InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strange Duet ❯ Suspicion ( Chapter 5 )

Welcome back to the 5thchapter of “Fallen”. Now, on some websites I have changed this title to “Our Strange Duet”, I'd like my faithful reviewers to tell me which title they prefer. I'm deliberating on changing the name because there are so many other fanfics called “Fallen” and I'd like to be a little creative and original.

 

Tracklist:

 

C5: Kioku-See Saw

 

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha/co are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, I do own Chimokoumaru and his family, along with any other OCs that may pop in here.

 

 

 

If there was one thing that bugged Inuyasha more than Naraku, Sesshoumaru, and those damn tests of Kagome's combined, it was being ignored by the said girl for more than a reasonable amount of time. In this case she hadn't said a damn thing to him in almost three hours, which was approaching three and a half rather quickly much to his increasing frustration. She had picked a fight about stopping earlier so that she could get more “training” in before nightfall. Of course the matter that he was single minded in the fact that they had to keep going so that they'd be closer to the ever-cooling trail that would lead to Naraku's current hideout didn't help. His eye twitched at the corner as he glowered at the young woman's back before he noticed, thanks in part to a sudden gust of unruly wind, that she had an alarming number of bruises creeping down the back of her neck and he was pretty damn sure that they were all over her body as well.

 

`What the hell?! Dammit, I told them to take it easy on her!'

 

He jumped in front of the party, everyone halting and immediately tensed for battle, he hadn't been able not to notice that Kagome's battle stance was looking pretty good, not that he'd say anything. Amber eyes flared up furiously as he glared at Sango, Miroku and Shippou.

 

“What the hell did I tell you three?! Easy on the training, hell, she looks like she went a few rounds with Sesshoumaru and made it out alive!”

 

Kagome inwardly winced, she hadn't been told to keep her nightly sessions a secret but, she had done so anyway and it was tearing her up inside, having to keep such a secret from all of them. Then again, Inuyasha was being unreasonable with just her friends training her; imagine what his reaction would be if she told him that the majority of bruises were from his brother during a late night secret training session.

 

`Why not just beg him to let me go with Kouga-kun and travel with him for a while? I'd pretty much get the same results, yelling, cursing, threats, even more cursing and more than likely a few blasts from the Tetsusaiga after he found where he was.'

 

“Inuyasha….stop it already, please?”

 

Inuyasha glared at Kagome, feeling his irritation spark further, igniting the already short fuse on his temper before he spoke to her.

 

“Now you decide you'll talk to me? Dammit, what the hell's with you already? This training crap's stupid and all it's doing is make you look like the monk when Sango goes a few rounds with Hiraikotsu with him.”

 

There was an audible intake of breath from the three spectators as Kagome's shoulders stiffened and her usually kind and gentle warmth extinguished. Miroku only shook his head, sending a prayer for his friend's soul and waiting the showdown. Sango only looked surprised, even a little insulted that Inuyasha would put something that could definitely be used to their advantage down. Shippou on the other hand, was counting down mentally to the time where Kagome would say the three letter word and the real fight would begin.

 

`He's such an idiot, three…two…one and…'

 

“Sit!”

 

`Knew it!'

 

With a yell of surprise and frustration, the hanyou became reacquainted not for the first time and certainly not the last, with the hard packed ground. He swore a violent streak of threats and curses mixed at her, the violet glow of the necklace fading as the spell weakened until he could push himself up. Back on his feet, Inuyasha gave the young high school girl a savage glare that would have wilted a less spirited and willful woman.

 

“What the hell was that for?!”

 

She glared at him in return, her aura flaring in irritation as she jabbed her index finger into his chest, poking him harder to accentuate her words. Eyes flashing the color of starfire on a clear autumn night, Kagome let him have it.

 

“So training's worthless when it's me doing it huh?! What about all those times we chased false leads to strengthen you and the Tetsusaiga? It wasn't worthless then now was it?”

 

His ears flattened against his skull as he yelled back, not willing to be the one to back down this time, they were nearly at Kaede's village too, there he could talk with the old miko and see what the hell was eating Kagome lately. If anyone would know, it would be Kaede.

 

“I didn't say it was worthless, those were your words!”

 

“You said it was stupid! It's the same thing!”

 

“No it's not!”

 

“Is so!”

 

“Is not!”

 

“Is so!”

 

“Not!”

 

“So!”

 

“Not!”

 

“So!”

 

“Not!”

 

“Shut up and sit!”

 

The argument ended right as the weary group of travelers had reached the outside of the village and with the usual sign they had arrived; a heavy crash and the sound of one irritated as hell hanyou yelling his rage into the twilight sky.

 

A few hours later…

 

Amber eyes opened slowly in the darkness of the hut, landing on the curled up form facing the wall as he slowly made his way to the entrance of the hut. His expression turned from cautious to concerned as he watched Kagome sleep, irritation and frustration still lined her face, making him feel a little guilty but also frustrated as to why she was acting so strangely, Kaede had been of no help when he had gone to her for advice and worse yet, Sango and Kagome were making it painfully clear that they were going to ignore him for quite sometime. Slipping out the door, Inuyasha quickly scanned the skies, noticing the tell-tale glow not too far off into the forest of Kikyou's soul collectors and took off into a dead run, leaping silently in the night, the crescent moon high in the sky as he sought where exactly she was before altering his position in the air and landing on the ground.

 

Kagome's eyes stared at the wall in front of her, the cruel arc of white light coming in through the window and highlighting her face and the emotions in her eyes as she allowed herself to tense up again. Her eyes couldn't help but fill up with tears as she curled up a little tighter, trying to make herself as small as possible as her heart ached with the knowledge that he was sneaking off to see Kikyou when he thought they were all asleep. As she shifted her weight, wincing as her hip popped and felt two tears fall down her cheeks, she felt the usual despised feeling of being betrayed as his footsteps vanished into the night.

 

`Inuyasha…'

 

His eyes flickered up to the sickle shaped moon above his head as he leaned against one of the ancient trees. One foot tapped against the ground impatiently as his ears flickered and caught the sounds of the night life all around him. The faint scent of a bat youkai, no that wasn't right, he thought to himself as the scent of at least three different ones reached his nose, were in the general area. Usually those youkai knew better than to come even within a mile of this particular forest and village but for some reason these particular ones seemed rather intent on something. A stick cracked beneath someone's foot behind him as he whirled around, one hand automatically going for the hilt of the Tetsusaiga before stopping. Inuyasha's eyes were filled with relief and the usual trace of melancholy that came from seeing the miko.

 

“Kikyou.”

 

Violet highlights were blue-violet beneath the crescent moon as her hair flowed loosely around her body. It was rare that anyone saw her in such a free manner much less survive seeing it. Pale skin glowed slightly in the dim light as a slender hand reached out and touched his shoulder, her brown eyes darkening slightly as she read his expression and spoke to him calmly.

 

“I am usually the one who requests your presence. I must admit that this is a rather unusual, if pleasant change.”

 

He looked away, ears slightly flattening against his head as he tried to figure out the proper way to explain why he had called her. For a long time he had confided in Kagome and had looked up to her as a source of advice. If she wasn't available then he'd go to Miroku or Sango with his problem but, since his problem concerned Kagome he couldn't talk to any of the three about it. So he was probably avoiding any further fighting or conflict with Kagome but he didn't know where else or who else to turn to. Inuyasha knew the differences between Kagome and Kikyou perhaps better than anyone thought he did but it didn't make it any easier to talk about one to the other.

 

`How am I going to explain this to Kikyou without making it seem like such a big deal or pissing her off?'

 

A cool hand against his cheek brought his thoughts back to the situation at hand. His eyes had avoided Kikyou's since she had spoken to him and that spoke volumes to the wandering woman. Dark hazelnut eyes narrowed slightly as she studied his profile, now she knew why he had called her. A faint twinge of sadness stung her heart as she spoke softly to the silent hanyou.

 

`He has chosen without truly realizing it.'

 

“It's about Kagome isn't it Inuyasha? Did something happen between the two of you?”

 

For the first time that night he looked at her, eyes wide and surprised before a burst of guilt darkened them. His hand came up and hesitantly touched hers, holding on to it as if he was afraid that she'd leave if he let go. Inuyasha felt like kicking himself, if there was one thing that Kagome and Kikyou had in common, it was the fact that they could both read him like an open scroll. His voice was halting as he spoke to her, unsure of how to exactly tell her what he was feeling. Even when he was younger he had always had problems expressing himself in words.

 

`How the hell do they do that?'

 

“She's been acting funny; like she's got something she ain't tellin the rest of us.”

 

For the next undeterminable amount of time he talked with Kikyou and shared his frustrations and concerns, often times stopping and growing frustrated with himself for being unable to find the right words to say before Kikyou helped him. At last when it was all out from being held inside for so long and the two had sat down to rest their legs; Inuyasha rested his head against Kikyou's shoulder and sighed. His eyes closed as the scent of grave soil and ashes reached his nose and almost covered the very faint fragrance of jasmine that she had smelled like when she had been alive.

 

`I promised Kikyou that I'd go with her but I promised Kagome I'd protect her from anything. Which promise do I have to break?'

 

Kikyou idly ran her fingers through the long silvery length of hair, her fingernails lightly scratching his scalp in a massage to try and soothe his frustration, her head rested against the top of his as she kept her silence. That strange girl from another time caused Inuyasha so much concern and grief with her recklessness and actions and yet, she envied the girl for being so open about her emotions. It was hard to dislike such an honest soul, Kikyou thought to herself as she closed her eyes and smiled slightly before getting up. Her eyes were again reserved as she regarded Inuyasha seriously before speaking to him.

 

“Inuyasha, if you are so concerned for her well being then you should watch over her a little more closely than you do now. Often times people are not as they appear to be.”

 

She turned around and began to walk away, her soul collectors surrounding her as they drifted from their watchful perch in the tree branches. Before Inuyasha could protest or stop her from walking away, Kikyou spoke again.

 

“We will meet again Inuyasha. I did enjoy speaking with you freely.”

 

Kikyou resumed her wandering, pulling her hair back and securing it with the white ribbon that usually accompanied her as a symbol of her status as a miko. Only when she was a safe distance away did she think back on what Inuyasha had told her. He was correct in being suspicious of the girl's behavior. A flash of white caught the corner of her eye as she stopped and turned her head. Dark brown eyes met the stoic amber ones as the two stared at each other for a moment across two paths. Both gave a curt incline of their heads as recognition before continuing to go their separate ways. After a few moments Kikyou felt inclined to look back and watch the stealthy form of Inuyasha's half brother make his way towards her home village. Eyes narrowing as she considered Inuyasha's words in her mind and seemed to find a connection.

 

“She's been acting funny; like she's got something she ain't tellin the rest of us.”

 

`Perhaps the appearance of Sesshoumaru has something to do with Kagome's strange behavior. Why else would he enter a human village of his own accord and alone?'

 

A chilling gust of autumn wind tore at her hair and clothing as she shifted, one hand securing her robes a little tighter around her as she continued to look back. Her eyes darkened as she shook her head and began to walk again. What Sesshoumaru was possibly doing with her reincarnation was none of her concern, yet. As the brief warmth from another soul entering her cold, fake body began to fade, Kikyou found herself with only a single thought besides gathering any information she could on Naraku's whereabouts.

 

`If my presumptions are indeed correct, there will be a significant change in so many lives. My own included.'

 

Next Morning…

 

When Kagome's eyes opened at the insistent pounding of her neck, she knew automatically that there was going to be something different about this day than all the others, namely the fact that she was still rather pissed off and depressed about Inuyasha going to see Kikyou and the fact that she had only gotten maybe four hours of sleep. Her eyes flared up furiously as she silently dressed herself and stole off outside, pausing only for a brief moment to look at the sleeping face of Inuyasha as he rested with his back against the wall beside the door. For a moment a part of her wanted to shake him awake and tell him everything just so that she wouldn't feel so guilty about this whole thing but then the practical side of her threw the emotional part of her into the closet and locked it inside. There was no way in any level of hell that Inuyasha would understand about this, especially considering she was seeing his brother to get a majority of her training done. As she reached the end of the flat dirt road and broke into a half jog half run she sent a thought back to Inuyasha.

 

`I'm sorry Inuyasha…I guess everyone has to have their secrets to hide.'

 

Sesshoumaru heard the woman before he saw her and by the looks of it, she was going to be more than a handful this training session. As he stood up and walked to meet her half way across the clearing he spoke to her. Something that might have been a backhanded compliment was said to her.

 

“You are becoming more efficient at arriving when you are called.”

 

Unlike most people who would have taken his words as something to be honored and flattered about, Kagome only saw it as pure unadulterated arrogance and condescending attitude and frankly she had had more than enough of that in the past few days from Inuyasha. Glaring up at him and pointing her finger into his face, Kagome only wished that she was just a little taller so that her threat and point would be more productive.

 

`I'm sick of him already and I haven't seen him in almost a month!'

 

“Do you know what time it is right now?! It's barely even dawn and you're calling me out here. For all you know I had to lie to Inuyasha in order to get here because of your ridiculous schedule for training!”

 

Sesshoumaru only glanced down as if her tantrum did nothing more than bore him before he finally spoke, his voice as cool and detached as usual. The rising sun was of no concern to him and the half breed would be resting later than usual due to his little rendezvous with the wandering earthen miko only about four or so hours before this moment. For a moment he considered informing her of what he had scented before discarding the thought as ridiculous.

 

“You are the one who desired to be trained by me. Thus I will be the one to decide the appointed time at which we meet.”

 

Kagome restrained the urge to reach up and grab one of those pointed ears and screech all of her built up frustration into it. It wouldn't get her anywhere but killed at this rate and she kind of needed to stay alive. Her cheeks flushed with anger and temper just about exploding, Kagome marched past the ice like form of Sesshoumaru over to where her practice blade was lying and picked it up, turning around and shifting into the stance she had been taught and practiced going into when she was alone.

 

`Maybe I can do some of Sango-chan's moves on him and throw him in for a surprise.'

 

“Alright you, let's go!”

 

It was clear to Sesshoumaru about forty five minutes later that the girl was obviously far too focused on whatever was bothering her to actually think on what she was doing. He had not overlooked the fact that she had attacked him instead of it being the other way around and she had tried to confuse him by using something that resembled a clumsy attempt at one of the taiji-ya's attacks. Sesshoumaru did have to admit that the girl had earned a little more of his respect for actually going up to the experienced slayer and requesting lessons from the experienced woman. His practice blade caught hers and sent it flying behind her as he knocked her feet out from beneath her and placed the dull wooden tip of the blade directly beneath her chin, lifting her face up so that her eyes met his own before he admonished her.

 

“Your attention is elsewhere. You should have been able to effectively block and counter that move. In a regular battle you would be killed where you lay for allowing your thoughts to drift from your opponent.”

 

Kagome felt her face burn with shame before she looked away from him in defiance, her frustration was going to get her killed and worse yet, she would have to wait until she could catch Sango alone before she could talk about what was bothering her. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the blue-white aura began to manifest, signaling that the girl's powers were about to run amok if her tension and whatnot was not released. For some reason he recalled Chimokoumaru's words as he watched her struggle unconsciously to maintain control over her emotions.

 

"Should she come full into her powers and potential with the wrong adviser at her side, the devastating consequences are almost unthinkable.”

 

Sesshoumaru removed the blade from beneath the girl's chin and watched her for a moment. He did not want to pry into her mind or seem unlike himself to the girl and accidently reveal his intentions of why he had offered her a chance to strengthen herself. Still, Chimokoumaru's words had bothered him greatly considering the fact that Naraku had already attempted to overtake the girl's mind and sway her to his own services several times. If anyone was to remove the girl's loyalty or have it change to any others, it would be him.

 

“Tell me why you are so caught within your own thoughts rather than focusing on your opponent.”

 

Kagome's eyes flashed slightly before her aura began to slowly fade from view. For a moment two sides of her warred for control, one saying that Sesshoumaru would use the information against her while the other told it to grow up and that he'd have done it already if he had wanted to in the first place. Brushing aside a strand of midnight black hair, Kagome finally allowed herself to speak a little of the things that were bothering her. And was she surprised when the first thing that slipped out was what had made her cry herself to sleep earlier.

 

“Inuyasha sometimes sneaks out when he thinks the rest of us are sleeping to see Kikyou. Only, I'm not usually asleep when he leaves and I hear him go off to see her.”

 

Tears of shame began to build in her eyes, blurring her vision as she forced herself to keep speaking and not show a sign of “weakness” to the ice pillar of a youkai in front of her.

 

`I wonder if he ever cries or feels depressed on a bad day.'

 

“She's made so many threats on his life and almost took it once that I'm afraid that…”

 

She fell silent, not wanting to voice the one fear that she hadn't even dared to admit to herself, much less to Inuyasha or anyone else for that matter. The back of her hand dashed across her eyes, trying to wipe away the traces of the frustrated and stress induced tears from her face.

 

Sesshoumaru knew immediately why she had stopped; when he had been a mere child so many hundreds of years ago he had felt the same thing about his father. He did not recall feeling it now but he did know he had experienced the same anxiety that this girl was feeling. Before Sesshoumaru knew what he was doing, he found himself finishing where Kagome had left off.

 

“….that he will cease to return.”

 

Kagome's head jerked up, the tears in her eyes causing the blue-grey orbs to hold an unnatural brightness and shimmer as she found herself struggling not to drop her jaw in surprise. The area around them continued to lighten with the rising of the sun as the young woman and the nearly immortal youkai watched each other in silence. There were few times she had heard him speak of his father, most of which were when he and Inuyasha had fought against Takemaru and Sou'unga so long ago. This seemed like a rather vague yet obvious reference to the great taiyoukai in her eyes. She looked down for a moment before the image of the child Sesshoumaru watching her with a mixture of wariness and a lonely frustration in his open amber eyes. The voice had been filled with curiosity and wonder as he had spoken to her, trying to make himself look stern and powerful, no doubt trying to be just like his father.

 

“I've never seen any like you before, and you don't have the wounds or marks of battle on you. How did you die?”

 

`The loneliness is still there but, all the other emotions seem to have vanished with time. I wish that I knew what had happened to make him like this.'

 

“Sesshoumaru, when you were a little kid, did you ever happen to se-”

 

A crashing in the brush startled the both of them. Kagome reached behind her to grab for an arrow and cursed herself for not having it as she tensed up in preparation to flee or at least go for her practice blade. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed immediately as his claws took on the dangerously yellow-green tinge and glow of his poisonous attack. Both of them seemed to calm down as none other than Yachimaru came stumbling through, cursing the underbrush violently for snagging on his sensitive leathery wings. Dark dust colored skin made the crimson eyes stand out as he looked up at Sesshoumaru and over to Kagome before returning his attention to the white clad youkai his father served under.

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama, there's been an attack of some kind, Aun and Jaken are hurt. Rin's nowhere to be seen, Mom took care of the stupid weasel youkai easily, she and Father are looking for Rin but it's not working very well.”

 

Having done his duty in reporting to Sesshoumaru, Yachimaru turned his attention and visibly brightened as his eyes turned to Kagome.

 

“You're that girl from a couple weeks ago! You didn't let that huge cat eat me; I forgot to thank you for that. Why're you here with Sesshoumaru-sama anyways? Won't that stupid hanyou find out by your scent?”

 

“Yachimaru.”

 

“Y-Yes Sesshoumaru-sama?”

 

“Return to your father and inform him that I am on my way at once.”

 

“Y-Yes Sesshoumaru-sama, bye Kagome!”

 

Yachimaru responded with a bow to Sesshoumaru and a cheerful and energetic wave to Kagome before spreading his wings and taking off like a shot into the lightening sky. Sesshoumaru turned to make due on his word to return to where he had left the three who followed after him.

 

“Sesshoumaru, wait up-ouch!”

 

He sent a glance over his shoulder to find that the girl was following after him, clumsily picking her way through the thick undergrowth that covered everything on the forest floor. Such a strange woman even for a human, Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he found himself halting his search to allow her to catch up. His eyes didn't betray his inner concern for the young girl who was currently missing from the protection of Jaken and Aun.

 

“There is nothing more for you to do this day. I will return for you at a later time.”

 

“I know that! I want to go and help you look for Rin-chan; we'll probably find her faster if there's more than one person looking.”

 

Kagome shot back, generally annoyed by his more than blatantly obvious statements. Her eyes revealed the concern and anxiety that Sesshoumaru faintly felt himself. Her fingers were locked together as she waited for him to respond, her eyes looking around to see if the child might just burst through the brush at any given moment. Sesshoumaru turned his back and began to walk away again, much to Kagome's dismay.

 

“H-Hey! I said wait u-”

 

“Return to the pitiful protection the baka can give you. I will find Rin on my own.”

 

“But-”

 

Even before Kagome finished that first word, the white sphere of Sesshoumaru's energy shot off into the forest, leaving her behind in the barely visible dawn. She fumed to herself, counting to ten, then twenty, and finally fifty as she tried desperately not to bring the youkai of the forest and the Gods knew what else down on her by screaming in pure unbridled frustration.

 

`Fine, I'll look for her myself.'

 

Kagome thought furiously, wishing for a brief moment that she could do the same thing to him as he did to her with that abhorring tattoo on her neck. Somehow she'd find a way to get that thing off of her, even if she had to save up some money and get it professionally removed. She sighed and looked around, heading back in the direction of the village. If she was the little girl, where would she go if she couldn't find the person taking care of her?

 

`If it were me, I'd head towards the nearest civilization and hope that he'd find me there.'

 

A long sigh escaped her as she trudged through the heavy underbrush, wincing as some of the sharper sticks and jagged edges of the bushes etched their mark into her skin in the form of smarting cat like scratches that burned and stung. A small cry caught her attention as something crashed heavily through the bushes towards her. Kagome's hand instinctively reached for the quiver on her back, fingers groping about and coming back empty.

 

`Kagome you idiot! You kept the bow back at Kaede-baa-chan's!'

 

Nothing had braced Kagome for the black, orange and white blur that shot out of the forest and hit her dead on, knocking the air from her lungs and sending her tumbling backwards. For a moment Kagome thought her back had hit the ground, only to hear a small terrified scream as the ground seemed to vanish beneath her back and sent her and whoever had grabbed on to her plunging down. Kagome forced her eyes open, meeting the terrified chocolate ones of the very girl who had gone missing before her back hit the ground, the air whooshing out of her lungs as her vision went black.

 

`Rin-chan?!'

 

“Kagome-san? Are you alright?”

 

Kagome groaned as she felt someone help her into a sitting position. There was little doubt in her mind that she'd be hurting for at least a week and a half from that little tumble. Blue-grey eyes opened, her eye sight was blurry at first and soon faded to reveal the medium sized hole around her. A large pair of relieved brown eyes peered into her face and retreated to reveal the maturing young girl dressed in the orange and cream colored yukata. The small gap between her teeth was still there as she smiled at Kagome.

 

“You're awake now, I'm glad. Sometimes when people fall, they don't wake up again.”

 

Kagome smiled back at Rin and rubbed her head with a wince, she'd have a headache and probably a lump to show for her fall, otherwise she was alright. Blue-grey eyes looked up; looking irritated once she figured out that it was much too high for the both of them to try getting out. At least they were safe, for now.

 

`Just my luck.'

 

“I'm fine, my head and back hurt a little. How about you? Are you alright Rin-chan?”

 

The not-so little girl nodded and smiled again, sitting back on to her knees, as the lady servants in Sesshoumaru's home had instructed her to sit. She looked up at the circle of lightening navy-grey sky before examining Kagome.

 

“I'm alright; you broke my fall, that's probably why you hurt so much.”

 

Rin fidgeted slightly before she spoke, her eyes finding something in her lap very interesting as she spoke.

 

“Kagome-san? Can I ask you a few questions? I promise to be quiet afterward.”

 

Kagome smiled at Rin and settled down, getting as comfortable as one could get in a dirt hole.

 

“Go ahead, I won't ask you to be quiet, after all, it's good to be curious.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Rin shifted slightly, settling herself down before she finally broke out with the first timid question.

 

“How old were you when you noticed you were…um...growing?”

 

“Growing?”

 

Kagome echoed, looking puzzled until Rin's hand came up and gestured at her chest, the girl's face turning red as she did so. A smile came over Kagome's face as she suddenly realized where Rin's questions were going.

 

`She's, what, eleven, twelve years old? I wonder why no one's explained it to her yet. Oh, wait, Sesshoumaru.'

 

“I was almost twelve years old when I first started to develop breasts. How old are you Rin-chan?”

 

Rin looked absolutely miserable as she responded.

 

“Eleven. Is that too early or too late?”

 

“No, it's about the average age that girls start to develop physically. Why?”

 

Kagome responded gently, noticing the immediate discomfort of the younger girl. She wondered why a female servant of Sesshoumaru's hadn't bothered to explain the life cycle to her yet, she had been around 7 years old when she had asked her mother why some girls were only a few years older than she was and had things she didn't yet.

 

`Maybe it's because Rin-chan is embarrassed?'

 

Rin responded squirming a little in her spot, still not looking at Kagome.

 

“I…thought something strange was happening to me, like someone cursed me or something. Are they supposed to hurt though?”

 

Kagome smiled sympathetically and inwardly cringed at the memory of getting her first bra and the tenderness that had gone with developing. She could definitely remember the embarrassment and fear of looking into the mirror as her body seemed to change into someone else's.

 

“Yes, it's supposed to be tender for a while. You'll probably start your menstrual cycle pretty soon too.”

 

Rin frowned, she had heard some of the women talking about some kind of cycle and yet, when she had asked Jaken, the toad youkai had only turned a rather ugly shade of dark green and had spluttered that it was none of her business nor was she to pester Sesshoumaru-sama about the subject either. Since she was here, with Kagome, and Jaken and Sesshoumaru-sama were no where in sight or hearing distance, maybe she could get some of her questions answered.

 

“I have heard other women during our travels talk about some kind of cycle. Can you tell me what it is exactly?”

 

Kagome's face was the one to turn red now. The older girl inhaled deeply and tried to remember how her mother had explained it to her. She had been horrified to discover the “joys” of womanhood and what that meant. Now, it was nothing but a genuine pain in the rear end, much like how a certain two men she knew of were.

 

“Well Rin-chan, your menstrual cycle happens when your ovaries begin to release eggs once a month. Your body doesn't need them as of yet and releases it in a blood flow that lasts anywhere from a week to ten days. The blood might be light or heavy during your period, it's different for everyone. If you, um, have an intimate relationship with a man then you could get pregnant.”

 

Okay, now she could see why her mother had looked a little embarrassed when she had asked her so long ago. Even if it was a part of life, it still wasn't easy to explain to a girl younger than herself, Kagome thought to herself as she watched Rin's face become thoughtful. Maybe she should ask Sesshoumaru to take Rin to a village and have her speak with one of the women. It might be easier.

 

Rin frowned to herself, now she kind of understood why Jaken had muttered about traveling through a village and smelling people bleeding when they didn't have any wounds on their bodies. Though, how was it that Kagome-san didn't seem to have a problem with telling her?

 

`Maybe Kagome-san knows how to treat this; she talks as if she knows all about it.'

 

“What did you do when your body was changing Kagome-san?”

 

Kagome looked surprised before thinking about it. To be honest, she had accepted it before she later freaked out when she had gotten her period. Her breasts on the other hand, she had been a little excited and more than a little nervous when her mother had taken her to get her first bra. Her eyes darkened thoughtfully as she looked at Rin appraisingly, the younger girl had her kimono loose and made it hard for Kagome to judge just what kind of bra the girl might need.

 

`There's a time and a place for this Kagome, and now isn't it!'

 

“Well, my mother explained all the changes so that I understood them and could ask questions if I was confused. She took me to get a bra and some personal hygiene items when I began to grow.”

 

The question Kagome knew was coming arrived almost immediately after Kagome had finished talking.

 

“What's a bra?”

 

Kagome smiled and listened to her surroundings, there was nothing but the sound of birds chirping to greet the rising dawn so, there wouldn't be too much harm in showing the girl. Besides, it was easier to show her what the bras did rather than try and explain it all. Kagome lifted up her shirt slightly as watched Rin's face become slightly confused then understanding as she noticed the odd garment covering the older girl's breasts.

 

“This is a bra.”

 

Rin leaned forward slightly, tilting her head to one side, then the other as she examined it with a puzzled look on her face before she looked up at Kagome, brown eyes filled with curiosity as she finally spoke.

 

“None of the other village women I've seen wear anything like that. Are they all that big? And what are they for?”

 

Kagome's face turned red as she pulled her shirt back down. It had always been a bit of a sore spot for her, having breasts that were bigger than her friends' and the teasing she got from it. Genetics had turned against her when she had begun to develop into a young woman.

 

`Remember, Rin-chan just doesn't know everything yet. God this is embarrassing.'

 

“Well, the women and girls in my village wear these, most of them anyways. Everyone has a different bra size too. Bras are worn to support your breasts and keep your back from hurting or your breasts from sagging.”

 

Rin's expression turned thoughtful again as she considered what Kagome had told her. So many things were strange about this woman's village and the people there. She kind of wished she could go and see it herself. Her eyes lifted as she gave Kagome a very shy smile.

 

“If it isn't too much trouble for you, would you get me one? I'm sure I can find something to repay you for it.”

 

Kagome laughed and patted Rin's shoulder, smiling at the innocent girl. If she had been lucky enough to have a little sister, Rin would have been the one she'd have chosen.

 

“Don't worry about paying me Rin-chan, I'd be happy to get you one. Maybe the next time we meet I can measure you for what size you need.”

 

“How many different sizes are there?”

 

Rin asked in surprise as she smiled at Kagome. The older girl turned thoughtful as they both stood up. The blue-grey eyes darkened slightly before Kagome gave a shrug as a response and gave the best answer she was able to.

 

`I've never really thought about it.'

 

“There are a lot of sizes. Different kinds too.”

 

“Okay. Are any of them pretty?”

 

Kagome resisted the urge to laugh and responded, her eyes shining in amusement as she remembered her own surprise at some of the bras she had seen with her mother.

 

`Mama was a little embarrassed when I pointed out a lacy one that one trip, I was maybe about seven years old when I told her that it would be easier to feed Souta with that one.'

 

“There are some that are pretty. I'll look for you, okay Rin-chan?”

 

Rin returned Kagome's smile with a bright one of her own, eagerness and joy sparkling in her large deer like eyes as she clapped her hands and cheered.

 

“Can we show Sesshoumaru-sama when he's here?”

 

Before Kagome could respond, a very familiar voice suddenly disrupted her little chat with Rin. She looked up sharply and felt her expression morph from embarrassed to stunned to a bright scarlet that didn't seem to look very healthy.

 

“Show me what Rin.”

 

Before Rin could reply another voice, equally familiar if not more so, broke into the conversation.

 

“Kagome! Are you alr-”

 

`3…2…1…and…'

 

“What the fuck are you doing here you bastard?!”

 

`He's noticed Sesshoumaru. This cannot possibly get any worse than it is now.'

 

Kagome groaned aloud, her head clunking against the wall of the pit as she restrained the urge to just say the word so that nothing would happen. Counting to forty in her head, adding thirty more to the count just to be on the safe side, Kagome let out a deep breath and spoke louder than she needed to.

 

“In case you haven't noticed Inuyasha, Rin-chan and I are stuck down here and we'd be really grateful if you could stop fighting with your brother and get us out of here.”

 

Somehow, the fact that the both of them jumped down and grabbed one of the two girls amused Kagome greatly. At least it did until Kagome realized just who had who in their grasp. Her chest and stomach rested against something almost unusually soft and fluffy as a strong arm holding her over a broad shoulder tightened slightly when she moved. She blinked and looked down, the white and crimson pattern immediately alerting her to who had her even before she noticed the wide eyed expression on Rin's face. Her face burned with embarrassment as Inuyasha seemed to suddenly notice that he and Sesshoumaru had gotten the wrong person.

 

`I'm not going to say anything, I'm not going to say anything…God this is embarrassing.'

 

Kagome managed to restrain the urge to yelp as she was suddenly moved from being perched on her stomach to suddenly being set on to her feet within the blink of an eye. Rin was already on her way over, her eyes wide as she gave a curious look over at Kagome before speaking to Inuyasha.

 

“Thank you Inuyasha-san, for getting me out of the hole.”

 

Inuyasha shook his head and glowered at Sesshoumaru as Kagome made her way back over towards him. Something weird was definitely going on, how the hell was it that he had grabbed the kid when he had been reaching for Kagome? Kikyou's words came unbidden into his mind, the gentle warning she had given him only hours before echoing in his thoughts. If there was one thing about Kikyou he kind of wished would change, it was the way she was so damn cryptic about her warnings.

 

“Inuyasha, if you are so concerned for her well being then you should watch over her a little more closely than you do now. Often times people are not as they appear to be.”

 

`Kikyou, what do you mean by that? Kagome is how she seems…isn't she?'

 

“Will you hurry the hell up Kagome?! I don't feel like standin' around all damn day waiting for you to get over here!”

 

Kagome gave him a dirty look as she glanced back and smiled at the concerned look on Rin's face and gently waved at the girl, as if telling her that it was alright. Her eyes flickered back to Inuyasha and flashed in irritation as she shot back a retort of her own, the weariness from the very slight training she had gone through earlier and the irritation she felt from knowing that Inuyasha had gone to see Kikyou making her temper even shorter than usual.

 

`And yet we can wait for you when you take off and do your own thing!'

 

“I'm coming already, will you be patient for just one second? Or at least pretend to be?”

 

“It is not in his pathetic power to know patience.”

 

Kagome closed her eyes, fuming as she heard the blatant insult tossed lazily at Inuyasha, as if she had invited Sesshoumaru into sharing the conversation between herself and Inuyasha.

 

“What the hell was that Sesshoumaru?!”

 

“I will not lower myself to repeating words just because you are a fool.”

 

“You hella nasty…”

 

“Sit! We're not going to spend the morning fighting with your brother Inuyasha.”

 

Kagome snapped out the subduing command and the little piece after it. While Inuyasha was busy telling the ground exactly what he thought of Kagome's word and probably of her at the moment, the girl herself was busy giving Sesshoumaru a silent reprimand with her eyes for instigating when he knew Inuyasha's temper to be so short. She was about ready to ask her mother to take her to a therapist, or try and find a way to get one over here in the Feudal Era for those two.

 

`I'm going to be grey by the time I'm twenty at this rate.'

 

She thought irritably as she noticed Sesshoumaru turning to vanish into the woods, Rin trotting along at his side, pausing for a moment to wave at her and shout out a goodbye before she raced to catch up with the silent white figure. Sesshoumaru needed a good dose of humility and badly, she thought to herself as she groaned and rubbed her eyes. Four hours of sleep was going to do nothing positive for her nerves or for her health for that matter. And with the party so tired and in need of rest, Kagome knew it was going to be hell on earth when dealing with a hanyou who had an itchy couple of hands and a giant sword and with a hell of a nasty temper as well. Relaxation would not be an option this time around, and she could more than just forget about trying to return to her time for a few days to restock and to maybe catch up on some schoolwork.

 

“We're running low on coffee and other things too…”

 

“Goddammit Kagome, why the hell'd you say `it' right then?!”

 

`Speaking of running low on other things, my patience isn't looking to high right now.'

 

“Because I really don't feel like having to break up a fight between you and Sesshoumaru just because you two like to trade insults and blows with each other. Miroku-sama's arm still needs to be treated and Sango-chan and Kirara need their rest from the last battle.”

 

Inuyasha glared at Kagome, scowling as he wiped off the dirt smudges off his face with the sleeve of his haori and made a face as some of it got into his mouth.

 

“Keh! I could have killed the bastard and we'd be rid of him for good.”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes and began trekking back towards the village, the sunrise was starting to fade into early morning and she wanted to at least catch another hour of sleep before she even attempted to face the long day ahead of her.

 

“You keep saying that about Kouga-kun too and you still don't so anything about it.”

 

“Because someone keeps interfering and saying the damn word!”

 

“I wouldn't have to say that word if you would just learn to pick your fights wisely!”

 

Kagome shot back over her shoulder as she heard the rustle of fabric that signaled that Inuyasha was now beside her. Her head was starting to pound and she really didn't feel like making it worse by buying into Inuyasha's attempts to make her fight with him.

 

Inuyasha scowled, his face turning into what Kagome had dubbed `The Pout' as he folded his arms across his chest and walked in silence beside Kagome for a while. They reached the outside of Kaede's hut before he muttered sulkily to her.

 

“I do pick my fights wisely. That bastard brother of mine, that hella nasty wolf and Naraku are the one's I'd kill if you gave me half a chance to without saying `it' so much.”

 

Kagome audibly groaned, one hand on the door frame as she turned her head to give Inuyasha a disbelieving stare, one eyebrow raised as her blue-grey eyes turned slightly irritated, her voice reflecting her mood as she responded to his pouting comment.

 

“Sesshoumaru and Kouga-kun are our allies against Naraku, we need everyone we can get against him. Just in case our power isn't enough to do it.”

 

“So you're saying that Sesshoumaru and that damn wolf could kill Naraku and I can't?”

 

Good Gods did he take everything personally? She wondered desperately to herself as she shook her head and counted to ten in her mind, trying to be understanding and really pushing herself not to just come out and bite his head off verbally.

 

`He is just too touchy about that!'

 

“I didn't say that.”

 

“You implied it!”

 

“No I didn't Inuyasha, you're putting words in my mouth.”

 

“Spit it out then dammit and maybe I wouldn't have to put words in your mouth!”

 

“Ooh! You are so impossible, you know that?! All I'm trying to say is that in case any one of us aren't strong enough when the final battle comes, then it would be nice to have powerful allies to back us up who have a similar goal in mind.”

 

The argument had escalated into a half-shouting match, some of the villagers had poked their heads out sleepily and had seen it was only Inuyasha and that strange Kagome girl and had gone back to their futons without a worry. Fights and shouting between those two were considered a normal and frequent occurrence in this place and it just signaled that everything was normal and as it should be.

 

“I can kick Naraku's ass any damn day I wanted to. I just have lazy humans who like to mess around and not stay on task!”

 

“Yeah well, the rest of us happen to need at least eight hours of sleep and some resting time to regain our energy! Not everyone can be as enduring as you are, no matter how often we'd like to be!”

 

“Quit sitting around so much and maybe you'd build up some stamina wench!”

 

“Ooh, you know what?! I'm not speaking to you anymore. I'm going to sleep now and you'd better leave me alone or so help me I'll say `it' until your back breaks!”

 

“Oi! You can't sleep now dammit! It's morning and you have things to do.”

 

Within the hut, Sango lifted her head sleepily, eyes narrowing as she noticed the hand of Miroku laying a little too close to her waist for comfort. She could hear the sound of Inuyasha and Kagome fighting with each other directly outside the hut.

 

`Do those two have nothing better to do than to quarrel with each other this early in the morning?'

 

She pulled the `sleeping bag' up further and rested her head back down, closing her eyes to try and catch a few more hours of sleep before she would be awakened by a much too active hand being where it shouldn't. Kagome had the final word, she thought with a small smile on her face as she snuggled back down, feeling the tremor in the ground from Inuyasha's descent.

 

 

 

 

 

I apologize that this took so long to get out. I promise that the next chapter will not take two months to get out. As a fair warning to everyone who reads this, the story will start picking up speed starting from the next chapter on. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! -Hanyou