InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ On a Leash ❯ Until Spring ( Chapter 19 )

Disclaimer: Still this little legal problem…

A/N: I have to use a time breaker thing because the other ones aren't showing up now. *sigh*

I can't think of much right now on questions, but the story still has some surprises left to it. But, about Gramps: people have layers (people are probably thinking "like onions" "what about parfaits? Parfaits have layers") and Gramps is no exception. So, I took some poetic license with a minor character. It makes the story a bit more interesting. A lot of you want to know what Inu's going to do about Kouga…and, well, that'll play out later, I suppose. It's not on the agenda for the moment, but I'm sure they'll encounter one another. Kagome doesn't know "Taisho" kissed her because she was asleep at the time. The bruises on Inu's hands are from the fact he was loathe to hurting Gramps, but Gramps wasn't slow to smack him quite a few times, so it would bruise anyone. The bruises are gone in case you're wondering, so Inuyasha is not a weakling…. That's about all I can think of at the moment.

Chapter Nineteen: Until Spring

"Thanks, Kagome," Inuyasha said, sliding the red sports jacket over his tight, black t-shirt.

She grinned, neatly folding up the rest of his clothes and tucking them away in the small trunk from the attic. A shower and a few new outfits later, Kagome had to admit her hanyou looked quite attractive.

Judging from the way he ran his claws through his hair, she figured he appreciated the wonderful thing known as shampoo as well.

The morning after the cuddle-night, two nights ago, Kagome and Mama had stopped by a local retail store and purchased Inuyasha some clothing of his own. When the unsuspecting boy had emerged from practice with Grampa covered in glistening sweat today, they'd sent him straight to the shower-to which Souta had to show him how to operate-and laid the new garments on top of the towels in the cupboard where he would see them.

It was pretty funny, and fairly embarrassing, when he opened the door, yelling, "Are these for me?" with only a towel secured dangerously around his waist and Tetsusaiga in hand.

"I'm glad you like them." Kagome shut the lid of the trunk and sat atop it. "How's practicing with Gramps going?"

"Pretty good." He flexed his fingers, seeing the purplish lines had disappeared without a trace. "I can do more than just hold my own now."

She smiled. "Grampa actually taught me how to use a sword, and he wanted me to practice with you."

"Well, why don't you?" Inuyasha challenged, crossing his arms over his chest and leering at her.

Shaking her head, Kagome responded, "You're way too good-I saw you practicing yesterday. Besides, I'm nowhere near as good as Gramps." Getting to her feet again, the girl queried, "You said you weren't going to see Sesshoumaru until you were human, so when is that?"

Inuyasha moved to the doorjamb and reclined. "I checked the calendar in your room, so it'll be happening tonight." His eyes slid shut.

"Why couldn't it have been a different night? Why tonight?"

"It's the time of my mortal vulnerability, dolt. Anyway," golden eyes reopened, "since you're tagging along, we'll leave right after my transformation. It's a long walk to Sesshoumaru's mansion, so be prepared."

Kagome tapped a finger against her lips. "Maybe we could take a cab…. I have some money upstairs in my purse, let me go check." She jogged passed him and upstairs.

Most people would have either snuck out or have a parent drive them wherever they wanted to go, but Kagome understood, somewhere deep in her very core, that this was something to be treated with utmost delicateness, with as few involved as possible It was like a giant black cloud was looming over her thoughts, yet she could not find the reason for it to be there, and that disturbed her greatly.

Kagome dug out her money and counted it. There was plenty from Christmas and what she had saved from her birthday a few months back. It felt like so long ago, her fifteenth birthday--the day she got Inuyasha. She had always sensed this sort of connection with him, as if person to person, rather than human to animal. Confident it could pay for a one-way fare from Tokyo to Sagamihara at the very least; Kagome replaced it in her wallet.

Her gaze flickered to the calendar hanging on the wall. She crept over to it and peeked at the date. It stated the day and date like always, so she thought a little harder of what would make this one day so out-of-the-ordinary. She stared at it for a moment until it came to her.

A little black circle with the characters for "New Moon" spelt out. That must be it…his power ebbs away just as the moon does from sight, Kagome contemplated. It's the only logical thing. The overhead light of her room was not on, and it was growing darker. It won't be long then…until night comes and human Inuyasha appears.

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Dinner was quiet, and Inuyasha wasn't present. It bothered Souta a lot that his new big brother was not there, and Kagome didn't say a word. She figured it wasn't her place to go blabbing.

It was when Mama was serving lemon squares that Inuyasha appeared, hands jammed into the pockets of his blue jeans with Tetsusaiga still at his left hip. He had changed into the form Kagome would have formerly dubbed "Taisho". For the second time that he'd changed form, the Higurashi family-minus Kagome and Buyo, who stole some chicken from Grampa's plate-gaped in wonder.

"Sorry for not showing up, Mrs. Higurashi," Inuyasha stated, breaking the stupefied spell. "I already ate earlier. Kagome, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." She picked up two lemon squares and folded them into the cloth napkin she had yet to use sitting in her lap.

"Kagome," Mama started, setting the plate of treats down, "where are you and Inuyasha going?"

"I'm taking Kagome with me on some family business," the hanyou answered, a pair of red high tops in his grasp. "That guy that came a little over a month ago, Tanaka Sesshoumaru, is my older brother. He and I've set up a meeting since I've returned to normal."

"Why are you going like a human, Inuyasha?" Souta asked with a lemon square up to his mouth.

He shrugged. "Supposed to. Come on, Kagome. I already called the cab, so it should be showing up pretty soon."

Kagome pushed her chair out and padded over to him. "We'll be fine, Mom. Besides, you and Grampa probably wanted me to get to know Inuyasha better, right?"

"Of course, honey," Mama answered. "Even so, be careful, you two."

"We will." The couple had then exited the kitchen and promptly snatched the necessities for trekking outside before venturing out to the street below the shrine. They hadn't waited long when the cabbie showed up and the pair got in, while the former-hanyou gave the address.

Inuyasha seemed a little nervous, only muttered that it'd been a while since he'd been in a car in this form; luckily the driver was a human and didn't catch the utterance. He accepted the lemon square his companion offered him and chewed it thoughtfully.

The drive was fairly quiet, the cabbie making polite conversation. "So, you two headin' home?"

"His brother's," Kagome replied softly, watching the snow outside dance.

"Ah. First time meeting him?"

"Sort of." They hit a particularly nasty bump, and Kagome lurched into Inuyasha's chest. She clung to him for a moment until the series of potholes the small vehicle careened over smoothed back into a normal road. With her face flaming scarlet, as it seemed to do so often when in his company, she mumbled, "S-sorry."

"It's ok." Inuyasha saw his arms had automatically held her to him and swallowed a lump of nervousness that rose to his throat. He released her slowly, and turned his interest to the bobble-head baseball player on the car's dashboard.

Kagome moved from the spot to which she'd been tossed and reclined on the seat again, but decided keeping a close proximity with her betrothed was actually nice. For one, he generated a lot of body heat, and two, it kept her from feeling so distanced from him.

For the remainder of the ride, Inuyasha sat with his arms crossed laxly over his chest with his eyes at half-mast while Kagome kept her hands in her lap, just brushing shoulders with him, or rather her shoulder to his upper arm-he was a bit taller than her.

After the half hour ride, they arrived at the great mansion. Paying the cabbie, Kagome and Inuyasha went to the gate again where the boy gave the gatekeeper grief. At the door they were greeted by Jaken, who looked anti-thrilled to see the two of them, yet he let them in nonetheless.

"Be sure to take your filthy shoes off, humans," snapped Jaken. "I do not need you to disrespect Master Sesshoumaru's house any more!"

"Hey, Jaken, do us both a favor and shut up," Inuyasha bit, placing his shoes alongside his fiancée's at the landing; a butler respectfully took their coats.

"Hmph. This way." Toddling quickly ahead of them, Jaken lead them to a large library. Seated amongst the book-lined walls was Sesshoumaru, who was thumbing disinterestedly through an older looking tome. "Master Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and this girl-"

"I know, Jaken," he replied smoothly, flipping another page, eyes not even darting up. "See if the other two are in the foyer."

"Y-yes, Master."

Sesshoumaru waited until his servant hustled out of the room to do his bidding before speaking again. "Inuyasha, I see you and Kagome have arrived. I was not expecting to see you so soon, Miss Higurashi."

"I wanted to know what was going on."

"And Inuyasha told you?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes."

The dog-demon gave a vague twitch of his lips that would have constituted as a smile as he set the book to the side of the chair. "Then my brother has more brains in his head than I thought if I he at least told you what you had a right to know."

Inuyasha grumped, arms practically fastened across his chest again. "I'm right here, ya know!" he snipped.

"Overlooking you would be quite a task, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru rose and Jaken burst into the room again.

"They're ready!" he squawked before saluting and taking off again.

"Excellent. Come." Gliding to the door and beckoning them with a hand, the couple trotted after him down the steps. Rounding the staircase, Sesshoumaru stopped fore a set of double doors. Without turning, he said, "The operative that first reported seeing you is here, Inuyasha." Then, he pushed them forward.

On the couch was Ms. Kaede, sipping a cup of tea, and there was someone seated across from here that neither Inuyasha nor Kagome could see, as all they could see was the chair he or she was sitting in.

"Ms. Kaede, you know Sesshoumaru?" Kagome queried, amazed.

"Indeed I do, child." She set her cup down. "I was not expecting to see you, but I am glad all the same."

"Kagome's here, too?" the person in the chair asked, and before the girl could register, the owner the voiced bopped up and embraced her. "This is a surprise!"

Kagome blinked once. When she was allowed to push away, she looked up at the smiling face of Miroku. "What're you doing here?"

He grinned all the more. "This is my job. I work for Sesshoumaru."

"Wait a second," began Inuyasha, shoving the young man off the girl. "You mean to tell me you're his operative."

"Yes. I was the one who told him of you coming to the Higurashi shrine. That was what I was doing while I was in the city last month, Kagome." Said female nodded, intrigued. Miroku gestured to the sofa. "I'm sure Sesshoumaru wants you to sit, am I right?"

The demon nodded once before sweeping into another chair while his operative returned to his own.

Kagome did as suggested and sat in the corner of a loveseat, but Inuyasha remained standing. "I can understand the kid working for Sesshoumaru, but what about you, old woman?" he asked Kaede.

Ms. Kaede finished off her tea, and then answered. "Miroku knows I am the vet that the Higurashi family has been taking Buyo to, and no doubt would take you as well, Inuyasha." She leant back into the cushions, smiling slightly at Kagome before gazing again at the human boy who glared at her in annoyance. "Digging through my family history, they were able to find out more about me, and naturally they could put two and two together and find miko training in my past."

"You're a miko, too?"

She bobbed her head, sweeping back a strand of white hair from her face. "Yes, Inuyasha. Tell me, up until the collar came off, did Kagome understand you better?"

Blinking once, Inuyasha joggled his noggin. "How'd you figure that?"

The old woman reached over the arm of her sofa and touched a hand to Kagome's arm, making the girl look to her in mild surprise. "I have said to you before that she is a miko-in-training, and it seems her powers are maturing without help. Yet, I suppose there was help in being able to understand you in your dog-form, as a bond was forming between the two of you, one that didn't necessarily have to have words."

"So, because you knew this about me, Sesshoumaru kept in contact?" Kagome peered at the woman questioningly.

"Besides that, I suppose another reason why Sesshoumaru needed me around was the fact that Kikyou is my older sister."

"What?!" The girl blinked. "N-no way."

Kaede leaned forward and took the tea pot that sat on the table and poured herself another cup. "It is very true, Kagome. I was a child when Inuyasha was transfigured."

Inuyasha came around the table and stared at the vet. "Why don't I ever remember seeing you with her then, Kaede?"

She stirred in some sugar. "Kikyou had started sending me to boarding school in Switzerland, as that way I wouldn't have to suffer much more than homesickness. Naraku took over paying for it, and I ended up graduating from a Swiss university. I only came home to visit around the holidays, and Kikyou continued to move, though she eventually settled on a house, but so we never had Christmas in the home we'd grown up in. A majority of the time, we spent them in Naraku's large estate in Kamaishi.

"My sister had started training me in the miko arts when I was a very small girl, and I continued to practice and follow the exercises she outlined for me while away at school. Due to that, it gives me an insight when it comes to understanding my patients." Giving a light chuckle, Kaede lifted the teacup to her lips.

"Did she ever tell you why she turned me into a dog?" Inuyasha inquired, aware of the passively interested face of his brother and the curious one of Miroku.

"All she said was that she had to, for your own good." She drank her tea quietly, even while Inuyasha indistinctly cursed.

"That fucking bitch!" He punched the couch. "Gods, I wish I could strangle the truth out of her."

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "Kaede has been extremely helpful, and will be in the future." His pale gold eyes flickered to his brother. "I see you have Tetsusaiga with you. It is a relief to see you didn't do something stupid like leaving it unprotected."

"I'm not an idiot, you know," groused the boy, flopping beside his fiancée on the loveseat.

The dog-demon merely raised an eyebrow before continuing on. "We will go to the mausoleum in the spring."

"Why not now?" Inuyasha smirked. "You're not scared or something, are you, Sesshoumaru?"
"Do not make yourself sound stupider than necessary, Inuyasha." He folded his hands into the open prayer position as he did the last time the human-Inuyasha had been present. "The snow is high and it covers the doors, which open outwards. Besides, I do not want to track snow into Father's grave."

Inuyasha slouched, keeping eye contact with his brother. "So as soon as we have the deed, this whole escapade should end, right?"

"As long as we keep a hold on it, yes."

Jaken skated into the room. "Miroku, Master Sesshoumaru, the new operative has shown up," he panted.

Miroku, who had been listening with half-attention, leapt to his feet. "I'll go greet her. Oh, you have my thanks, Sesshoumaru," he said quickly, giving a bow in tandem. "As I have told you before, I assure you that having her around will not be a burden but a blessing." Miroku hastened out of the room, a bright smile across his visage.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other inquisitively.

"Someone else you know," Sesshoumaru supplied. "Jaken, go check on the girls."

Jaken visibly flinched. He sighed-this was going to mean another rousing round of dress-up-Jaken. Which would they prefer today: the pink party dress or the booties, pacifier, and diaper? "Of course, Master Sesshoumaru." Sauntering out of the room, the ugly toad demon disappeared.

"How's she doing?" Inuyasha asked, his violet eyes now serious as he sat up a tad higher.

Kagome looked from the eldest brother to the other. "How's who doing?"

"The girl Inuyasha rescued," came Sesshoumaru's answer, another faint smile on his lips. "She is doing quite well. Her name is Rin, and she and my daughter Yuki have become fast friends. She is a talkative child, but it's brought Yuki out of the shyness."

"Well, glad to know she's doing fine." Inuyasha resettled into his slouch in the cushions; Kagome could see the small grin on his face at the news.

"She has wanted to see you, but this is passed her bedtime. Perhaps another day you could visit her."

He nodded. "Sure, I guess."

A shout and a smack sound later, Miroku reappeared in the room, continuing to beam cheerfully, despite the red hand impression on his left cheek. "It was worth the pain…" he mumbled to himself. "Now I bring to you, another member of our little powwow…the lovely Miss Sango!"

"Oh, shut up, Miroku," the girl sighed, now standing abreast to him in the entryway. She grinned. "Hey, Kagome. I wasn't expecting to see you."

Kagome dubiously stared. "Does everyone and his mother know the inside scoop of what's going on except me?" Regardless that Inuyasha had explained so much to her, there were a lot of things that were taking her by surprise.

Sango laughed. "No. Just us here in this room. Hmm?" She tipped her head to the side and stepped in a bit further. "Inuyasha sure looks different than I thought he would-black hair and violet eyes. I honestly thought he'd look more like you, Sesshoumaru."

Said dog demon kept a cool gaze on his brother while he said in a tone just as calm, "This is his human time, when our Father's blood ebbs away and his human mother's takes fully over."

"Geez, tell the whole world, why don't you?" groused Inuyasha, peering up at Sango.

Sango innocently held up her hands. "I won't go telling anyone, I promise."

"Keh, you better not."

"Sango," began Kagome, more confused than ever, "what exactly are you going to do?"

"Well," she crossed over and promptly sat in Miroku's chair, "I'm going to be his training partner to make sure he can actually fight someone faster and younger. I hope I can get a chance to use Hiraikotsu against him. It'll be a nice change of pace to get to use it besides during tournament time."

Kagome nodded, remembering all the competitions she'd seen Sango in. Those competitions were held by the old demon slayers guild, which now specialized in killing minor demons and playing bounty hunter with the sentient ones that wouldn't stay under the law's jurisdiction. The tournaments were meant as practice, and though Sango's father was the head of the guild and organized the contest, no one could say that Sango didn't win by talent and skill.

"What the hell's Hiraikotsu?" Now it was Inuyasha's turn to get ringed in befuddlement circles.

"It's my boomerang bone, made out of the bone of slain demons." She struggled stifling a giggle at the look on his face "Don't worry-the demons that donated the bones are the kind of stupid ones, like your average caterpillar or centipede monster."

"As you can see, little brother," said Sesshoumaru, turning the attention of the group to him once more, "Sango will help make you suitable for battle at your full strength, and will be able to take care of any of Naraku's operatives, should they come around."

One of Inuyasha's hands fiddled with the zipper of his sports jacket, as he mused slightly. "You mean those weird bee demons."

Kaede set her cup back on its saucer with a soft clink. "Those are the Saimyoushou-or better known as the wasps of hell. Befitting for Naraku, don't you think? Their poison is severe to those it stings. If it weren't for the fact you had your hanyou blood all along, Inuyasha, you would have died very quickly. Be grateful to the Higurashis for attending to you before taking you to me."

He snapped, "I am grateful, you old hag."

"In any case," Sesshoumaru interrupted his brother's tirade, "Miroku has spiritual training as a Buddhist monk, which I'm sure your fiancé knows quite well."

The monk gave a lopsided smile to Kagome. "By the way, congratulations on finding him, or him finding you. You've always planned on having a family, so I suppose it's a good thing you didn't get him neutered."

"Miroku!" The girl's countenance flamed red, aghast at how he could say something so wrong and be laughing about it.

Inuyasha lobbed a pillow at him, making contact with the side of his face. "Shut it, monk. I'm not the one who needs to be fixed. I'm taking a wild guess here that Sango slapped you-and considering she's keeping away from you, I'd say something inappropriate."

"I simply appreciate the bounty of gifts Buddha gave her."

"Unfortunately," Sango's brown eyes snapped, "he appreciates my rear most often than not."

Kagome snickered. Oh, but you weren't thinking that when you and Miroku had that little kiss in the photo booth, or that tryst for part of break…

Miroku sighed, shaking his head. "Dear Sango, you must understand…Buddha says to treat all living things tenderly as they are beautiful to kami, and your behind just happens to be amongst them. I would not be fulfilling my duty as a monk otherwise."

"Right," she responded tartly.

"Your brother will be sending me to you and Kagome whenever he has a message to deliver," Miroku said, ending his banter with Sango. "I doubt all of us will convene soon. Probably not until the spring."

"You suppose correctly," Sesshoumaru agreed, moving his hand up to comb his claws through his hair, deadpanned. "Sango will be over everyday so she can train with you, Miroku and Kaede will continue to try and find the prophesy, I will continue to keep an eye on Naraku with my other operatives; you, Kagome," the girl glimpsed at him with a start, "are to continue to act normally but keep quiet about what you know and are not to speak of it with anyone other than those present."

"What about my family?" she asked, playing with her skirt.

Sesshoumaru shook his head, silver hair catching light and shimmering. "No. Just give them a believable excuse."

"Like 'family business'?" Kagome glanced at Inuyasha who gave her a smirk. "It's partially true. I mean, this has to deal with Inuyasha's family."

"That will work. There is not much more to discuss." The dog demon rose to his feet, and everyone who was seated followed suit. Looking to Inuyasha and Kagome, he stated, "I will have my driver take you home. Miroku, you can take Sango back; Kaede, I believe you drove yourself."

The vet nodded. "I did. Are you sure you are not forgetting something, Sesshoumaru?"

"Oh, yes." A lilted smile crossed Sesshoumaru's face, and Inuyasha instantly knew there was something to dread. "Little brother, I can't have Naraku know you are alive and come after you. So, we have to make certain he still can't find you, we will keep you incognito when outside the shrine."

"What do you mean?" charily inquired the boy.

"Slip on the collar and masquerade as a dog. I'm sure Kagome is able to remove the collar again."

"WHAT?!"

A/N: These info chapters are hard to write. Still, it was necessary. Luckily I have stuff planned for the next chapters, a little bit less info driven, but not without purpose, I assure you. Sorry for not updating sooner, but I got to relax at a friend's house, and then I've been a tad busy, and my 17th birthday is on Saturday the 26th of June, so I'm kind of excited and a little restless. Anyway, see you the next chapter.

Ja ne,

~Moonlight Shadow