InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Simple Question ❯ The Bugs ( Chapter 5 )

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The low growl, which never sounded quite right when he wasn't a hanyou, which came from InuYasha confirmed the kit's fear. InuYasha hadn't planned on telling the others that part.

 

“Um, what does that mean, InuYasha?” Kagome's asked, her voice uncertain but unafraid, she would never fear InuYasha.

 

“Inu youkai mark the back of the neck.” Now his comment about planning out their clothing made sense to the girls. And right away everyone knew the danger. A mistake could mean paralysis or death.

 

“Has Sesshoumaru marked Rin?” She was desperate to steer the conversation away from InuYasha before the others had time to ponder the idea and begin to worry. Even without his hanyou nose he would be able to figure it out if Sango and Miroku started acting scared.

 

“Keh.” InuYasha shook his head. “If he marks her he'll wait until she's older so she doesn't spend a hundred years helpless. He might not even know how he wants to mark her yet either.” At his friends' questioning looks he elaborated, “He may plan on taking her for a mate, in which case marking her twice would be redundant, not to mention hard to do.”

 

“Why not mark her with a soul bond to begin with, whether or not he wants her for his…mate?” The hanyou turned human looked at Kagome like she was nuts.

 

“Inu youkai mate for life and a soul bond is for mates only. If he marked her with a soul bond she would be his mate, end of story.” He seemed adamant but he couldn't explain himself any better.

 

“So youkai mate for life?” Kagome asked.

 

“No,” Sango answered. “Some, like inu, ookami, and kitsune, will only have one mate, only if their mate dies they are free to find another. And then there are others, like rabbit and reptile youkai who do not mate for love and companionship, they mate for offspring and they will find a new mate every time.” InuYasha, once again grateful he didn't have to do all the damn talking.

 

“So inus and kitsune are most like humans then? They won't find another mate unless theirs dies?” The kit was desperately trying to fit both sides of his world together, his own versus the one he lived in with his new family.

 

“Yes, but sometimes that loyalty goes deeper than death.” Although completely accurate Sango's statement struck a chord within the group and they all turned to look at InuYasha apprehensively.

 

He glared at them all angrily, “Keh. Don't even fucking say it. She wasn't.”

 

The rest of the night was spent in contemplative silence, each deep within their own thoughts. The night of the new moon turned into another long night.

 

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In the morning it was decided that they would travel, and hunt, and search, but plan to be back in two weeks for the full moon. InuYasha had no idea how a blood bond would affect him and wanted to be back in the safety of the village before attempting it. When Kagome decided she could take the opportunity and return to her world after the ceremony was over, and she made sure everyone was ok, she was met with little resistance. InuYasha, not knowing if he would even be conscious, knew he might not be able to stop her and didn't say anything.

 

Kagome decided to leave most of her things, including her bike, at Kaede's. If they lost track of time or needed to return in a hurry she didn't want to be the one holding the group up. Last thing she needed was InuYasha screaming at her before performing some dangerous youkai ceremony.

 

When they set out from the village they had no particular course in mind. There very few shards left besides Kohaku's and Kouga's, and the ones Naraku controlled, that is. So they had little to do beside hunt for sign of the vile hanyou or wander aimlessly searching for a shard that may have been overlooked.

 

InuYasha was looking for a fight of any kind. He was nervous about marking his friends and desperately hoped some random evil youkai decided to attack him. Or that Kouga came looking for a fight.

 

He stopped himself mid-thought. His feelings towards Kouga always confused him, and since he had so much nervous energy at the moment he took the time to think about the wolf youkai.

 

As long as he could remember he had been fighting Kouga for Kagome. But from nowhere a though came unbidden. What if Kagome were removed from the situation? He imagined that he and the wolf would have shared a much different relationship had they not both felt the need to compete for one woman. They were both still proud alpha males with youkai blood so there would always be competition between them, but he couldn't help but wonder if that was the extent of it.

 

As the group crested a rolling hill InuYasha's ears picked up a faint sound that grew as they continued. The grass rolled with the gusts of air that brought the humming buzz to the soft dog-ears perched atop the hanyou's head.

 

“What the fuck…?” At the questioning looks from his friends he told them. It sounded like insects, a lot of them.

 

As they descended the gently sloping incline the droning buzz got louder, forcing the inu hanyou to flatten his ears to his head.

 

“Where's it coming from, InuYasha?” The kit whined. He clamped his tiny hands over his pointed ears. The buzzing was getting to him too.

 

At the bottom of the hill even the human's ears were feeling abused as the awful buzzing noise increased in volume. Shippou began crying, as the deafening murmur became too much his sensitive ears. Kagome picked up her son and tried to calm him down, but her voice was lost over the maddening racket.

 

Before their eyes a swarm of locust youkai became visible among the grasses lining either side of the road.

 

InuYasha wasted no time pulling his fang and transforming it.

 

“Kaze no Kizu!”

 

The power of his blast ripped up the ground along the left side of the road, destroying the annoying youkai and their green camouflage in one sweep of the mighty sword. Instantly both he and Shippou felt as though a tight band of metal that had been constricting their chests had loosened. The noise level dropped and instantly is was easier to breathe, to think. Walking to the other side of the tiny dirt road InuYasha once again raised his sword and unleashed a powerful blast at the bothersome bugs.

 

The six companions stood still as death as they were greeted by blessed silence. After a few moments a few chirps resumed. Apparently the few survivors were too stubborn to admit defeat. But this time it sounded like less than a dozen of the pests and reminded everyone of a warm spring night when the fireflies danced and the insect life of the forest called to one another.

 

InuYasha sheathed his sword and resumed walking down the dirt road in the middle of the lush, green countryside. His once again perky puppy ears picked up the sounds of his friends as they too continued down the path before them.

 

Almost half an hour after their run in with the bug youkai Kagome couldn't help but notice she could still hear the survivors of InuYasha's attacks chirping incessantly all around them.

 

“InuYasha, are they following us?”

 

“I don't know but they're really fucking starting to piss me off.”

 

“WHO KILLED MY KIN?!”

 

They spun to see a giant mantis blocking the road behind them. The giant bug was easily twenty feet tall. It's antennae swiveled as it's beady eyes glared down at the humans. It was the color of healthy spring grass, but where it would find enough grass to hide in was anyone's guess.

 

The mantis swung one of his scythe-like clawed forelimbs, forcing everyone to jump back.

 

InuYasha turned to face the demon as he landed, unsheathed his sword and wrapped both of his hands around the ancient grip.

 

The mantis quickly surveyed his opponents, looking for a kill that would not only be easy but also be most likely to shatter the hearts of the stronger fighters. His eyes lit upon the scandalously clad young female and the child in her arms. He hissed, pleased with himself at finding such a perfect target.

 

InuYasha leapt at the insect, who ducked under his attack and charged the young miko and youkai child. Miroku uncovered his wind tunnel briefly and used the vacuum to pull his friend out of the way of the deadly attack. He quickly covered his hand and braced himself to catch Kagome as she finished her brief flight in his direction.

 

Kagome thanked Miroku and then cast her eyes about, looking for her adopted son. When Miroku's kazaana was unleashed she had lost her grip on the boy and was desperate to find him. A familiar glitter caught her eye and she wondered why she hadn't seen it earlier.

 

“InuYasha! He's got a shard! It's in his neck, just below his head.”

 

Again the mantis searched for the ones he figured to be easy prey. His glassy black eyes focused on the girl and he charged again. InuYasha leapt from behind the big bug to slash at him distractedly. He wasn't trying to kill it, he was trying to force the bug to move so he could get Kagome.

 

His bare feet touched ground a split second before the mantis swung his claw down toward them. He leapt back behind the monk and slayer before he released Kagome to let her stand on her own. A low growl began in his throat as he turned and brandished Tetsusaiga at the ugly insect.

 

Every human and hanyou eye was jerked upward to where the mantis youkai had Shippou dangling from his sharp forelimb.

 

InuYasha cursed, the mantis must have grabbed Shippou while he was rescuing Kagome.

 

“You seem barely a morsel. But you smell so tasty.” The bug taunted the terrified kitsune as InuYasha seethed silently.

 

“I can't use my kazaana on it, I'd suck Shippou in too.” The monk looked distraught at not being able to lend his aid.

 

“Just stay here and protect Kagome.” InuYasha snarled over his shoulder as he took off, running headlong for the mantis.

 

The bug hissed and shook Shippou, making the kit wail. He wanted the hanyou too pissed to fight well.

 

Tears streamed down the child's face as he quivered uncontrollably. His little arms reached for the hanyou racing towards him.

 

“Papa!”

 

 

 

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A/N: Usually I finish a chapter a day or so before posting but I wasn't home 7 days of the past 11 so I didn't have time to look over it like I usually do, please forgive the lack of editing.

 

And Leila-chan made me laugh `crap, this is getting interesting, now I must read…' *snickers* muahahaha.

 

Think about it this way, Inuyashaloverr, his brain didn't think they'd turn away from him, his heart did. Just like when a girl who was a pudgy child has problems believing when someone calls her beautiful. It's a self esteem thing, it has nothing to do with smarts =)

 

Aw, bettychan! *huggles* Sorry to make you wait.

 

*bows to Ashra* Arigatou. This fic is my `how I would have written the ending if I owned it' piece. At least that's how it started, I'm curious to see how it will end as well, `cause the characters like trying to run away with it...

 

I'M GOING TO HOLD YOU TO THAT CRICKET42! Rofl hehehehe =D

 

*waves* Hey Luc, nice to see you here hehe

 

Thank you just another stupid girl, I'm glad you guys/gals/ewoks keep enjoying it.

 

And Wendy, I know he's cutesy here, just wait till I unveil the other new pieces I'm working on, you'll see my take on a sadistic hanyou. (dunno when that'll be, but I promise I've started it lol)

 

Welcome to my realm of insanity, Fyrloche, and I will never stop writing. =) The only question is whether or not I post it for others to see lol

 

Yes, .:Jessica:., you made sense, and I think that's pretty cool. I hope you like my other stuff as well.

 

 

 

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