InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Returning Home ❯ Pup Talk ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 13: Pup Talk

"Yeah, I have several sisters." Akira answered Miroku slowly.

"Would they be willing to… see us?" Miroku asked carefully.

"…Maybe." Akira answered slowly and a little suspiciously.

"The girl at the farm said that InuYasha should seek his kitsunes sister." Shippo explained, "But I don't have a sister. She also said that she "would not see us"."

"Ah," Akira nodded slowly, still a little confused. What farm? "And you believe that she meant one of my sisters? I'll see what I can do. InuYasha, I'd like to talk to you alone for a minute."

"That's it?" Kagome jumped up, shocked, "Just "you'll get used to it bye!" Kagome stomped her foot in anger, "You said you would help me!"

"Kagome," Sango moved to her friend's side while InuYasha edged away from the spiking miko power, "He has helped more than you can see right now. He has explained much about your condition, but hanyou's are rare-"

"But," Kagome whimpered mournfully, "He said he could help."

Akira shook his head, "I said that I would help you after the kit taught you all he could. I agreed to help you and InuYasha understand the kitsune part of you, I've done as much as I can right now. There are some things that you'll have to learn on your own."

Kagome nodded sadly. Akira watched in with some awe as the hurt, anger and sadness evaporated as his words sank in.

"Fine," she said almost cheerfully, "Then… I'm going to take a bath, Sango would you like to join me?"

"But, the water in the river is cold," Sango said hesitantly, "and you just got over your fever."

"You don't have to get in with me," Kagome argued mildly, "but I can't stand sponge baths anymore." Kagome stretched luxuriously as she thought about the upcoming bath, "I just can't wait to strip naked and immerse my body in that crisp cool water!"

"Come on Kagome," Sango sighed and grabbed her hand, minding the claws, "Lets go get you that bath."

*

"What was so important you couldn't tell me in front of everyone else?" InuYasha sat next to Akira in a small clearing far away from Miroku and Shippo.

"I wanted to talk to you about Kagome." Akira said bluntly, "You have to remember that she isn't a youkai or hanyou and she isn't' a human. Right now she's somewhere in between trying to find her way to her new self. She needs to be taught how to use her hanyou body and senses. You're the best to do the job. And she needs to be protected, from herself and others. In some ways she is a child, in others she is very much an adolescent. Let's see, I told Miroku and Sango some of this so you can ask them about that."

"What the hell? Slow down!" InuYasha leaned forward slightly confused, "Kagome's… what does that leave?"

Akira smiled tolerantly, he had been going fast, but he didn't like repeating himself, "She's a little of everything I guess, like you are, but for her it hasn't all balanced out yet."

"Fine, I get that." InuYasha put one hand to his head as he sorted through what Akira had said so quickly, "How… am I supposed to teach her anything?"

"Well, you become human every now and then right?" Akira asked cautiously.

InuYasha just glared at him.

"Yeah, well, you know how humans perceive the world better than any youkai." Akira explained, "And you know how canine type youkai, err hanyou, perceive the world too, so you can help her to adjust better then anyone."

"But how?" InuYasha asked darkly.

"I have no idea." Akira admitted, "Getting her used to her body and training her instincts should be easier. Hey maybe that will help! Teaching her to hunt and track may cover most of the senses."

"Teach Kagome to hunt?" InuYasha asked incredulously. He tried to picture Kagome sneaking up on a "cute, furry" animal and pouncing on it. He actually choked on his laughter. It didn't help that he still saw her as the slightly clumsy human "school girl".

"Focus InuYasha." Akira scowled, "Teaching Kagome to hunt may be the only way to introduce her properly to her senses. Oh, and chase."

"You want me to chase Kagome?" InuYasha asked blankly.

"No, stupid." Akira stood up and started to pace, InuYasha was giving him a headache, "I want Kagome to chase you."

"That makes more sense." InuYasha nodded, "So you want me to play pup games with her to get her in shape?"

"Yes," Akira said, slightly surprised.

"And it has to be me because…" he knew there was a reason, he just couldn't quite find it.

"…any other pup would be too small to challenge her." Akira finished for him.

"I knew that, I'm not stupid." InuYasha scowled at him, "What… are these games?"

*

"Yay! Water!" Kagome skipped to the waters edge ready to jump right in.

"Kagome stop!" Sango called after her in an almost motherly reprimand, "Remove your clothes first, they're your last set."

Kagome paused, looking into the water at her reflected clothing. They were patched and the shirt was now off white. She looked pretty sad really, it was long past time to get some new uniforms.

"Alright Sango." Kagome sighed, she was quick about removing her clothes but stayed on the bank to look at her newly uncovered body.

It wasn't that different, but something was… off. She seemed a little more shapely, more pulled in… Kagome ran her hand along her hip and stomach.

"Hey Sango!" Kagome turned to her friend, "I'm as buff as you are!"

"What?" Sango looked up from polishing her Hiratsu, `I'm buff?'

"Here," Kagome trotted closer to her, "feel my stomach." Kagome patted her stomach in demonstration.

Sango gave her a strange look, then reached out slowly to feel her young friend's stomach.

"What do you think?" Kagome beamed at her, hands on her hips.

"I've never felt your stomach before Kagome." Sango stated as she returned to polishing her weapon.

"Well, trust me, I'm a lot firmer under my subcutaneous fat. I wonder how strong I am now…"

"Just take your bath, Kagome." Sango mumbled, "Before Miroku decides to follow us."

Kagome shrugged and hopped off to the river, tail swaying happily. Slowly she put first one foot in the cold water, then the other. Then, after instinctively pinning back her ears to seal them, she jumped joyfully into the middle, where she knew the river was deep.

The cold water rushed over her, and though she could feel it, it didn't make her uncomfortable or even numb. It was strangely exhilarating and Kagome spun and flipped under the water playfully, simply enjoying the movements of her "new" body. She didn't even realize how long she had been under until she heard an urgent voice from the surface.

Kagome pouted, she hadn't really been down that long. Kagome kicked her way to the surface.

"Kagome!" Sango gasped in relief, "You scared me for a minute."

"I know how to swim Sango." Kagome said crossly, "And I know that you can hold your breath that long."

"But you can't, uh, couldn't." Sango explained as she settled back to her work, "Hurry and finish your bath before you get sick again."

"Yes Sango." Kagome said in a teasing mock, "Right away Sango."

Kagome obediently swam back to the bank and picked up her soap but stopped and wrinkled her nose. Boy, did they stink! Hesitantly Kagome brought the perfumed bar closer to her face. It didn't smell anything like it was supposed to, like a light floral perfume. Instead it smelled… caustic, like it was about to burn her nose, and almost alcoholic. There was no way she could use that!

Putting down the bar of soap she tentatively grabbed her shampoo. She frowned when her nose had a similar reaction to that… Now what was she going to do?

Kagome looked at Sango, who was watching her curiously, then she turned back to the offensive cleaning agent. Acting quickly and without thinking Kagome grabbed the soaps and washed herself clean, breathing as little as possible. She stayed in the water rinsing herself a little longer then necessary to get as much of the soap smell off as possible.

"Kagome!" Sango called suddenly as she stood and approached the rivers edge, "You've cut yourself."

Kagome slowly pulled her hand from her arm, her dainty claws were tinted pink. She turned her arm slightly and saw a small gash along the back bleeding heavily.

"Come here Kagome," Sango knelt on the bank, "I'll patch you up."

Kagome reluctantly did as she was told. As she sat there, naked, on the rivers edge with Sango cleaning and bandaging her arm, she considered her new reflection in the water.

*

InuYasha was lying in a tree near Keade's house, where the others were sleeping, thinking about the conversations he'd had that day. `Kagome's a child… no, a pup, and I have to help raise her. That's just fucked up.' He smirked.

Suddenly a ball of red fur fell heavily onto his stomach.

"What the hell?" InuYasha gasped and sat up, holding the offending creature by the tail, "Shippo! Never sneak up on me like that!"

Shippo blinked tiredly up at InuYasha, "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"What?" InuYasha looked back down at hut, "Did Kagome kick you out or something?"

"No," Shippo yawned, "She's crying again."

"Kagome's crying?" InuYasha turned back to Shippo, "Why?"

Shippo shrugged, "I don't know, she's asleep, really deep, but she's crying, she did it last night too. It was unsettling so… I came here. Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Uh, sure runt." InuYasha leaned against the tree and dropped Shippo in his lap, "Just don't drool on me."

Once Shippo settled down InuYasha turned his eyes back to the hut.

*

A/N: I'm glad that everyone is enjoying the story, If it was slow to get started it's because there is a lot of set up in this story. It looks to be long one. I'm sorry that it's a short chapter, but the next one is going to be long. For me anyway.