InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shikigami ❯ chapter six ( Chapter 6 )

Inuyasha was dreaming.
He beat down the nervous whirling in his gut. It felt like Shippo had lifted a flap of his ribs, spun a lead top inside, and stitched the flesh back together. The little runt must've thrown a few rocks in, too. Maybe a thistle. His brows knit together blackly and he jammed his hands in his sleeves. Growling softly, he glowered at the offending, if lush, grass surrounding the Goshinboku. The grass, having more common sense than the hanyou, ignored him.
He was pinned to the trunk. The arrow poked jauntily out of his chest, right about where his heart was. Digging his feet irritably into the bark, he huffed. Where was that girl, anyway? It seemed as if he was always waiting for Kagome. Waiting for her at the well, waiting for her at her school, waiting for her to realize-- well, anyway, he was tired of waiting. So if what the shikigami said was true...
And then she was there, in her old school uniform, crimson obi around her waist. Her hair was loose. He felt his face slacken. As she looked at him with lovely, lovely concern, she called his name and lightly darted to the tree. Stretching up on her toes, back arched-- oh yes-- she reached for him--
And fondled his ears.
Desperately trying to force the dream back into submission, Inuyasha blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Oi!"
Kagome snapped her hands back and froze, uncertainty wrinkling across her nose. Clapping his hands over his ears, he growled at himself. Stupid, stupid. There had to be a better way to go about this. At the sound of his growl, Kagome's nose went from wrinkled uncertainty to tilted indignation.
Reaching for her, he nearly snarled as she pulled back out of range. "Listen, Kagome, there's-- I wanted to see-- dammit, gimmie your hand."
"What?" Oh, he did enjoy her voice. Unfortunately, it was on the verge of that nagging pitch that never failed to unnerve him.
Well, Plan A had seemed like a good idea. Apparently it wasn't. So he went to Plan B-- which was really the same as Plan A, but involved force.
Inuyasha lunged for Kagome's left hand at the same moment she withdrew it. The arrow was pressing him back against the tree, but of course his reflexes were faster. His claws seized her tiny wrist. They both froze for a moment, blazing gold-amber locked with icy blue-gray. A grunting tug-of-war ensued. Why couldn't she just hold still for one minute? Why did she always, always have to confront him like this? Couldn't she just give in for one stupid second? The frustrated hanyou planted one foot on Kagome's shoulder and spat, "Give me your hand!"
"No! Leggo of me!" Bracing her feet against the Goshinboku, Kagome beat her free hand against Inuyasha's ankle. He shook her by her imprisoned wrist, and her feet slipped against the bark. Yelping, she abandoned her assault on his foot and grabbed the arrow for leverage.
Which, of course, fizzled into purple haze.
Which, of course, sent them both sliding to the ground, Inuyasha on top of Kagome.
Which, as he froze for a moment, wasn't all bad. He squirmed experimentally, face in her hair. She squeaked.
This, my boy, a distant voice of reason noted, is a very interesting situation. His body, in and of itself, was speechless.
Until Kagome's fist connected solidly with his nose. Cursing followed.
Where, Inuyasha thought around the bright black haze constricting his vision, had she learned that?
He staggered to his feet, bracing one hand on his knee and digging his toes in the loam for purchase. He was somewhat surprised to find he still had Kagome's hand gripped in his, despite her verbal harangue and continued tugging, which had the same effect as a brush in his hair. Which is to say, none.
Things were not going the way he wanted. He'd had enough. Still latched onto the hand in question, Inuyasha turned his back on a still cacophonic Kagome, tucking her arm beneath his shoulder and immobilizing her spastic appendage.
"Gotcha." With irritated satisfaction, he slipped something heavy and warm on her third finger. He suddenly released her in the middle of a tug, and she overbalanced, landing on her derriere.
"Inuyasha, you idi-- oh." She looked at the new weight on her finger.
It was dull gray, wide and solid. It looked like a lug nut with the edges melted down. Inuyasha watched Kagome's face intently.
“It’s a ring.” Inuyasha scowled at her expression. He hadn't been expecting cartwheels, but-- "I had Totosai make it especially for you." As she stared at him, then at the ring, then at him again, his mood shifted pleasantly toward smug. This was more like it. Good dream. "Now everyone in your time will know you're off-limits."
"WHAT!?"
"That's what Souta said, anyway."
"I'll kill him," Kagome gritted out from between clenched teeth. Now on her feet, she grabbed the ring and pulled. It didn't budge.
She shot daggers at the discomfited hanyou. "I know my fingers didn't suddenly swell up. Why won't it come off?"
Kouga's scent wafted insolently past his nose, mocking him. Kagome's red obi had mutated into a dirty belt of brown fur.
Bad dream. Bad, bad dream. Inuyasha felt betrayed. And, as usual when his emotions rode high, his mouth outran his brain. Left it in the dust, really.
"Weren't you listening? I told you, I had Totosai make it. It'll never come off." He turned his back on her, fists up his sleeves. "Deal with it." There was a rushing sound in the distance, like a small whirlwind.
"Inuyasha, SIT!"


Inuyasha dug his fingers into the cold, hard ground. As cold as Kagome's heart. Which was odd, since he had last remembered settling in for the night in a tree. Blinking dirt away from his eyes, he focused on a pair of rather unkempt feet.
Damn wolf.
Damn dream.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he muttered to the clawed toes. They flexed at him, and then one foot, toes included, came very rapidly towards his head.
Inuyasha had a brief glance at the fading stars before he found himself in a similar position as a moment ago, except this time on his back. Well, mostly on his back. Some of his weight lay on his head and neck. It was worse than painful; it was humiliating. His feet twitched in the air for a moment, and then he flipped into a crouch. That stinking wolf was dead.
Kouga, however, was facing a clear-eyed Sango and a bleary-eyed Miroku. Both were still seated, blankets in two little heaps around their legs, staring worriedly at Inuyasha. Shippo was still a small furry lump. Not that that ever changed. Kouga sighed noisily at their disregard. "I said, where's Kagome?"
And the first thing he asked about was Kagome!? How dare he give me the brush-off!
Inuyasha sprang at Kouga's back, exulting furiously as he made solid contact, he and Kouga clearing Miroku's head by a good six inches. They spun into the long grass until Inuyasha got an earful of elbow. He growled and shook his head, leaping away from Kouga's roundhouse kick, and drove in with his fist. Kouga blocked with a forearm, his eyes narrowed and his mouth a thin line. Inuyasha's mouth, however, was wide open.
"You stinkin' creep!" Inuyasha spat. "Why don't you go chase your tail, you--" and Kouga closed the hanyou's mouth with his knuckles. Inuyasha slid to a halt a few feet away, jerked to his feet, and launched himself again into the fray.
"Inuyasha," Sango's voice floated by in not-so-subtle curiosity, "do you know where Kagome is?"
"Yes, Inuyasha," Miroku said firmly. "Kagome." The monk was standing next to Sango. The two of them eyed their friend meaningfully.
"No. And I don't care." Only the words were a little muffled, since Kouga's shin was in the way.
Kouga leapt back. "So, finally admitted she's mine, huh? About time." He stood for a moment, hand on hip, preening. Inuyasha slugged him.
"Shut up! You don't know nothin' about what's going on--"
"Inuyasha." Sango warned. Miroku, however, let his staff speak for him. It practically shouted, in fact.
Inuyasha, for the second time that morning, had a brief glance at the growing light of the sky. It was going to be a really beautiful morning, but an extremely bad day.


Kagome woke with a start. She stared in stupefaction at the dark trees surrounding her, blinking wearily. Slowly memory returned.
A, aorange. B, borange. C, corange. D--
And then she had grabbed Love's poem and shredded it. Love had stood in shock as Imp attempted to restrain Kagome, who then turned on her, finger jabbing Imp repeatedly just below her neck, offering a steady punctuation to her virulence. When Love intervened, Kagome had stomped on the shreds of poem, turned her back on the whole crew, and sat down for a good sulk.
Unfortunately for her pride, she'd promptly fallen asleep.
Kagome groaned. Why couldn't she get along with herself? She was usually such a people person, really. The whole circle of friends, even Joho. Hojo. Whatever. She yawned politely into her hand.
She twisted to look for the others. She discovered she was one corner of a square, the others with their stiff backs to her. And they didn't look like they were reconciling any time soon.
Sighing, she extended her legs from the jacket where they had been tucked, turtle-like, from the night before. If only she had a nice shell to crawl into. Or a rock to crawl under. She really had behaved badly last night.
"Look, guys, I'm sorry."
Three backs remained unmoved. She stood, stretched, and tucked her hands back into her jacket. It was still really chilly.
"C'mon. Don't be that way," she cajoled. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have shredded your poem. It was very, er, heartfelt."
Not a sound. Now it was really chilly. Frigid, in fact.
"And I said some things I shouldn't have." Sighing, she walked over to the nearest shikigami and placed a hand on its shoulder. "C'mon, please?"
"You said you were going to turn me into a pinata." Love's voice was sulky.
"I'm really sorry. Really! I guess it was just the whole mess from last night bubbling over. I mean, it's not every day that I see Inuyasha--" Kagome hesitated. Just like last night, the miko knew she couldn't mention the kiss to Lust. She'd flip and demand equal rights. "Well, and then," Kagome waved her hands helplessly, "well, what Lust said. I kinda just snapped."
"You snapped."
"Right! So you see, it's really just a big misunderstanding, and I'd really like to put it behind us and just be friends, okay?"
"A pinata! Do you know what they do to pinatas?"
"Of course she does. That was the point." Imp looked over her shoulder at Kagome and grinned. Lust didn't speak, but stood slowly, brushed off her skirt, and strode toward the suddenly wary miko. Kagome put a nervous hand in her hair and plastered an integrating smile on her face.
"Kagome, you must remember that we're you. You're us. You're just getting angry with yourself." Lust came very close, nose to nose. "You love Inuyasha. There. I said it out loud. So deal with it."
"They hit them with sticks! Sticks!"
"And now he knows you love him. So what," Lust held up a warning finger, "is the big problem?"
"Until candy falls out!"
Kagome sighed and buried her head in her hands. "He wasn't supposed to know that I love him!"
"But he already knew. Sort of." Lust shrugged, dismissive.
"There is no 'sort of' with Inuyasha," Imp offered cheekily. "You have to hit him over the head with this kind of thing until he understands or falls unconscious--"
Kagome popped her head up to fix the shikigami with an anguished glare. "You never should have told him!"
Turning away, Lust waved her hands in the air. "So, you expected him to say it first? Ha! You might as well fall in love with a stump! Or Sesshomaru!"
Imp leaned over to Love, muttering, "Looks like she'd prefer him unconscious."
"How am I supposed to face him now? He never even said he loved me!" Her head sank back to her hands, and Kagome sank back to the ground.
"Who said you have to face him? As far as he knows, you're just another scrap of paper," Imp suggested. Kagome raised her head, hopeful.
"Imp, that totally misses the whole point. We're trying to get these two," Lust brought her outstretched hands palm to palm, "together." She cast a critical eye over Kagome. "You really look beat. I'll go check out Inuyasha--"
"Hey!"
"--on Inuyasha and the others while you two get her presentable. She needs to look more like herself. Ourself. Selves."



Inuyasha sulked at the edge of the meadow. Shafts of morning sunlight cut through the trees, shading the bronze grass in light and shadow. He, of course, stood in a shadow, frowning impatiently at Miroku. It was time to go. Kagome was back at Kaede's, tonight was the new moon, and Naraku was on the move, but no, the monk had to be all polite and stuff. The hanyou huffed. Miroku ignored him, too busy yakking to the stinking wolf. Inuyasha huffed louder. Miroku ignored him further. What was Miroku saying now? Was he offering the wolf--ramen?
Clenching his fists, he prepared to fight for his right to ramen.
"Hey, handsome."
Inuyasha jumped, legs and arms going six different directions. He spun to look behind him.
One of the shikigami was standing at the tree line, much too close for comfort. But she wasn't looking at him.
She was looking at Kouga.
Really looking at Kouga.
Really looking at Kouga.
He heard someone growling, and realized it was him. Again. He stopped.
Lust sashayed by Inuyasha, close enough to run her hand absently along his tense arm, patting his fist. She stopped by Miroku's side. Miroku covered his surprise, while Sango, Shippo, and Kirara watched in interest. Kouga also watched in interest.
Damn wolf.
"Kagome." Kouga sounded inordinately pleased. "You are as beautiful as ever." He moved to take the shikigami's hands in his, but Inuyasha was suddenly at her side. He wasn't sure how he had gotten there. But, satisfyingly enough, Kouga drew back and squared his shoulders, glaring at the hanyou.
"Back off, mutt," the wolf prince snapped. "This doesn't concern you."
Inuyasha, eyes closed, cocked his head to the side. "Geez, save a guy's life once-- no, twice. Three times? And he gets all bent out of shape--"
"I didn't need help from you, dog. I can take care of myself." His angry claim was slightly undermined by the panting arrival of Hakkaku and Ginta.
"Lord Kouga!" The two staggered up to their prince's side and bent over, gasping, hands on knees. "Big sister!" They managed weak smiles for Lust.
"We don't have time for this," Inuyasha declared flatly. "C'mon, let's get going." He turned to leave.
"Kouga," Lust's voice stopped him in his tracks. It was just so... nice. "I'm very glad to see you, but why are you here?"
Inuyasha jerked his head around and glared at her. Kouga beamed. "Why, to make sure the mutt was taking care of you, of course." The wolf shrugged. "And my shards were acting up. So I just followed their pull--" He moved toward Lust again. This time Miroku interrupted.
"Lord Kouga has also sensed a darkness nearby, Kagome. He has generously offered his services for your protection. Perhaps we can come to an agreement--"
Inuyasha couldn't believe his twitching ears. An agreement? With the wolf? He turned to take care of the interloper. 'Take care' meaning, of course, beating him to a pulp.
And then the shikigami placed her hand on Kouga's forearm, saying something that was lost in the sudden rushing noise in the hanyou's head. Stepping back to Miroku's side, she laughed lightly at something Kouga said. Inuyasha stood next to Miroku, fists clenched and eyes hidden. The others were giving him a wide berth, ignoring him pointedly. It wasn‘t Kagome drooling over Kouga, yet it was. He was confused. Confusion meant frustration. Frustration meant anger. The hanyou stewed in silence.
"...thank you for your consideration, Kouga." Miroku was really laying it on. At least the shards in the mangy, stinking, ugly wolf's legs would be handy when the hanyou decided to snap 'em open and pluck 'em out like seeds from an orange. Inuyasha felt himself relax a bit at the thought. A really juicy orange. He added some high-pitched screaming, and was really beginning to enjoy himself. Listening to Miroku with half an ear, he idly noted that the monk seemed to be wrapping things up. "...honoring us. You would be a great help in any confro-ahi!"
Miroku, mouth still open, was rigid, eyes wide. Slowly, his neck lost its stiffness and he looked incredulously at the dark-haired shikigami next to him. Lust studiously avoided eye contact, radiating innocence and purity, while simultaneously bringing her hand out from the folds of the monk's robe.
Sango’s lip twitched. Kouga glowered, and seemed to be sizing the monk up.
Inuyasha, however, saw no humor in the situation. Not only had he recently not-really kissed her-- well, one of them, anyway-- but she'd also just grabbed Miroku firmly on his...whatever.
What in the world did Kagome draw on that paper?
Kouga sidled up to Lust, elbowing the stunned Miroku aside. "He's not worth your time, you know."
Inuyasha heard Hakkaku whisper to Ginta, "Kinda fickle, isn't she?"
"I'd really be a much better man than some guy in a dress." Kouga took Lust's hands in his own. "You know you're the only woman for me."
Sango began to cough. Inuyasha snorted. "She ain't interested in you, wimp."
Lust shot him a cutting glare. "Says who?" Like magic, the glare transformed into a flirtatious gaze, aimed dead at the wolf. "What exactly are you saying, Kouga?"
"Kagome, you are unlike any woman I've ever met." Sango's cough worsened, sounding slightly strangled. She waved Shippo's offer of water away, while Miroku moved to pat her solicitously on her back. His eyes were still a little wild, and Inuyasha noticed he kept Sango between Lust and himself. Kouga continued, "And you know that I want you to be my woman. Dump the dog and say you will."
"Hey!" Inuyasha snarled. They ignored him.
Lust actually batted her eyes at the wolf. "Why, Kouga, I had absolutely no idea--"
Hakkaku whispered to Ginta again, "But he's been after her for the last four years!" Ginta looked at his cohort and shrugged.
"--but I really can't commit to anything until we've defeated Naraku."
Kouga grinned. "Then I'll see ya tomorrow!" He turned away from Lust, cockily waving at her over his shoulder as he burst into a whirlwind. It happened to speed right over Inuyasha.
"Lord Kouga! Wait for us!"
For the fourth time that morning, Inuyasha blinked dirt from his eyes. Lust, arms akimbo, was grinning at the tattered remnants of the group. Sango was still choking, but it had grown to a suspiciously high pitch. Shippo was shoving water at her, and Miroku was standing behind Sango like a dazed rabbit. Inuyasha climbed to his feet, scowling. A footprint adorned the front of his haori.
Kirara calmly groomed herself by the fire.
Clapping her hands together, Lust announced, "My work here is done." And with that, she turned and slipped back into the forest.

As the sun rose, Kagome sat on her rock and waited impatiently for Lust to return. She felt extremely uncomfortable letting that particular incarnation out of her sight, but it seemed there was no controlling her. The miko wrapped her jacket tighter. That shikigami was just so... overwhelming.
She really didn't want to think about why.
Imp and Love were sitting at her feet, discussing the coming night. Kagome forced herself to concentrate on what they were saying.
"-- Inuyasha, when he's human, is going to know Kagome is Kagome." Imp sounded worried. "He's probably going to be pretty upset that we tricked him, and that may set back the whole thing--"
"But he loves her," Love stated confidently. "I know he does. So I don't think he'll care, now that he knows how we feel."
"I feel," Kagome said firmly. "But he hasn't said he loves--"
Love waved her off. "Whatever. He does. So I don't know why you guys are so upset."
Imp twisted her fingers together. "But what if he's really mad? What if he just..." She waved her hands, at a loss for words to describe an angry hanyou.
"Look, he's not going to find out," Kagome stated. "I'm supposed to be waiting at Kaede's, right? So when we get there, I will be." And I can conveniently be ignorant of this whole episode. I'll know that he knows that I love him, but he won't know that I know he knows. So if he doesn't say anything, then I guess I'll know...
Imp looked askance at the miko. "Lemme guess. You'll run ahead and get there before we do, huh? I know Inuyasha isn't quick on the uptake sometimes, but he can count. He'll notice one of us missing."
"Not if all of us are missing. We're all supposed to be shikigami, aren't we? So we'll just, pfffft, disappear."
"Where will the rest of us go?" Love asked.
Kagome hesitated. She hadn't quite thought that far. "Well, maybe we can just make that up as we go along."
Imp suggested, "We could go down the well."
"No!" Kagome nearly shouted. She forced a reassuring smile. "I mean, that wouldn't be a good idea. We've already created enough problems here without my family getting involved."
"Problems?" Love said, affronted. "I'd like to think we're the solution to the big Inuyasha-shaped problem you already had."
Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose. "Listen--"
Lust came dancing into the clearing, practically on air. Kagome caught her eye. Lust twirled, and pointed at her. "Oh, are you going to have some explaining to do. And how."
Kagome felt her eye twitch. "What have you done now?"
"Oh, you'll find out." Lust smiled brilliantly.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing much. But now if Inuyasha wants you, he's going to have competition."
"I don't want to know," Kagome tried to convince herself. Her voice sounded hysterically high to her ears. "I don't want to know."
Lust patted her. "It's not anything you can't handle. He'll just have to figure out how he feels that much faster, unless he wants Kouga to run off with you."
Kagome gripped her hair and stared at the self-satisfied shikigami. "You didn't-- I don't want to know."
"So did I miss anything? If not, let's get back to the others."
"We were just discussing getting to Kaede's tonight," Love said, rising. "Kagome has suggested we all disappear, while she runs ahead."
Lust waved her off. "Don't worry about it. Naraku will probably do us all in before we get there."
Imp abruptly changed the subject, her tone curious. "Why do you think Kaede or Miroku couldn't tell we were shikigami?"
Love shrugged and helped her fellow incarnation to her feet. "They're not infallible. Miroku hasn't figured out the demon-as-beautiful-girl routine once or twice."
Lust grinned and began counting on her fingers. "The praying mantis demon, the dead princess that cracked Hiraikotsu, likewise dead princess that ate 99 monks, the snow nun, the cat thing, that whole village of possessed women, and let's not forget his own grandfather was tricked by Naraku in drag."
Kagome came to the monk's defense. "But he usually fights back. Miroku isn't one to take these things lying down."
"Not alone, at least." Lust winked. "Anyway, sometimes I think he doesn't want to figure it out. I think he likes the danger aspect. It's kinky. I think that's why he likes Sango so much-- hey, maybe if Sango lent you Hiraikotsu..." She trailed off, staring absently at Kagome.
Love rolled her eyes at Lust and shook her head. "Sorry. She's easily distracted by, um, things. Whatever you do, don't ask her what she was thinking. If you value your modesty, anyway." Continuing where Lust had left off, Love explained, "we're too big to really get a feel for us, if that makes any sense. It's the same reason people in Tokyo can't see Japan."
"Ah, they can't see the forest for the trees!" Imp exclaimed happily. "Our soul is just too big!"
"...or maybe if we get you a tattoo..." Lust continued, thoughtfully, "Or handcuffs. The cute, fuzzy kind..."
"Anyway, Kaede's going to be really surprised when we all show up at her doorstep." Imp snickered. "Again."
Kagome groaned, and shrugged out of her jacket. "And again. I saw her later that morning. She must think she's insane."
"Or you are."
"Stop that."
Imp spread her hands wide and grinned. "I can't! But I can't wait to see her face. It'll be better than yours when Inuyasha kissed me. Now that was priceless."
A sudden and terrible silence swamped the clearing. Kagome stared very hard at the ground, trying her best to be invisible. Don't panic, she mentally chanted. Don't panic, don't panic, don't--
Lust spoke, carefully. "What did you say."
Imp panicked.
"I mean, it's not like it was a real kiss, I mean we really kissed, but not really, you know? He just kinda grabbed me and mashed our faces together and took off--
Lust's eyes widened.
"No no no, ran off. He ran off. It was while you and Love were hanging onto Kagome 'cause I was gonna tell Inuyasha that we love him--"
Lust exploded. "Why did you get to kiss him and I didn't?!" She turned on Kagome. "After he and Love had a little snuggle, didn't you say no one touches Inuyasha?!"
Imp and Love scrambled for cover behind the miko. Kagome's back stiffened. "It's not like that. He just--"
"I don't care! When is it my turn?!"
"Listen, it's not like that--"
"It's not fair!"
Kagome jutted her head forward as her voice rose. "Oh, cool off! It's not like I got any action either--" Her jaw dropped and she covered her mouth. Had she just referred to... action?
Lust, thankfully, didn't notice the slip. She stabbed a finger at the other shikigami, each peeking from behind Kagome. "He held you and he kissed you. What did I get?"
Imp piped, "Irritated."
Lust speared Kagome with a long, frustrated glare. Kagome thought she almost saw tears. Then Lust whirled away, muttering, "You... you jerks!"
The three watched the angry shikigami disappear into the trees. The two remaining shikigami cautiously crept from behind Kagome's back and peered questioningly at her.
"Well?" Imp prompted.
"Well what?"
"What do we do now?"
"You're asking me?"
They smiled trustingly at her. "You created us. She's been repressed for so long that she just comes on stronger than we do. So she kinda took charge. But now," Love patted her hand reassuringly, "what do you want to do?"
It looked like the situation was back in her hands. All six of them. Kagome sighed.
"Let's all go back to camp and give her a minute to calm down. She'll probably have plenty of time--," she felt a sickening drop in her empty stomach, "because I'll have some explaining to do."

But when Kagome and the two shikigami cautiously returned to the clearing, everything was calm. Sango, Kirara on her shoulder, was serenely heating water for tea, although she glanced at the monk with twinkling eyes. Miroku and Shippo munched on dried fruit. Well, Shippo munched, anyway. Miroku simply took a bite and then went still, staring at nothing. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. If Lust had upset him, Kagome surmised, then he must be up in a tree somewhere.
"Hey," she greeted the group. The smell of Sango's tea churned her already nervous stomach. The curious eyes suddenly fixed on her didn't help, either.
She went for innocent. "What?"
Miroku shook himself to life. "Ah, Kag-- ladies. I trust you slept well?" He rose, eyeing them warily, staff gripped tightly in his hand. Sango offered tea, which was declined, and Shippo trotted towards them as the three approached the fire.
"Where were you last night?" he queried. "I had to share Sango with Kirara." Love made the appropriate sympathetic noises. "And then Kouga and Inuyasha got in a fight--"
"Kouga really was here?" And Inuyasha wasn't. This did not bode well. Kagome knelt next to her bag, quickly stuffing the jacket in among the ramen. "Where's Lust?"
Miroku flinched. Sango answered, "She went to get you. Didn't you see her?"
"Yeah, but then she left." No need to mention the gory details. She rose and grabbed the nearest shikigami, dragging her apart from the group. "Where did she go?" Kagome hissed.
Kagome watched in fascination as the shikigami's gaze turned inward. Imp's face turned pale, and her eyes widened.
"Crap on a cracker."
"What?"
"She's with him."
"Who?"
"Lust. She's with Kouga."
"WHAT?"
Heads swiveled. Kagome grabbed her backpack, handing her bow and quiver to Imp. Sango, responding to Kagome's urgency, dumped the water over the fire and hefted hiraikotsu. Kirara stood ready by her feet. Shippo leapt to Miroku's shoulder, while the monk watched the shikigami with equanimity.
"Do you mind telling us what's going on?" Miroku asked, managing to sound aggrieved, wary, and curious together.
"Don't worry about it," Kagome spat. "We'll take care of it."
"Lust ran off with Kouga," Imp cheerfully replied. "Can I really carry the bow?"
"Sure. Why not?" Kagome shrugged, distracted. "Which way did they go?"
Love stared at Kagome. "You're giving our bow to her? The only safe place to be when she's firing is right behind her! And even then it's iffy!"
"She did fine yesterday--"
"That was a fluke!"
"Which way did they go?"
"Ladies, if you don't mind," Miroku interrupted smoothly. He shook his staff, rings jingling. “We must leave immediately. Kouga may take advantage of the shikigami the first chance he gets. He must be stopped from such perversion.”
Sango, Shippo, and three Kagomes froze.
Miroku glanced at them and sighed, head lowered, staff on his slumped shoulder. "Please. There's more to me than a groping hand and a handsome face."
"Not by much." Shippo muttered.
"Agreed," nodded Sango.
Miroku popped his head up and eyed the slayer. "So you finally admit I'm handsome." He placed a hand over his heart. "Dearest Sango, may I take this opportunity to ask once again--"
"Oi! We're burning daylight here!" Inuyasha landed in the middle of the meadow. Kagome abruptly felt her priorities shift, and she watched the hanyou carefully for any little hint of last night's events.
"You guys are louder than Kagome on a bad hair day. Quit flapping your lips and let's get going."
She didn't want that big a hint.
"But Kouga--" Shippo began.
Inuyasha held out a hand. "Yeah, yeah, I heard. Stupid and stupider ran off together. So what?"
Kagome felt a tight pang in her chest. She couldn't tell if this was irritable-Inuyasha-hiding-emotions or just plain old irritable Inuyasha. And even if it wasn't her with Kouga, shouldn't he at least care? She tilted her chin up a notch and commanded in a clear tone, "C'mon, guys. We can't let Kouga think he's won."
Love nodded. Imp looked at Kagome questioningly, but fell in line as Kagome turned to go.
"Whaddya mean, won?" Inuyasha growled at her back.
"Oh, nothing. Just if Kouga thinks Kagome dumped you, then he's won, hasn't he?" She knew it wasn't nice to play on the jerk's pride, but Inuyasha wasn't nice. So it was fair. Sort of. "But since you don't care--"
"You're as bad as she is! And I told you-- I don't like her that way! So get off my back!"
Kagome felt her eyes sting. She was glad her back was already to the group.
"Stupid jerk. Stupid, stupid jerk," Kagome muttered, blinking away angry tears. She kicked at a ripe tuft of thistle as she passed into the trees. It burst into a white, clingy mess. She didn't feel any better. In fact, she felt exponentially worse.
The miko marched back onto the dusty path to Kaede's village and stopped abruptly. The two shikigami bumped into her.
"Uh," she muttered to Love, "which way did they go?" Love rolled her eyes and took the lead, cutting across the trail before climbing up the embankment. Kagome clambered after her while Imp trotted along behind. She couldn't imagine things getting any worse between her and Inuyasha, but then again, she could be wrong.
She just didn’t know how wrong.

Inuyasha trailed along behind Shippo, who trailed behind Sango and Kirara, who trailed behind Miroku. Kaede's wasn't too far, and it was still mid-morning. They were all giving him the silent treatment, but he didn't care. It was nice, in fact, to finally have some peace and quiet.
Lots of peace and quiet.
"It's not like it was Kagome, anyway," he grumbled. "She's at Kaede's."
Loads of peace and quiet.
"And those things are nothing but trouble. Kouga deserves whatever he gets." But he didn't sound convincing, even to himself. He scratched one ear as he walked. "Who wants little pieces of Kagome wandering around?" he asked, rhetorically. Maybe the rest of them didn't mind, but he wanted the real thing. Especially now that he knew she... well, that she had feelings for him. A little of his miko just wouldn't be enough.
Of course, if she ever found out some of the stuff he'd said about her, he had no doubt a little of her would be more than enough. A little angry Kagome went a long way. But her eyes sure sparked when she was angry.
After that mental image, Inuyasha's thoughts degenerated. He was enjoying most of them. So much, in fact, that the voice of the monk startled him out of a particularly nice daydream. A daydream that involved Kagome and ramen. He scowled.
"Inuyasha," Miroku volunteered casually, "did you know one of the shikigami actually is Kagome?" The monk ignored the combined intake of breath.
"What?"
Miroku continued his leisurely stroll. "If you'll take a moment to think, you'll remember only one of the shikigami was cold last night. Only one of the shikigami refused to give her name. Only one of the shikigami couldn't sense the location of the others."
Shippo jumped with excitement. "Then she's all right!"
Miroku held up a warning hand. "But now all the shikigami are with Kouga." He turned to see how Inuyasha took the news.
But the hanyou was already gone.


Kagome peeked around an ancient elm. She knew Lust could sense them out here, but Kagome couldn't get her to come out of the woods alone. And she really didn't want to explain things to Kouga. Knowing him, he'd take it as another reason to add her abilities to his. But Kouga and Lust were together somewhere just ahead, and Hakkaku, Ginta, and whatever wolves they were traveling with were somewhere just behind. She tried very hard to not imagine what Kouga and Lust were up to.
It was, all in all, an uncomfortable place to be.
The two shikigami, however, handled the situation with a certain air of insouciance. They were confident in their abilities to remain undetected, and were discussing what token of love Inuyasha would bestow on their creator, despite the fact that her clone and Kouga could be lip locked right now.
Very uncomfortable.
"-- and I doubt Inuyasha will get down on one knee and propose with a ring. He's more likely to drag her off to some cave."
"Well, considering how dogs usually mark their territory, she'd better be happy with anything he gives her," Imp snickered. "Even if it's a love bite."
Love rolled her eyes. "Right. A love bite." She waved her hands expansively. "'Cause nothing says 'I love you' like a scar."
Imp giggled. "Hey, why not? Diamonds are forever, right? Well, so's a scar."
"That has got to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard."
"Would you two be quiet?" Kagome whispered fiercely. "You're going to blow our cover!"
"Relax. The situation is under control." Love's gaze once again turned inward. "There's no one arou-- oh, crap."
Kagome groaned. "Inuyasha's coming, isn't he?"
"How'd you guess?"
Kouga tore from the trees ahead at the same moment the hanyou dropped from the sky. Inuyasha instantly grabbed the wolf by his arm and flung him into Kagome's elm. The tree shuddered. Leaves and spinning seeds rained down on the three. Kagome felt her hair stand on end, but the two rivals were entirely focused on each other.
Inuyasha leapt toward Kouga and caught him by the throat. He slammed the wolf into the elm again, but this time Kouga shot both legs into Inuyasha's gut. The hanyou flew through a stand of saplings. Jumping at Inuyasha, Kouga drove his heel into the ground as Inuyasha rolled to his feet. Drawing back his claws, the hanyou snarled, "Tell me where she is, you mangy--"
"Kouga!" Ginta came pelting out of the trees, eyes wide with undisguised terror. He grabbed Kouga's shoulders, and was quickly batted off. "You have to stop her!"
"Stop who?"
"Big sister! She's-- oh, it's awful!"
"Shut up and tell me what's going on."
"She's--
At that point a disturbance scattered wolves from among the underbrush. Lust strode out, slightly disheveled. "Get back here, Kouga! Be a man!"
Kagome actually felt Kouga flinch. Inuyasha stared.
"Kagome, this isn't really the time--" the wolf began. The shikigami, entirely ignoring Inuyasha, silenced Kouga with a kiss.
Kagome's jaw dropped in horror. Kouga was kissing her.
Really kissing her. Hand on waist, hand in hair, everything.
And. She. Was. Kissing. Him. Back.
Frozen, she watched as Kouga's near hand drifted up. And the far hand drifted down.
And then her hands moved-- oh my g--
A gust burst past the couple, red and white. It came to a stop just beyond them in the form of Inuyasha.
Kouga drew back from the kiss, looking a bit dazed. Then he scowled at the hanyou. "What do you want, mutt? Can't you see you're not wanted?"
Inuyasha snarled at him. The Kagome in Kouga's arms murmured something, sighed, and fell into five scraps of paper.
Kagome felt a little faint. Inuyasha had ripped her apart. Inuyasha had ripped her apart.