InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Simple Question ❯ The Return of Kagome ( Chapter 3 )

 

 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

 

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

 

She got up quickly and changed and wasn't surprised to find her mother in the kitchen making breakfast, her grandfather sitting nearby sipping tea. Souta came downstairs and joined them for breakfast, and there was no way she could have anticipated her little brother's question.

 

“Hey sis, why would a demon ever bother to have a human for a friend, or love one?”

 

After choking on her rice Kagome set down her bowl and hashi.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well ji-chan was telling stories and it made me wonder. I mean most youkai are immortal. Humans live longer now than ever `cause of medicine and stuff. So why? I mean if I was a demon I wouldn't wanna be friends with humans, they'd die fast and I'd be hurt every time one of them died.”

 

Again her little brother's brain went beyond her expectations. It made her proud.

 

It also made her think.

 

“Well, do you wish we never got Buyo?”

 

“What?”

 

“Cats don't live as long as humans. You're going to outlive Buyo, Souta. Does knowing that make you not want her anymore?”

 

“But I love Buyo!”

 

“That's why demons love humans.” Kagome nodded sagely and smiled brightly, even though she wasn't quite sure of what she said.

 

“So what made you wonder about that?”

 

Still mulling over her answer and how he couldn't deny his feeling for the obese feline he answered distractedly.

 

“InuYasha's parents.”

 

Kagome's face screwed up in thought for a moment. InuYasha and his father would have outlived his mother if they hadn't all been killed. I wonder how long InuYasha will live…

 

Breakfast was finished in silence. Kagome now had dozens of questions bouncing around and the only way she would get them answered would be to get back quickly and ask InuYasha. She helped her mother clean up after the meal and dashed upstairs for her bag, her questions forgotten for the time being.

 

Something on her desk flashed in the morning sunlight as she turned to leave her room. CDs. A few times she had taken her cd player with her, until her headphones got smashed. Her mother bought her a tiny pair of speakers instead of a new headset, saying it was unfair that InuYasha's ears were not made for headphones. Kagome smiled, her mother was very considerate, and she had loved the idea of playing songs that could show the hanyou how she felt. She didn't know why she was surprised when he complained about the mushy songs. He had been oblivious to the words, all he seemed to hear was `whine, whine, love me, blah, blah, blah'…or at least that's what he said. She decided to try a new tactic. She had made two cds with normal music to listen or dance to, figuring it would be a good way tire Shippou out. On the third cd, besides the normal songs that were meant to tell him how she felt she had burned a few songs that weren't what she wanted to say to him, but what she wanted to hear him say to her.

 

She shrugged off her bag and jammed the music stuff in before heading downstairs. She grabbed the lunches her mother had made and yelled her goodbyes, slid the door shut and ran to the well house.

 

She stopped just before she jumped through the well, remembering the whole reason she had come back in the first place. Dropping her bulging yellow bag in the well house Kagome raced back to her room to find the small jeweler's box and plastic container of pills. Both tiny boxes held precious cargo.

 

She had been bringing clothing and pottery back from the warring states era for almost two years now, most of which was her share of payment for the work they did (or Miroku conned). Most of the items were sold to antique shops, although ji-chan snagged a few things to add to the items displayed for tourists. At first it was a way to help her mother pay for all the supplies she needed, but she made enough money from it to make a nice little savings account. She used it to buy gifts mostly, she'd never had a real need for the money until now.

 

She had been so happy when Sango and Miroku announced they would be wed. And although her grandfather was a traditionalist her mother, her brother, and herself were fond of some of the western traditions that were becoming more and more popular.

 

She had looked through catalog after catalog to find suitable rings for her friends. It had taken her nearly two months to pick out ones she liked. She knew she couldn't get Sango anything too large or gaudy because her friend would never be able to wear it. Whatever she chose had to be practical enough to be worn in battle without catching or snagging.

 

She finally decided on platinum rings that were a variation off Celtic knot wedding bands. The scrolling knot work was actually vines, with leaves growing from it here and there, there were even a few flowers with gem chips for their centers on the lady's ring. All of the designs had been engraved and done in with an antiqued finish so the detail was easy to see, yet the rings were still smooth and thin.

 

Knowing she couldn't go back with only gifts for those two she had spent most of the day before shopping. By the time she was done she had a large fish for Kirara, an empty kit for Kaede with many different compartments for storing her herbs, a vast assortment of pocky and coloring books and other sweets for Shippou, and a few very special items for a certain hanyou.

 

As she passed a bookstore on her way home she had a wicked idea. Whether or not that hentai houshi had as much experience with women as he hinted at she wasn't sure, but she knew whatever little actual experience he had was more than made up for by his boundless imagination. She felt intimidated for Sango. So she decided to even the field. What she hoped the clerk hadn't noticed was that there were certain books she had bought two copies of. Hey, she would need them eventually. Or so she hoped.

 

Gathering the gifts and retrieving the books from their hiding spot in the back of her closet Kagome put everything into a second bag and set out once again for the well house.

 

 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

 

 

“Kagome-chan! Welcome back!” Sango hugged her sister happily. For once Kagome had come back early with no interference from InuYasha. She chose to take that as a good sign.

 

“Yes, welcome back, Kagome.” Miroku made a show of looking around her at the reed mat door that was conspicuously still. “Where are Shippou and InuYasha?”

 

Kagome's head shot up from where she had dropped her bags to start digging for a treat for Shippou.

 

“What? You mean they're not here?”

 

“No. Now I'm starting to worry. We haven't seen Shippou or InuYasha since the morning after you went back to your time.” Sango flicked a glance at the door, hoping to see the two demons appear.

 

“It `tis good to see ye again, Kagome. But we had assumed they were at the well awaiting your return. Are ye sure ye have not seen them?” The old miko asked as she handed Sango some vegetables to cut up to help her begin preparing supper.

 

Kagome shook her head, her eyes wider than usual. “No. I haven't seen them, I thought they were here since Shippou didn't pounce on me when I arrived. And thanks Kaede, I'm glad to see you too.” She said with a genuine smile.

 

Sango stood and reached for her hiraikotsu, which was leaning against the wall of the hut.

 

The jingling of metal rings and a cloth covered hand stopped her before she reached her preferred weapon. “Wait. Listen.”

 

The faint sounds of two familiar voices drifted into the hut, the owners speaking relatively quietly, still far enough away that they miscalculated, thinking they were too far away to be heard by the humans inside.

 

“Hey, ya know, if this is the result I may make you do this from now on.” The light, amused and mildly mocking voice of the hanyou was not what the four inside expected, InuYasha was usually sour when Kagome was away. What they heard next was even stranger.

 

“Wha? But…no. You can't! What if I can't? I dunno if I can…” The high, frantic voice of Kagome's adopted son brought all their heads to stare at the doorway where they expected the two missing demons to appear any moment.

 

More than one chin in the hut dropped as a light chuckle drowned out the boy's worries.

 

As the reed mat shifted, indicating someone entering, those inside quickly shut their mouths and wiped the surprise from their faces. A blur of tan, teal and red launched itself from the doorway into Kagome's open arms.

 

“Mama! I missed you! Did'ja bring me anything?” Shippou's eyes were lit up with unbridled joy…and hunger. Kagome laughed as she handed the boy a sucker.

 

“Oi, baba, here.” InuYasha handed Kaede the large rabbit and brushed his hand off on his hakama.

 

“Wow, InuYasha, where did you find that?” Sango's voice held more than a little awe at the size of what was once an obviously portly bunny. She grabbed a knife and began helping Kaede chop the meat into bite size portions to be added to the stew.

 

The hanyou crossed his arms arrogantly. “Keh, don't ask me. I didn't hunt it.” No one noticed the satisfied smirk that wormed it's way onto his face as four faces all dazedly turned to regard the kitsune, who was by now the color of InuYasha's clothing.

 

The kitsune gave a weak chuckle, popped the sucker into his mouth and zoomed behind InuYasha, leaving a dust trail in his wake. The baggy hakama hid most of the kitsune, the edge of his tail fluff peeking from behind the grinning hanyou.

 

“Oi! Runt get out here! You were the one who wanted them to know you caught it.”

 

Shippou giggled nervously and peeked out from behind InuYasha. He waved shyly at his mother and friends.

 

“You took my baby hunting?” Kagome's voice was threateningly low, her eyes flashing angrily.

 

InuYasha growled menacingly, his ears flat against his skull. He took a deep breath, trying to curb his anger before he got sat. He would try another tactic. He took another breath before speaking but couldn't quite keep from growling out his next words.

 

“Gee, that was careless of me to forget how vicious bunny rabbits are. The fucking kid has stood up to youkai, the shichinintai, and Naraku and you're fucking mad I took him to hunt bunnies?!”

 

Kagome knew he was purposely calling them `bunnies' to make her anger seem that much more ludicrous, and it was working. As she opened her mouth InuYasha continued, riding right over any possible rebuttal.

 

“I didn't even take him boar hunting. We worked on rabbit hunting, that's all.”

 

Again Kagome opened her mouth to yell back at the cocky hanyou but again someone else beat her to it.

 

“'Worked on rabbit hunting'? You mean you've been teaching Shippou how to hunt since Kagome-chan left?” Sango's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. Every eye was now resting on the half demon and he knew it. He also knew his standard reaction would be a violent `keh' followed by a slight blush and his retreat from the company of his friends. But not this time, he was still pissed at the kit's lack of education over the past two years.

 

“In two years how many ningen villages have we come across Sango?”

 

The taijiya looked confused at the subject change but was curious to see where InuYasha's logic led.

 

“Uh…dozens. Why?”

 

“And in that time how many demon villages have we come across?” The humans in the hut all sat back as they thought.

 

“Demons are hunters. The few youkai breeds that are plant eaters survive on mushrooms and berries and fruits. Plant eating demons follow the food with the seasons. Maybe they have a cave somewhere to stockpile for winter but they move. Hunting demons also follow the food. Like Kouga's pack. They have a den but they still have patrols that move with the food. Youkai don't farm. No farming means no need to erect villages and stay in one spot forever.”

 

“InuYasha, while that is a surprisingly logical explanation coming from you—“ the monk put his hands up to ward off the angry male, “it still doesn't explain anything.”

 

InuYasha growled angrily and folded his arms across his chest and into his haori sleeves and he plopped onto the floor and glared at the humans, “It means I've been a baka for thinking you could raise a youkai properly.”

 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

 

A/N: I know, I know, no action yet. But I need to get lots of stuff explained early to set the stage for later so just deal with it… please? =) Since it's lots of dialogue I should have Ch.4 out early. Anyone who reads my AU knows I update every 7-10 days(if I'm on schedule) but I promise Ch.4 will be earlier than that.

 

A big thanks to Hanyou_swimmer for the kind words.

 

And I agree with you ASHRA, I usually don't like the fanfic version of Shippou, I hate when he's nothing but a brat.

 

Badgerwolf - I actually keep the chapters short on purpose. I know from past experience my inspiration can fall out from under me at the stupidest times so I try to keep the individual chapters about 5 msword pages, that way I can have a few queued up and ready to go in case I get blocked.

 

DarkMe - Heh, thanks. I love knowing people look forward to see where my brain is going. I hope I live up to your expectations.

 

Cutie Blossom - Me too, I always wanted this to happen between them, that's why I'm writing it lol I hope you like this one too =)

 

Inyashaloverr - Woohoo! It's nice to see you like my continuation piece as much as you like the AU. ^.^

 

I'll answer the rest of the reviews at the bottom of Ch.4, this note is too long as is.

 

 

 

6