She ran to Kikyou to gently hold her in her arms, and saw that she had five or six stab wounds that were causing her to lose, blood? Kagome never could decide what it was that had been draining from her body. For some reason, to further entrap her she had been tied up as well. As Kikyou’s soul collectors were finally able to help their mistress, Kagome’s brow furrowed in thought as she reached into one of her boots to grab a dagger and loosen Kikyou’s bonds. Suddenly a furious voice sounded behind her.
“Kagome! How could you?” She swung around dagger in hand, and saw an enraged hanyou whose golden eyes were beginning to tint red.
“Inu, Inuyasha,” she stuttered , “You can’t think I’d do this do you? I found her. She was sealed in a barrier full of miasma. You know I could never hurt Kikyou, it would be wrong on so many levels. I know how it would hurt you and I love you to much to do something like this. I’m a miko sworn to help and heal people!” Her voice was rising and cracking, but with each word she spoke, the angrier he became.
His next words shattered her heart as he looked at her with hate in eyes, hate for her! “You’re lying. You’re standing there with a dagger in your hands while she’s losing her life. I know you’ve always had doubts about Kikyou and me, but to go this far is just plain evil. Just get out of my sight. I never want to see you again, you fucking bitch!” He had hissed the words at her, claws outstretched and had even sliced them into her arm, only to stop when Kikyou murmured his name.
“I, I, I...”, why won’t he believe her? He thought she was evil?
“Just. Go. Now. Before I do something we’ll all regret.” By now he was growling, showing his fangs.
Kagome had stumbled back to the camp holding her arm, crying bitterly.
As she began to awake, the last fragments of her dream whispered to her, as she told Sango, Miroku and Shippo, “I didn’t, I didn’t, I didn’t do it, you have to believe me!” to her confused friends, grabbed her things and ran off into the night.
--
With a start, Kagome woke up and realized that it had not been a dream after all. Inuyasha really had believed only what his eyes saw, not her words, in spite of everything they had already been through. He had said all those things to her, wounding her more deeply than his claws ever could. Tears started to prickle at the back of her eyes, but she mentally chanted, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, I have to be strong especially now that I’m on my own, can’t afford to be weak.”
A few deep breaths helped calm her and establish her equilibrium, and then she began to realize certain things. Her right shoulder and leg hurt, and she was laying on fur? She only had on underpants. Where were her clothes? At least she still had the sacred jewel shards on the necklace her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday. Last, she still had the brace buckled to her right wrist with the hidden blade that would spring out when she pressed the hidden button. Yes! Not completely defenseless, although it was hard not to feel that way with barely any clothes.
She lay there for a bit quietly thinking, eyes closed. “Oh yeah, I was fighting off those youkai who were attacking that poor wolf because he’d gotten caught in my snare, and then I was bitten by a snake youkai. It wasn’t a poisonous youkai was it?”, she thought in sudden alarm. Since she didn’t feel as if she had been poisoned, she crossed that worry off her list.
She could sense the presence of three jewel shards nearby, and was pretty sure they belonged to the same person she had sighted in the surrounding forests. She had considered giving chase, but they disappeared so fast that she had to give up, to leave for another day. If Inuyasha had been with her she might of had a chance, she thought bitterly. Her mind skittered away from that thought as she continued to explore her current situation with the heightened senses she had developed. She wasn’t ready to face the owner of the jewel shards just yet so she kept her eyes closed.
She could only hear the sounds of two other bodies breathing quietly in the room besides her own, although it didn’t have quite the feel of a room. It felt more closed in and a bit cool. There was the smell and crackling of a fire. She then realized her wounds had been bandaged. Huh. She could also hear the sounds of yips, whines, howls, and growls off in the distance. “That’s not good. I guess I better get up and find out just where I am.”, although she was beginning to have a sneaking suspicion.
She opened her eyes and turned her head to her left, and saw to her surprise the black wolf. To her relief he looked ok, although he had a bandage around his midsection and one fore paw. “Hey there again, I guess you decided not to eat me after all, hey boy? Did you figure I had enough bites taken out of me? Is that the paw that was caught in the snare? I’m so sorry, it was all my fault you were hurt.”
The black wolf swept his tail back and forth happily, touched his nose to her hair, and then to her amazement began to lick her face, tickling it, making her giggle. Well it looks like he forgave her. Kagome reached out slowly with her left hand, and started stroking his thick fur. “Wow, it’s so soft!” she thought, a smile on her face, the first real one she’d had in a long time.
Kagome suddenly heard a soft chuckle and looked up to see a handsome wolf youkai with midnight hair, blue eyes like the deepest ocean depths, a strong, muscular, tanned body, and a supremely confident attitude sauntering over to her. Well, well, the owner of the shards. She sighed and rolled her eyes, “Just what is it with these good looking demons in this era, I thought all demons were supposed to be gross.”
--
Kouga had been quietly sitting against the stone wall of his den for the last few hours, watching the young miko sleep with Tioru watching over her. The young wolf had even prevented the healers from treating his wounds, until he saw that the miko was being cared for. That had been yesterday, and since then the young woman had been sleeping. He’d been checking in occasionally on the two, making sure Tioru ate and the healers had been doing their jobs. Today he had stayed with them, tending the fire.
He figured she’d be waking up soon from the way she had been tossing and turning. His ears picked up the change in her breathing and he thought he had smelled tears. He stayed still and watched to see what she’d do, although he wondered why she had started to cry. Did her wounds bother her, or maybe she had had a bad dream? She could of, by the way she’d been moving so restlessly in her sleep. He was getting impatient for her to wake up, especially as he'd remembered where he had scented her before. It had been in his forest when he had been out running for the sheer joy of it. While the smell of honeysuckle and a woman in full bloom had been faint, it had gotten his blood roiling. He knew he’d never forget her scent again. Kouga inhaled her scent deeply, and tried to control his impatience which for him was not easy.
Suddenly, he sensed her anxiety and knew she was awake, although she kept her eyes closed. Her face had begun betraying her as her anxiety increased, and he had just about decided to say something to her, when she opened her eyes. “Finally! Now I get to see what color they are.” With his keen vision even with just the glow from the fire, he could see that they were a big dark brown with a very faint hint of green. He saw to his satisfaction that they were just as beautiful as the rest of her.
Still sitting quietly, he watched her as she turned her head to the left and saw Tioru. The words she spoke to the young wolf made him laugh, except he wondered why she said it was her fault. As she started smoothing Tioru’s fur, he knew the decision he had made rather quickly, after all Kouga’s mind had been known to be made up just as fast as he could run, was the right one. He decided it was time to introduce himself to his mate.
--
Tioru meanwhile was in heaven. His wounds were healing quickly and the human female who had saved him was awake, and hadn’t seemed to suffer from too much harm. He had been taking careful whiffs of her every now and then as she slept, just to make sure her wounds had started healing and had no scent of infection. When she opened her large brown eyes and looked at him, he felt his young wolfy heart swell with love, and couldn’t help himself as he first took another whiff of her hair and then licked her face. She seemed to like it! Even though he couldn’t quite understand her words, he sensed humor with a bit of sadness under them, and then to his delight she had started to pet him! This wonderful girl who had saved his life.
He heard Kouga’s chuckle, and then his leader’s voice as he jokingly asked, “So, just what spell did you put on my wolf?” Tioru looked up a bit apprehensively as his leader approached them, but not sensing anything especially wrong with his leader’s words or tone, whined softly and nudged the girl’s hand so she’d continue stroking his fur.
--
Kagome’s hand withdrew from the black wolf’s neck ruff, but when he whined and pushed at her hand she resumed her ministrations. She looked warily at the blue eyed wolf demon, as he crouched near her head, (How could anyone have eyes that color anyway?) and brown eyes widening, said “What?”
Kouga grinned, showing a hint of fangs and said, “Well just look at him. He’s supposed to be a fearsome ookami youkai, and he’s acting like a big baby cub with you! His eyes sparkled in amusement for his love struck wolf, but who could blame Tioru, she was beautiful. He became serious for a moment though when he thanked her for the life of his wolf. “I saw how hard you fought for him in that clearing. You were pretty amazing, not many humans, if any at all, would of done that for a wolf youkai, especially a miko like yourself. I am sorry you were injured.”
Kagome saw the concern in his eyes, and felt the guilt return. Picking at the soft brown fur covering her, she said “Uhh, you might not still feel that way after I tell you that the only reason I did it, was because it was my fault he was in the situation in the first place.” When he just raised a questioning eyebrow at her, Kagome sighed as she explained about the snare and, after seeing the wolf’s paw tangled in it as he was being attacked by all the youkai, how guilty she felt. “So that’s why I decided to step in. I’m really sorry he was hurt. I just wish I’d seen that damn snake youkai sooner.”, she said angrily. Tioru raised his head and whimpered at the tone of her voice, and Kagome soothed him again with her little, soft, strong hand. He thumped his tail once and put his head back down.
Kouga had frowned slightly when he heard about the snare, but when he heard her telling him how she had to fight for his wolf, it just increased his opinion of her. And she was sorry, so that was alright. He had laughed at her last comment, but stopped when he saw the glare on her face, the green in her dark eyes intensifying. “Look, I’m not mad and Tioru sure isn’t. You saved his life and that’s all that matters to me. In fact I should of sensed the snake youkai earlier but you were just so breathtaking.”, his voice trailed off. He thought a moment then asked, “So a snare is a device to catch food? Why didn’t you just shoot a rabbit or something with your bow and arrows?"
Kagome shook her head and ran her fingers through the black curly locks around her face. “Yuck, I need a bath.” she thought. Out loud she explained to the cocky looking wolf youkai sitting by her, that even though she might be able to shoot large things like youkai, she still had trouble with little animals like rabbits, and if she wanted to eat she had to improvise. By this time Kouga was really laughing. “Oh, just stop it already!”, Kagome said crossly double checking that she was still covered by the fur.
Kouga got himself under control, again thinking how perfect she was for him if she could make him laugh like that. “So, how come you have jewel shards?” he asked, “Don’t worry I didn’t touch them.”, as she started to open her pretty mouth.
“I know you didn’t touch them, since I still have them. How come you have three jewel shards? There’s one in your right arm, and one in each leg.” Looking at the startled look on his face, that settled into one of keen interest, she mentally slapped her forehead. “Good job Kagome, now he knows you can see them."
“This woman just keeps getting better and better.", Kouga thought, even though she neatly dodged his question. He gently took her hand in his large brown one, being careful not to grip to hard and said, “Well, since you don’t want to tell me why you’re carrying jewel shards right now, how ‘bout telling me your name.? I’m Kouga, Prince of the Eastern Ookami youkai tribe, and this other handsome wolf is Tioru.”, he said proudly. Kouga gave her a devilish grin and Tioru, a small yip of greeting at the sound of his name.
Kagome looked at her hand in Kouga’s and frowned. “It’s Kagome and why are you holding my hand?”
--
“Well that’s easy enough, you’re my woman now. Wolves mate for life and since you're my first, one and only, it’s never too late to start.”, As he was saying this, Kouga had begun running his thumb over the back of her hand with a slight blush. He had said first after all. Tioru upon hearing the word “mate” from his prince to his newly found best friend was ecstatic, and began to happily wave his tail like mad with a wolfy grin on his furry face. His girl would be staying. Staying forever! Her next words confused him.
At first Kagome was stunned, but then as the words sunk in she blushed bright red. He was crazy! Here she was lying wounded, with dirty hair, had almost killed one of his wolves and he was proposing marriage or mating to someone he didn’t even know! Ugh, he was so damn arrogant! Kagome sat up suddenly forgetting the clothing situation, and ignoring the pain on her right side, released the hidden blade from her brace. Kouga’s eyes widened, whether from the sight of her nakedness or the blade to his throat, it was hard tell. He blushed even more, even though he had this smirk that made her want to scratch it off. “Not. Interested.” Kagome said through gritted teeth. Too bad Kouga was a lot stronger than her, as he easily held her arm and unbuckled the brace. To give him credit he did try not to aggravate her right shoulder anymore than necessary.
“You had another weapon? Damn! I thought I’d gotten them all. I’m glad my woman can protect herself, even though I’ll be doing most of it for you. Ahh...,” looking down at her breasts again then looking away, blushing even more if possible, the young wolf prince said. “You might want to cover up, even though those are quite beautiful.”
Kagome looked down and let out a yelp as she quickly pulled the fur up to her neck and closed her eyes. Again with that damn wolfish grin on his face. He was arrogant and infuriating! Poor Kagome’s heart was starting to beat a little too fast. This is stupid she told herself, "I’m only reacting this way because not being around Miroku has caused my pervert radar to go on the fritz." Tioru was getting even more confused, and decided to run to the other side of the cave while his leader and soon to be mate worked things out. Kagome was secretly amused at Kouga’s blushes though. Maybe he wasn’t quite the confident, brash, young (handsome) wolf youkai?
When she got herself under control, Kagome sat with her back against the stone walls of the cave, clutching the fur cover to her. “Didn’t you hear me? I said I’m not interested. You don’t even know me and I don’t know you, except that most ookami youkai raid villages and eat humans when there’s plenty of game around! ”
Kouga had the grace to look ashamed, but then went back to his confident, smug self. “That’s just one reason why you’re going to be my mate, to help me be a better person, demon I mean. I’ll stop the raids just for you. Besides you're beautiful, courageous, brave, can purify our enemies, strong ,smart, you can see jewel shards, and you have spirit. You even captured the heart of Tioru, in other words your perfect for me. So your mine now.”
“ I’m a miko, a human, you're youkai, so for the third time no. It doesn’t matter how many words you use to compliment me. "Besides,” she added very quietly to herself, “I’m done with love.” Great now I’m going to cry, she thought. Just when I’ve finally learned how to live again. Kagome didn’t realize that she hadn’t been living though. She forgot that she was the kind of person people were drawn to, and loved, as she loved them freely in return. She had almost but not quite,( not Sango, her almost sister, never her), forgotten her best friends in all her two eras just because she had tried to shut the door to her heart. In her head she thought, "Inuyasha, do you still think I tried to kill Kikyou? If you don’t, how can I possibly forgive you? You must know deep down that it was just one of Naraku’s plots again.”
Kagome looked up and realized Kouga had heard the 'done with love'. “Oh crap, canine hearing.” For some reason he looked more angry than he had a right to be at her rejection of his advances.
Kouga had heard her and watched as her emotions played out in her beautiful eyes. He had sensed the deep sadness in her and came to the right conclusion. Kouga might be impulsive, forward, and make snap judgements, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t perceptive or stupid. Someone had hurt her, badly. His woman. Who was this bastard that had made her so sad? He hated him already. He was gonna pay. He found himself growling, a deep rumble in his throat.
--
Kagome was getting nervous with Kouga’s growling, but his next words surprised her. “You’re done with love? Someone broke your heart didn’t they? How dare they do that to someone as perfect as you?” Kouga’s eyes had narrowed dangerously and darkened to a stormy blue color. “Who is he? I’m going to rip his head off and feed him to my wolves. No one treats my woman that way. Just give me a name and description.” Kouga had his fists clenched and he was shaking, he was so angry.
Kagome gave a deep sigh at the thought of Kouga and Inuyasha ever meeting, even though she was sure Inuyasha could care less if someone wanted to defend her. But with his temper he wasn’t going to let anyone try and “rip his head off.” Kagome decided to try a different tactic. She had noticed that Tioru was lying on the opposite side of the cave with his tail covering eyes, whining pitifully. “Look, just forget it. You’re making Tioru all upset. See?” She pointed over at the distraught wolf and was even able to come up with a small smile for him, her black wolf, even if she didn't understand that he was her's yet.
Tioru had opened one gray eye when he heard her say his name, and felt a bit better when he saw Kagome’s smile. He had been getting so upset when he sensed Kagome’s sadness and Kouga’s anger. It made him feel the way he did before a violent thunderstorm. All shivery and tense at the same time.
“Where are my clothes anyway?" Her eyes narrowed. "You better not of undressed me." Kouga held up his hands. "Healers, healers!" Whew! "How about you give me my clothes and weapons back to me, and I can go back to my campsite, grab my bag, and go back to what I was doing?” Kagome got up with the fur wrapped around her body, when she realized that she was pretty weak and dizzy.
Before she had taken two steps, Kouga easily pushed her back down on his bed. “I don’t think you’re going any where, you’re not even healed and you can barely stand. Just tell me were you’re campsite is and I’ll send a few of my men for your things.” Kouga smiled and smoothed back his newly acquired mate’s hair, all the while thinking of the many ways he could kill the bastard who’d hurt her so.
--
Finally, the 2nd chapter! I wanted to establish Kouga's personality, and just how and when Kagome gets his pack to stop eating humans. It's always referred to but, never in detail. Then Naraku, I just figured while he wants to destroy stuff, what's the point of being a great demon if he can't have some pathetic souls bowing down to him. After all when he was Onigumo, he had a band of thieves under him and kept some women around for certain, ahem, activities. Don't worry everyone else will show up!
Until next time!