InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pure As Snow ❯ If You Can't Beat 'em... ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: Hey guys! This is the chapter that would not get written. It took me forever just to get it started. Anyway. Hope you enjoy. I anticipate the next chap coming out soon (crosses fingers).

 

Remember: My heart belongs to Inuyasha (awww), but he does not belong to me (boo hiss).

 

Reminder: E-mails and reviews much welcome. Love you all.

 

Chapter Five: If You Can't Beat `em…

 

Kagome emerged from the backroom feeling ridiculously pleased with herself. She'd managed to teach that rude and exceptionally cute hanyou that she was one girl not to be messed with.

 

“Is everything alright?”

 

She glanced to her left. There was Kaede, teacup in hand, peering up anxiously at her. Kagome smiled reassuringly at the old lady.

 

“Everything's fine. Inuyasha just needed some help with his manners, that's all.” She stretched both arms over her head and arched backwards, trying to pop her back. Subduing people was hard work. “I don't think he'll be confusing me with Kikyo again anytime soon,” she smirked, taking a seat next to the fire. Kaede handed her an extra cup, which Kagome took gratefully. She drew the fragrance in with a deep breath, than released it in a sigh, before she took her first sip. The warm liquid soothed her throat and nerves, both of which were raw from the morning's activities.

 

She was just settling in to wait for Inuyasha to reappear (which would probably be sooner rather than later), when Kaede cleared her throat to speak. Kagome turned her attention away from her tea and thoughts of a certain hanyou to see her new friend gazing worriedly out of the hut's small window. She didn't have to wait long before she found out what was bothering the old woman.

 

“I need to warn you of something,” Kaede started.

 

Kagome quirked a brow in question. “What?”

 

The old woman sighed and turned to face her. “It was something my sister, Kikyo, did to the Shikon no Tama before she died.” Kagome nodded for her to continue. “Since the Jewel was necessary in Inuyasha's redemption, she could not allow it to fall into the wrong hands. So she worked a spell on the Jewel that would shield its aura from those who would seek its power.

 

“Well yeah, that makes sense,” Kagome said, placing her teacup on the floor. “But what does that have to do with me?”

 

Kaede shifted to a more comfortable position. “Kikyo set the spell to be broken when whoever was fated to awaken the hanyou appeared.” She then took a long swig of tea.

 

“So,” Kagome drawled, as each piece of new information fell into place, “in other words, a whole bunch of monsters and demons are going to be after me now, right?”

 

The older woman sighed, “Essentially. However,” she raised one finger warningly, “there is one monster I must caution you about most fiercely.” Seeing that she had Kagome's full attention, she continued, “His name is Naraku and he is an intensely powerful demon. Shortly after my sister's death, he came sniffing around the village, searching for the Jewel. Thankfully he did not find it. It is he that I believe Kikyo hid the Shikon no Tama from.”

 

Kagome's eyes were wide with amazement. “But if he was so evil, why didn't Kikyo get rid of him beforehand?”

 

“I do not think she knew of him specifically. She may have only felt his ominous aura in the surrounding territory and had figured the owner of such an aura to be the largest threat to the Jewel.” Kaede rubbed a hand across her forehead in a gesture of exhaustion. “Unfortunately, all of this is speculation. Kikyo was not very forthcoming with details of the Shikon no Tama.” She glanced up to meet Kagome's eyes with an apologetic stare. “I do not tell you this to frighten you, child. I only wish for you to be on your guard.”

 

The young girl smiled and nodded her head. “Of course.” Then she frowned. “But I thought you would be holding onto the Jewel?”

 

Kaede shook her head. “Nay, child. I was only the keeper of the ensorcelled gem. Now I am too old. Nor do I possess the same strength and power that you and Kikyo seem to share. In fact.” Here she stood and crossed to an adjacent wall. Lining the wall were several bows and quivers, some child sized. Kaede selected a bow designed for easy carry and one of the larger quivers filled with arrows.

 

“Here.” She pressed both items into Kagome's lap and sank back down, sighing as her muscles protested their recent abuse. “These will help you protect the Jewel.”

 

Running a hand over the smooth wood and tight bowstring brought back more memories of her grandfather's teachings. The old coot had insisted on Kagome learning to shoot until she could hit a bull's eye nine times out of ten. `Grandpa,' she thought sadly, now letting her fingers caress the soft leather of the quiver. As her touch transferred to the soft fletching of the arrows, a curious feeling of confidence came over Kagome. Even though the idea of protecting some obscure jewel of power from demons still scared the willies out of her, Kagome knew she could do it. `As if I've already been doing it all my life,' was the thought that ran through her head

 

Kaede clearing her throat startled the girl out of her musings. When Kagome finally looked up, she caught a brief calculating gaze crossing the old woman's face before Kaede continued where she`d left off. “Do not fret though. Kikyo's death was a horrible occurrence. But history need not repeat itself. For I believe that it was my sister's intention to have Inuyasha help defend the new Protector of the Shikon no Tama, in atonement for attempting to steal the Jewel.”

 

“Huh?” Kagome blinked in shock. `It'll be fun trying to convince him to do that, considering he hates me already.' It became obvious that someone else thought the idea was a dud too.

 

“Keh. Fat chance of that happening, old woman,” Inuyasha's voice declared from behind them. Kagome turned to see the hanyou leaning up against the wall leading the back. `Now how long has he been standing there?' she thought wryly. Apparently just long enough to hear that his ex-girlfriend was dead, if his next words were anything to go by.

 

“So, Kikyo died, huh?” he asked Kaede.

 

“Aye. Shortly after she pinned you to that tree,” she confirmed, her remaining eye scanning the hanyou's face. Kagome joined her in perusing his reaction to the news. She watched as a deep sadness flitted behind his amber eyes, dulling them down to an orangey-yellow. It quickly disappeared to be replaced by the anger and betrayal that he'd turned on Kagome earlier. And this was then covered by a cocky disinterest that seeped into his posture, causing him to appear more indifferent than he really was. Kagome was on the verge of saying something sympathetic sounding when Inuyasha broke the slightly tense silence.

 

“Well, good riddance.” He said scathingly, rolling his shoulders back as he crossed for the exit. “That's one less bitch for me to deal with.” He was almost out the door when Kagome stopped him. Quite abruptly too.

 

“Osuwari!” she screamed.

 

Inuyasha slammed face-first into the hard wooden flooring, which was considerably less forgiving than the soft earth he`d encountered earlier. Shortly after making a re-acquaintance with the ground, he rose, sputtering curses and rude suggestions for Kagome to follow. When he faced the girl to really give her a piece of his mind, he was met by a roaring fury that put anything he had to say to shame.

 

“How DARE you insult Kikyo!” Kagome was right up in Inuyasha's face, finger practically jammed up his nose. “She used her last strength to give YOU a second chance. YOU! A sorry little ingrate of a half-demon who swiped the Jewel as soon as her back was turned.” Her voice rose a couple more octaves. “She could've left you to rot on that damn tree. Hell, she could've flat out killed you. But she DIDN'T!” Now she shoved him as hard as she could into the wall and the hanyou was cowed enough to let her do it. “She loved you enough to provide you a way to be free, while she died. And all you can say is 'Good riddance'? You are such a JERK! I wish I'd never freed you, much less laid eyes on you. OSUWARI!!” And with that final command, Kagome ran from the hut, leaving one very bemused miko and one very flattened hanyou behind her.

 

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Inuyasha was floored. Literally and figuratively. No one had ever yelled at him like that before. It was disconcerting to say the least. And it didn't help that some of what the wench had said had struck a certain chord within his heart.

 

`No. That can't be right. If Kikyo loved me so much, why did she betray me? She can't be right.'

 

“Such a strange child, that Kagome.” The old woman's voice disrupted his denials. “She defends the dead and those she's only heard about like they were family.”

 

Inuyasha was able to regain some of his composure and pushed himself upright. “Yeah, well, that just proves she's crazy as well as stupid,” he said with a shrug, brushing of the encounter with practiced ease (in other words, he was saving his anger for later).

 

The old woman glanced sharply at him out of the corner of her eye. “She was right, I will have you know. Kikyo did indeed use her final moments to ensure your future release.”

 

He scoffed even as his eyes turned thoughtful. “Heh. And how would you know, hag?”

“I was there when she breathed her last, Inuyasha. And I was the one she explained her spells to before she died.” She took a long sip of her now slightly cold tea.

 

“Oh, yeah?” Inuyasha jeered. “And who the hell are you to be so close to Kikyo?”

 

She set her cup down on the floor between them, then met his gaze head on. “I am Kaede, younger sister to Kikyo.”

 

Inuyasha's jaw dropped. There was no way this shriveled up old prune could be that runt kid sister of Kikyo`s. “B-but how?” he sputtered. “You were just a little kid.”

 

Kaede eyed him flatly. “Fifty years have passed since that fateful day. Much has changed.”

 

“Yeah. Kikyo's dead for one,” he muttered softly, swiveling his head away from her intense stare.

 

The old woman's hearing was better than he thought because she answered him. “Not so dead as you might think, Inuyasha.” At his blank stare, she continued. “I know now that Kagome is Kikyo reincarnated. Not the same woman, but certainly the same soul. This was how she set you free. My sister's spell was designed to react to her soul's presence, so that in essence she who bound you would also free you.”

 

“Hold up a moment,” Inuyasha exploded. “You mean that wench,” he pointed out the door where Kagome had run, “is Kikyo?”

 

Kaede's teacup made a beeline for his head. “Ow! What was that for?” he asked, rubbing the now sore spot between his ears.

 

“Did you not hear what I said, you ungrateful dog?” the old woman questioned fiercely. “She is not Kikyo. She only possesses the soul's core, not the mind of Kikyo. Their resemblance is an uncanny occurrence only, not a common thing.” Kaede struggled to her feet and made her way to see if her cup was damaged. “If I were you, and praise the gods I am not, I would venture out after your liberator and apologize to her. Now begone!” And with that, Inuyasha was booted out of the hut into the sunny afternoon.

 

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The sound of rushing water was soothing Kagome's nerves. The stream that she'd heard that morning (`Was it really only a couple of hours ago?') was actually a decently sized waterfall, about twenty feet high, with a small pool at its base. She glanced around avidly at the scenery, while the pounding falls drowned out the anger that was trying to swamp her mind.

 

`I can't believe he said that about Kikyo,' she thought. Then she paused. 'Actually, I can't believe what I said about her. Why did I jump to her defense like that? I don't even know who she is. Was. Whatever.' She gently set the bow and arrows that Kaede had given her, and which she'd somehow managed to grab while storming out of the hut, down on the ground, next to a rock half-submerged into the bank of the pool. She flopped down onto her chosen perch and flipped her sandals off so she could tentatively dip a toe into the water.

 

It was cool, a bit brisk, but not too bad. Kagome sighed as she sank both feet into the water. The chill was refreshing and relaxing to her skin. She kicked her legs gently, watching the ripples formed by her movements. Ripples. Consequences. `What made Inuyasha attack the village, I wonder?' She allowed her mind to wander about that subject for a minute, but came to nothing definite.

 

“Gah,” she groaned, leaning back to lay out on her rock. The sun beat down on her, warming her as the wind picked up slightly, ruffling her hair. She placed an arm over her eyes to reduce the glare of the sun. “Why am I thinking about this? I should be concentrating on finding a way for me and Souta to get home.” That thought started her thinking about home and everything she was missing out on.

 

`Electricity, hot running water, Oden. Mama and Grandpa must be so worried about me.' A grin slowly formed through the unhappiness. 'I can't wait to see their faces when I bring Souta home.'

 

She stretched out long-ways, hearing her muscles grind and her bones pop. 'That felt good,' she thought, sitting up and curling her legs under her. Her movements caused her to notice the state of her clothes. She sniffed gingerly at the collar of her tee shirt. 'Whew, I need a bath and so do my clothes.' She glanced down at the pool of clear water at her feet. She could see straight to the bottom it was so clean. There were a couple of little fish darting around and some bits of underwater plants. And rocks. Lots of rocks. But nothing that would bite her or gross her out too much to swim with.

 

Kagome was just contemplating whether she should go back and borrow a spare kimono from Kaede or jump right in when a rustling noise came from above her. Startled, she looked up to the top of the waterfall. There were several bushes lining the tiny precipice, perfect for some kind of peeping tom to hide in. Making sure to keep her eye on the shrubs, Kagome bent down to pick up a hefty-sized rock. It fit perfectly in her hand, as if it wanted to be thrown at whoever was invading her privacy.

 

She was lining up her shot when a twig snapped right behind her. Bushes forgotten, Kagome whirled around in time to notice a huge black shape step from the tree line. Glowing red eyes and sharp glinting teeth were all she really needed to see to know that she was in big trouble.