InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strange Wishes ❯ Girl Time: Interrupted ( Chapter 3 )

Kagome swiped her brow as her knees hit the dirt and she reached down with her sweaty hand to yank the herb from the earth. A whole night had passed since she’d built up the courage to ask InuYasha to the White Day Dance, and since then she’d gone through many different stages. There was hope, extreme giddiness, even a little insanity, then a fair amount of denial, nervous anxiety, and dread. In the end she’d just shoved all the feelings off her plate and went out to pick herbs for Sango as Kaede had requested, now that her and Miroku’s little bundle of joy was out of the bag.

Kagome felt almost dazed as she thought about Sango being pregnant. Her friends had grown so much over all the time they’d been together. Had that much time really past? It didn’t seem like it, but she knew it had. And now Sango, who was practically her sister, would be starting a family.

Kagome removed the herb from the soil and placed it safely in her basket. The sun had risen over the forest of InuYasha, hanging low above its verdant cap. The young miko had to squint her eyes if she wanted to catch a possible glimpse of red and silver over the menagerie of trees, but there was no sign of anything. Kagome sighed.

She hadn’t been able to stop her recent flood of thoughts, no matter how much effort she put into ignoring them. The smallest wondering questions kept resurfacing: What would it be like to start a family with InuYasha? Would it even be possible? With him, a demon of the past, and she, a miko of the future.

Kagome slapped her hands to her rosy cheeks, What am I thinking? InuYasha and me? Oh, if he could hear my thoughts right now he’d--

What would he do? With a lurch of fear and amazement she recalled what she had overheard the previous day, when Miroku asked InuYasha about their relationship.

“‘None of his business’?” Kagome whispered to herself, completely bewildered, “Whatever that means.” She blinked her eyes in the bright sunlight, gathering up the special herbs and starting back toward Kaede’s hut, “If only I were brave enough to ask him.”

The ebony-haired miko stepped as quickly as she could toward the outline of the village. She shifted her eyes about inconspicuously, multitasking at getting to Kaede’s hut and finding out the whereabouts of InuYasha. Something told her he wasn’t far off as she neared the hut, subtly searching the entirety of the roof for a certain hanyou in the process, of course.

Kagome gasped when her view was obstructed by red hinezumi robes, bringing along a figure to light upon the ground with them. She clutched her herb basket in a death grip, for she had nearly dropped it, and backpedaled enough to look up into a familiar face framed with wild silver hair.

“Jeez, don’t sneak up on me like that,” Kagome breathed, one hand over her heart.

InuYasha looked her up and down, “What have you been doing?”

Kagome blushed a bit under his scrutiny, then looked down at herself. Her T-shirt sleeves were rolled up to her shoulders and her knees, revealed by her shorts, were swollen and dirt-encrusted. She indicated the basket in her grasp as she replied, “I was gathering herbs for Sango.”

InuYasha snorted, “Right. Speaking of Sango, she needs to wake her ass the fuck up because we’ve got some jewel shards to find.”

Kagome glared at him, “We may have been planning to go off hunting yesterday, but that was before we found out about Sango’s...condition.”

“I thought you said her being pregnant wouldn’t slow us down? What do you call sitting here doing nothing then?” InuYasha yelled at her, his amber eyes blazing into her own inches away.

“I never said that!”

InuYasha crossed his arms, “Feh. Then it was Miroku or Sango.”

“They never said anything of that sort either.” Kagome informed him, reining in her temper.

InuYasha was backed into a corner, “Well--her carrying a pup shouldn’t slow us down anyhow!”

Kagome sighed as he looked away from her, his expression irritable, then swiped the back of her hand across her sweaty brow, “Aren’t you hot in that?”

The still pouting hanyou glanced down at his thick haori, drawing himself up, “Keh! You ain’t seen hot wench. Just wait until the sun is directly overhead.”

She found his nonchalance unconvincing and glowered at the perspiration on his face. He seemed to sense this.

“I’m hanyou! I can handle the heat,” He poked himself in the chest with a clawed thumb.

“Oh yeah? I seem to remember a certain hanyou who couldn’t handle a bath that was too hot,” She smirked.

InuYasha sputtered, then blushed, and suddenly Kagome felt rather uncomfortable as well. She was relieved when he changed the subject, even though she knew it was just a ploy to hide his embarrassment.

“Feh--you shouldn’t be out slaving over herbs in this weather. Kami knows you humans are weak,” His gaze was averted and one hand hooked around his nape.

“I’m fine, InuYasha. Do you think picking herbs is a greater task than battling--?”

She was cut off by InuYasha sniffing then glancing to the side. She followed his gaze and saw the Houshi approaching them warily. Kagome wondered at the brief gander the two men shared before InuYasha turned his head with a snort and Miroku clasped pleading eyes on her.

Kagome spoke to him with concern, “What’s wrong Miroku? Have you and Sango still not made up?”

He gave an affirmative, “Kagome, if you would be so kind...do you think you could convince Sango to speak with me?”

Kagome winced slightly; his beaten and battered face was even more pitiful than it usually was when he was begging, “Miroku...I can talk to her but I can’t tell her what to do--Ah!”

She squeaked in surprise as Miroku pulled her into a back-breaking hug, his thank-yous reiterating themselves in her ear with the backdrop of InuYasha’s throaty growl.

“You’ve already caused enough trouble, lecher,” She heard InuYasha snarl as Miroku was torn off of her.

Miroku continued to thank her, only to be curtailed as InuYasha grabbed him by his collar and dragged him off to do whatever it was the guys did, leaving Kagome free to deliver the promised herbs.

Upon stepping into the hut she nearly ran into Kaede, who seemed to be heading out, “Ah--Sorry Kaede!” She appeased as she steadied herself and the old miko.

“Give it no thought, child. I was merely about to go and fetch ye.”

Kagome smiled at the affectionate term. ‘Child’...I haven’t felt like a child since before I was pulled through the well. How much more growing up could I possibly have to do after all I’ve been through here?

Kagome produced the herbs from the woven basket at her side, “Here, all the ingredients you needed.”

Kaede relieved her of the herbs and left Kagome at the door in favor of the deeper parts of the cave-like hut. It was dark and cool on such a hot day, even with the cooking fire that flickered below a pot of water. The windows were all shaded, probably in order for Sango to rest, but at that moment the taijiya’s eyes fluttered open, followed by a series of stretches and yawns as Kaede bustled around the fire concocting her herbal remedy with unprecedented alacrity. Kagome watched the members of the hut from the doorway contentedly, Kirara the only other occupant besides Kaede and Sango. The fire-cat purred against Sango’s stomach as she rose from her bed, shaking off the last lingering vestiges of slumber.

“Kagome,” Sango breathed. “How are you?”

Kagome laughed humorlessly and flew to her side on the floor, “Forget about me silly. How are you?”

Sango rubbed her eyes, “I feel good today. I think the sickness has finally decided to give me a break...for now.”

Kagome reached out to stroke her friend’s shoulder gently, “Sango...you know, we need to talk.”

Each woman stared into the other’s eyes, and Sango finally nodded just before Kaede bent down beside them, pressing the potion into Sango’s grasp, “Ye must take this if ye wish to keep the babe healthy.”

Sango smiled gratefully up at the kind, wrinkled face of the village miko, continuing to meet Kagome’s gaze as she gingerly sipped from the bowl, downing the mint-smelling brew without the barest complaint.

“What does this potion do Kaede?” Kagome queried.

The old woman answered sapiently, “When mixed correctly, yon herbs provide for the mother and child what meals alone cannot, lowering the risk of birth problems.”

When Sango was finished and had busied herself with petting Kirara, Kagome sat up strait and announced, “How would it be if you and I were to go take a refreshing bath in the lake?”

When Sango gave an enthusiastic nod Kagome sprang from the floor and went to the corner, digging through her yellow bag for a fresh pair of clothes and her personal toiletries, most of which she didn’t mind sharing with Sango. She couldn’t keep the pep out of her step as they made their way to the small basin of water beyond an alcove of the forest with Kaede’s blessing. More than Kagome felt she really needed to bathe, she was anxious to have some much-needed girl talk with her best female friend.

After scraping their surroundings spotless with their eyes, they promptly shed their outer and inner garments and dove into the plenteous water, a cool reprieve from the hotter weather of the early spring season. The two played around in the water like old times, making their way under the miniature waterfall to souse their thirsty mats of dark hair and wash them clean with the modern gifts of shampoo that Kagome brought with her across time. After the high of being in their own little paradise of water had worn off, the two found a spot to relax in the shallow end and soak in the water as each waited for their friend to break the silence.

Kagome spoke first, the brightness evident in her rapidly blinking eyes, “It’s amazing--you’re going to be a mother Sango.”

She watched as the demon-slayer brought a hand to her bare stomach beneath the water ambivalently, “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring myself to tell you Kagome,” Her voice wavered shamefully, “I’m just so....”

“Confused?”

Sango sighed, “Badly.”

Kagome offered her a succoring smile, “So...Miroku’s the father.”

Sango nodded, kicking her feet below the surface of the lake.

Kagome pressed on, knowing Sango wanted to talk about it--had to talk about it--even if it was uncomfortable, “You really should talk to him about this. Miroku just wants to work things out, and I know you do too.”

Sango’s countenance stormed over, “He has not given me any reason to believe he’s worthy of my talking to him as of yet.”

Not keeping in mind that Hiraikotsu prevents him from getting near enough to give you anything, Kagome thought saturninely.

She decided a quick change of subject would be best, “Why now?”

The taijiya blinked at the oddity of the question, “Kagome?”

“I mean,” She amended, “I know you too have liked each other since forever. Have you wanted to--that is--be with Miroku...all this time? Were you waiting just because of the jewel shards or Naraku or...?” Kagome trailed off at her friend’s comprehension.

“Yes, but I really didn’t plan on something like this happening so soon to be honest. My heart had its own reasons I suppose.”

“Then...you love Miroku.” Kagome intuited.

Sango seemed taken unawares at first, but answered levelly, a far away look in her eyes, “I do.”

Kagome felt the utter truth behind the words, but although the statement was free of any doubt it was tainted with something else: guilt?

“How did you know you were pregnant? Did you use some kind of feudal pregnancy test?” Kagome immediately registered Sango’s dumbfounded look, “Er...it’s a thing women in my time use to tell if they are...pregnant.”

Sango held her abdomen once more. “I think I just knew. I knew it was a possibility before it even happened, and when it did I just felt it--so did the Houshi somehow. He told me so before we started back to the village. I felt it even more when I began throwing up every left turn,” She scowled lightly, as if she wished to be more resentful of her condition but wasn’t capable of it.

“Do you want to have a girl?” Kagome piped, “Or a boy? Or twins?”

Sango giggled. “Oh, I don’t much care--but a boy would be nice,” She said wistfully, eyes glazed over in the reality of the dream.

Kagome’s face suddenly turned mischievous. Blushing, she softly voiced a question she had been mulling over, “What was it like?”

Sango caught the miko’s meaning instantly. Blushing crimson as well, she shared a devious look with the girl beside her who was practically her sister. She sighed, a sentimental look on her face, as if she couldn’t put words to it.

“It was...it,” She shook her head a bit, “In truth? It was...horrible.”

She looked up from the water to behold a stunned Kagome, and continued, “It was vile, it was deceitful, it was painful--” She ended with a shaky sigh.

Kagome brought her hand up to her cheek thoughtfully, “Sango? I thought you said you loved him just a minute ago.”

“I know Kagome, but just because I love him doesn’t mean I wanted to do--that--with him,” She spat, glaring at the rocks. “It’s just--that fool was being so--so sweet; he made me forget all about his being a dirty lech! You should’ve heard him....”

Kagome thought Sango could’ve been growling. She smiled at her friend, sagely observing the flames of love she felt for the monk dancing in Sango’s eyes even as she scorned and cursed him. Kagome felt a small prick against her mind, a nagging weight poking sharply at her...a reminder of her inadequacy.

Kagome’s fingers caressed the bottle of jewel shards around her neck as she only half-quipped, “I feel like such a child.”

Kagome knew her friend would hear the seriousness hidden in her tone, and that she did, “Kagome, don’t think that. You’re no more a child than I am. Being with a man or giving birth can’t--doesn’t--make you a woman. Open your eyes! You’ve taken care of your own child for the better part of two years. You’re practically Shippou’s mother.”

Kagome had to fight back tears at the kind sincerity in her friend’s words, but it didn’t work. Tears slid down her cheeks as she nodded her thanks to her friend. Even as her heart buoyed up from its dark depths however, she couldn’t prevent one last insecurity from flying off of her lips.

“I haven’t even really kissed a boy yet,” Her cheeks pinked as she shooed away her tears.

Sango ignored the proclamation, her smile wry, “You mean that--you haven’t kissed InuYasha yet?”

Kagome couldn’t control the foreordained flush of her entire face as she squeaked, “No.”

Sango looked surprised, but only for a hot second before she became logical once more, “I know that you have feelings for him Kagome, but I can’t tell you what to do with them. I know there are as many, most likely more, things standing in the way of your and InuYasha’s relationship than mine and...Houshi-sama’s.”

Kagome took a deep breath, “Yeah. I just don’t know which path to take. Sometimes I--I’m just so afraid of my own feelings that I...I--”

Sango furnished her a reassuring smile, “Maybe you and he just need some time alone. That’s all it took for the Houshi and I.”

Kagome grinned, excited yet chagrined at the thought, “Oh Sango, I don’t know.”

“You love him, don’t you?”

“I--yes.”

“I think it would be a great ide--” Sango stopped all of a sudden, her eyes going fearfully wide, causing Kagome heart to race as the taijiya turned slightly.

“There’s nowhere to run! Show yourself!” She shouted at an eerily rustling bush not far away from where they were relaxing, their clothes on the opposite bank.

Both girls let out the breaths they’d been holding when Shippou’s cute face popped out looking mildly confused.

“Thank Kami it’s only you Shippou!” Kagome sighed, “The guys aren’t anywhere near here, are they?”

Shippou cottoned on quickly, “Miroku and InuYasha?” He sniffed the air with his wee youkai nose cautiously, “Nope. Hey Kagome, want to see the new move I’ve been practicing?”

She beamed at the excitement on his precious face, fangs peaking out from within his mouth. Kagome’s decline stopped on her lips when Shippou’s eyes moved quizzically toward a spot higher up and behind the miko and the demon-slayer.

“Kagome--what’s that?”

The girls’ heads whipped around, locking onto the figures of two men crouched in the brush at the tip of a cliff overhanging the lake. When the parties’ eyes met Kagome and Sango attempted to cover themselves as the men, who appeared to be human, stood up to flee.

“I don’t recognize them from the village,” Shippou’s voice came uncertainly.

“They’re Samurai!” Kagome told Sango when she sighted the voyeurs’ clothing, her breath rippling the water.

Sango’s eyes narrowed, “Those are no Samurai--thieves more like.”

Kagome gave Sango a questioning glance as they heard the sound of one of the men tripping, then scrambling to get back on his feet.

“They probably attacked some Samurai and stripped their vestment,” With that Sango began to wade through the water as fast as she could toward the opposite bank, “I for one won’t permit them to escape!”

Kagome followed her friend ashore, trying to make her see reason while pulling on her towel, “Sango, we can’t go after them. We don’t have our weapons and if they are thieves there could be more of them!”

Sango tore her concentration away from pulling on her taijiya armor to ponder Kagome’s ratiocination, reluctantly caving in.

She watched as Sango resignedly contented herself with staring after the retreating ‘Samurai’ and muttering dark curses. Kagome supposed it was as good a time as any to end their bath as she donned her own clothes.

“I’ll go after them Kagome!” Shippou enthused, bouncing onto her shoulder. “I can take them out!”

“That’s okay Shippou, but we should get out of here in case they decide to come back,” Kagome said, pulling on the final article of clothing.

“Shippou, you can show us that new tactic once we get closer to the village,” Sango assured the kit, corralling her damp strands of hair into her white ribbon with a flourish.

The girls swiftly backtracked their way to the village, Sango in her sandals and Kagome in bare feet, her lack of footwear merited by the equal lack of recent travel. Once they were within sight of the village the girls sat down on the green hilltop to oblige Shippou by playing his audience.

“Now--watch as I use my fox magic to defeat my enemies!” Shippou exclaimed, bouncing onto a small stump to the fore of where they were seated. Sango and Kagome pretended not to notice as he surreptitiously retrieved a small rock and a leaf from his pocket and tossed both to the ground, the leaf hitting the stone in a brilliant shower of blue.

The girls opened the eyes which they had quickly shut against the sudden brightness, prepared for anything, but all they saw was a confused Shippou standing in front of a leaf and a rock.

The kitsune pulled a cheerless face, “I don’t get it. It worked last time!”

Kagome tried to placate him, “It’s okay Shippou--”

But the little kit was already trying again, taking out a stick and a leaf he tossed it off toward the forest, this time only producing a small burst of blue light. The same thing happened again and once more as he took pebbles and twigs and threw them in all directions, the leaves hitting them and doing nothing more that creating a fugacious coruscation. The girls became even more nonplussed when Shippou threw an acorn chased by a leaf exactly where InuYasha was emerging from a copse of trees, now missing his haori.

“Hey, what’s the big idea runt?” InuYasha shouted as the acorn bounced off his chin and the leaf hit him square on the forehead.

Another burst of blue light flared from behind InuYasha, and his expression changed from indignation to mingled trepidation and disbelief as he turned around.

There for all to see, clearly protruding from the seat of his hakama, was a long, silvery white dog tail to match his hair. The hilltop was silent for all of half a second until Shippou yelled ‘Ta-da!’ and Kagome and Sango erupted into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

“What the fuck!?” InuYasha bellowed in a conniption, lunging toward the kitsune.

Shippou, sensing impending doom, threw himself at the two girls who were presently incapacitated by giggles. Kagome paused just long enough however, to shout out the command ‘Osuwari’ when InuYasha was mere feet away from them. He was pulled to the ground face first by his enchanted prayer beads, and at the sight of the fluffy tail the girls fell back into hysterical laughter once more, Shippou joining them as he continued to use Kagome as a shield from the now tailed hanyou’s legendary ire.

Said hanyou now lifted his head up from the dirt, his fangs bared and his face positively livid, “This isn’t funny!”

His friends only laughed harder, any words they might have spoken made incomprehensible.

InuYasha’s new tail flicked angrily, and he immediately grasped it, halting its movements, “Shippou, get this damn thing off of me before I--!”

“Come on InuYasha, can’t you take a joke?” Kagome choked out, then looked at the tail and was taken over by giggles anew.

InuYasha made a mad grab for the fox, failing when the kit ducked behind his shield to continue laughing. By this time InuYasha’s cheeks were tinged pink, but his anger had not vacillated. By the time he got himself standing, hiding the tail from view, Kagome had regained herself enough to try to mollify him as she clutched Shippou to her chest.

“Now Shippou, make InuYasha’s tail go away,” Kagome ordered, attempting to keep a strait face at the still blushing and fuming dog demon.

“Aw, but we were having so much fun,” The kit pouted, but complied and pulled out a leaf, warily approaching InuYasha and placing it on the tail.

InuYasha blinked as the tail evanesced, leaving only a hole that revealed his inner yukata to remind him of it. He quickly got over his embarrassment as he captured Shippou and commenced smashing him on the head.

“InuYasha!” Kagome and Sango yelled in unison, and InuYasha finally let Shippou go after no less than thirty punches.

“Osuwari!” Kagome screeched, and once again InuYasha found himself eating dirt as an injured Shippou cuddled his surrogate mother.

InuYasha’s rumbling growls reached them and Sango shook her head, “I’m going back to Kaede’s hut. It’s far too hot out to be standing around outside, and she’ll probably have the midday meal prepared.”

“I’m going with Sango,” Shippou announced, sending a final glare InuYasha’s way before hopping onto Sango’s shoulder as she retreated to the village. Kagome could’ve sworn she saw the taijiya give her a small wink before turning and walking onward.

When Kagome looked back at InuYasha she saw he was sitting, his eyes closed and his jaw clenched, claws rapping on the ground in annoyance.

She sat down before him, “Cheer up InuYasha. Shippou was just having fun.”

“Oh yeah? Next time you can try out the tail, then tell me if it’s still fun,” He spat.

Kagome tried not to break into laughter all over again, instead focusing her attention on something else, “The heat finally got to you, eh?”

He glanced at his white undershirt, “Feh.”

Kagome couldn’t help but smile, and she added on an inspiration, “That tail didn’t look half bad on you InuYasha.”

He looked at her with surprise, the blush returning to his cheeks before he fastidiously averted his eyes.

At that moment it dawned on her that she had been left alone with him on purpose, and she recalled what Sango had suggested not much earlier with a tiny blush of her own.

‘Maybe you and he just need some time alone. That’s all it took for the Houshi and I.’

Kagome’s spine straitened as she looked away from InuYasha as well, suddenly loosing her composure at being alone with her best friend of almost two years.

Stop being stupid Kagome! You’re alone with him all the time! It’s no big deal!

She nearly jumped out of her skin when InuYasha spoke to her, “Kagome, did you convince Sango to talk with Miroku?”

Kagome latched onto the subject with pleasure, grateful for something to converse about that wouldn’t make her blush like a school girl with a crush, “No, I tried to get through to her, but she wasn’t hearing it. She said he hasn’t done anything to make him worthy of talking to.”

InuYasha rolled his eyes, “Feh, she’s too busy pulverizing him to notice if he proved his worth fiftyfold.”

Kagome giggled. It was practically the exact same thing she’d thought.

“So?”

Kagome met his gaze, “So what?”

“What are we going to do about them? They can’t be pussyfooting around each other when we’re on a shard hunt! We’re going to have to force them to talk,” InuYasha grinned mischievously.

Kagome was skeptical, “That sounds like a death wish on Miroku. Are you two fighting, or what?”

InuYasha lowered, “I got nothin’ to say to that bouzu.”

Hmm, so they aren’t on the best of terms. Don’t tell me he’s jealous of Miroku.

Kagome frowned at him, “So the only reason you want to help them make up is because you’re worried they’ll hamper us? You don’t even care about your friends?”

“I never said that!”

Kagome huffed, “Just glad to clear that up.”

InuYasha looked up at the sun with a formidable expression. It had now passed the center of the sky and was gradually sinking into the west.

Kagome had an idea, “I know! We can get some flowers and leave them for Sango, then make her think they’re from Miroku!”

InuYasha didn’t seem opposed to the proposition and agreed, “Yeah, okay. So what flowers should we get?”

“Pretty ones.”

“Don’t be too specific,” InuYasha muttered sardonically.

“But...how are we going to get them to her without her knowing they’re from us?”

InuYasha tapped his fingers on the earth, “I’ll go pick the flowers while you go down to the hut and distract Sango. While you two are out I’ll put the flowers on her futon and leave, then come back after you both go back inside.”

Kagome nodded in approval, “Alright, as long as we don’t run into Miroku.”

“You won’t,” InuYasha assured her, helping her up along with him, “I saw him go off to sulk somewhere. He probably won’t be back to the village until tonight, but Sango doesn’t have to know that.”

With the plan set in place Kagome sprinted back to the village, pulling Sango away from her miso soup and informing her of an imagined villager who’d heard rumors about thieves killing Samurai and stealing their armor. They searched for the nonexistent tipster until Sango was good and nettled, then headed back to Kaede’s hut to finish eating.

Upon entering the empty hut they both observed a bouquet’s presence. Kagome silently congratulated InuYasha on his choice of flowers as she wandered toward the cooking fire to get a bowl of miso. Sango did not move from her place staring at the flowers as Kagome served herself.

InuYasha entered the hut, his body quiet as a shadow and his voice blaring as usual, “I’m hungry. Where’s the chow?”

Sango seemed to come out of a trance, and the couple watched her as she stepped up to the bouquet and tore the flowers from her pillow. Both could only look on helplessly as the flowers were tossed abhorrently into the flames.

The two exchanged worried glances as the choleric taijiya got herself a fresh bowl and devoured it. InuYasha took his seat beside Kagome, his intrepid air waning.

As promised, Miroku did not return to the village until just before sunset, and even then he waited another hour before entering the hut. Everyone had officially retired for the evening after a bit more errand-running, so the hut Miroku set his cautious foot in was occupied by their entire group. Sango must’ve picked up on the jangle of his shakuju before he entered; she didn’t even look up at him and her face had already stormed over. Shippou looked between the two, lollypop forgotten in his little hand.

The entire hut waited on baited breath for a cry of ‘Hiraikotsu’, but it never came. Miroku seemed to be thinking along those same lines, because his voice was intended toward Sango.

“Would you allow me in your company?” His face was impassive but his eyes contained desperation.

The taijiya shook with what they all assumed was rage, and it seemed any minute she would explode, but when she spoke to him it was with forced calm, “You may only stay in my company if you can prove you deserve that privilege, and believe me it’ll take more than flowers.”

InuYasha and Kagome gulped, staring at the blinking Houshi.

“Very well,” He sounded pleased. He about-faced and swept the bamboo door aside, apparently going off to prove his worth.

Kirara let out a sleepy mewl, drawing everyone’s attention away from the exit.

“Where do you think he’s going?” Shippou asked the room.

Sango sighed, then laid her head down and closed her eyes. Shippou looked to the others, but no one had a reply.

InuYasha left the hut a little earlier than he usually did to go sleep or just sit in the bows of Goshinboku. Kagome suspected he was going to investigate Miroku’s trials of worthiness. She reminded herself to ask him in the morning as she too went to sleep, her before-bed thoughts a restless cycle of worry for Sango and Miroku’s predicament as Shippou curled up at her side.   - * -* - * -  

Kagome awoke to a noise she could not identify, and she blinked in the pitch darkness, willing her eyes to adjust. The only light came in the form of a soft pinkish glow from around her neck. Before the fog had cleared from her mind a strong, sweat smelling hand had clamped over her mouth and she was yanked none to gently from her sleeping bag as she squirmed, her panic-filled screams muted by the hand.

“Kagome?”

“Kagome!”

She heard the voices of her friends just before she was dragged out of the hut, her legs scraping on the ground as she was granted sight again by the spectral luminescence of the waning half moon. In the infinitesimal second that passed after she looked up she discerned her captor in the night. His face was scarred, the veins protruding from his bilious eyes. His skull domed by but an oily shock of hair, his breath escaped the cage of his human teeth in rotting waves. He had the look of a wicked man, though he was clothed like a Samurai....

“KAGOME!”

There was a sound like rushing wind, then a spurting of blood and a cry of pain and Kagome awoke in soft arms, her breath coming in heavy pants. InuYasha’s familiar smell came to her and all else ceased subsistence as she clung to him as if she were holding on to life. The claws that could sever a man came around her comfortingly, and though she could barely see him it was enough to feel his warmth there.

“Kagome, are you alright?” Sango asked, though it was InuYasha who replied.

“She’s okay. It’s these bandits who you should be worrying about.”

There were more footsteps. Swords were drawn, and Sango gasped, “We saw you earlier! You were spying on Kagome and I while we were bathing, you scum!”

Kagome felt InuYasha’s rage pique, a rumble growing inside him. He helped her over to Sango, of whom he requested to watch over Kagome.

“Give us the Shikon no kakera,” One of the bandits shouted, “Or face our swords.”

“Ha! You puny excuses for humans, wield swords? The Samurai you took them from wouldn’t have had a chance against me,” InuYasha’s knuckles popped.

Kagome was fast getting over almost being abducted by bandits, and was about to run into the hut and get her bow and quiver when Kaede came out and handed them to her.

“Here, Child,” Was all the old miko said as she strung her own bow and aimed it at the bandits now clustered by the dozens around the hut.

Their group ignored some of the villagers peeking out of the huts as the lead bandit stepped forward, his bloody outfit of the finest Samurai make, “Hand over the sliver now and we may spare your ignoble town.”

“InuYasha!” Miroku’s voice drew everyone’s attention as he called to them from the outskirts of the village, but soon they were again focusing on the red-clothed hanyou.

“Enough,” InuYasha drew Tessaiga, each surge of power that coursed through the steel fang sending a greater surge of fear crawling up the thieves’ spines, “Leave this village now if you value your lives.”

Shippou shivered in his place on Kagome’s shoulder as some eyes flew to her, but the bandits could sense InuYasha’s patience running out just as well as she could, “We don’t need your jewel! There are others we know of--”

That was where the thief’s speech ended. InuYasha moved forward and grabbed him by the throat, his golden eyes flashing like lightnings in the night as he held the man off the ground. The other bandits cowered from his might, Tessaiga gripped at his side as he shook the lead bandit slightly.

“You’ve heard rumors of another jewel shard. Tell me if you wish to leave alive,” He hissed.

The man flailed feebly in InuYasha’s clawed hold, “A jewel to the south...a great demon--Gah!”

InuYasha dropped the man and sheathed Tessaiga, the other bandits already heading for the hills, then gave him one last kick for good measure, “Take your men and flee and never return, for if you do I will kill you.”

The man didn’t need telling twice as he bumbled away with one hand at his tender throat. Kagome watched the scene amidst Kaede, Sango, Shippou, Kirara, and Miroku too as InuYasha turned around with a smirk.

“You hear that? A jewel shard to the south.”

Miroku nodded, Kirara transformed and Sango and Shippou hopped onto her back.

“I’ll get my backpack,” Kagome then zipped inside to gather her sleeping bag and knapsack and slip on her footwear, Kaede stopping her before she could exit.

“Bring this potion with ye. It is for the taijiya,” She dumped the contents of her gnarled hands into Kagome’s young ones, the girl promptly packing the brew away with a farewell nod to the old woman before running out of the hut.

She blinked a couple times, her eyes meeting a most familiar sight, but her heart fluttering anyway when InuYasha turned her way, the predawn light coating his pale hair with an ethereal glow as he smiled adventurously at her. By old experience the hanyou turned and Kagome jumped onto his back, her legs in his hands as they flew after the fully loaded fire-cat.

They soared over the southern forest, seeing the top of the sun peaking over the horizon, and InuYasha breathed in the morning air, “Now this is more like it.”