InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tangled Ambitions ❯ Gather and Hunt ( Chapter 1 )

Tangled Ambitions

By Darkless Vasion

Disclaimer- I do not own InuYasha or any of the original characters; they are the property of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. This story is an individual creation for personal and shared enjoyment of true InuYasha fans that I hope is up to the quality of the real series. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

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Chapter 1: Gather and Hunt

The morning is sunny and cool, with just a hint of the heat that would come later in the day. Quite a rustic setting with the village and surrounding countryside, the cultivated fields and untouched forests.

Kaede is pulling weeds with some of the other villagers among the new seedlings. The elderly woman easily keeps up with the younger ones working on other rows. She hears another bored sigh, smiles to herself and continues working, `Ah…the young.'

Behind her sits an odd creature; smaller that a normal human child with a wealth of golden-brown hair tied up with a bright sky-blue bow, pointy ears and fox-paws sticking out where feet would usually be. But the oddest and most noticeable feature was the Kitsune's very bushy tail, a bit lighter in color than the hair on his head, twitching at his small backside.

Shippo is slowly tearing a flower apart, plucking the petals one by one and watching them drift to the ground. `I wish Miroku and Sango had let me come with them.'

The Monk and Taijiya had gone the day before to another village that was reported to be having a demon problem, taking Kirara with them. The cute little kitsune pouted, `I could've helped…'

He sighs again, tosses the denuded stem and leans back against the fence post with his hands behind his head. `At least InuYasha isn't here to pick on me.' He wrinkles his nose and let's out a little snort, `He isn't any fun to tease without Kagome here anyway.'

He sighs once more, his face turning wistful, "Kaede?"

"Hmm…?" the old woman continues with her work, knowing what he'll ask and keeping her smile turned away.

His eyes lift to gaze at the drifting white clouds, "When did Kagome say she'd be back?"

She scootches over to a new area and answers, "She said three days…that be yesterday, so…the morning after tomorrow."

Kaede continues to pull up unwanted greenery, the distant chatting of her co-workers a comfortable sound, an audible measure of their overall contentment.

The weather had been favorable so far, boding well for a good crop this season. And the other problems had mostly disappeared ever since that odd group had taken to residing in the village as a home base for their searching.

And what a very odd group they were. The fully trained and experienced Demon Exterminator Sango, with her faithful cat-youkai companion Kirara - A bonus for any village to claim. The lecherous Monk Miroku - His extraordinary spiritual calling and powers was truly inspirational…and his personal habits definitely kept the men-folk on their toes.

Kaede chuckles under her breath and shakes her head. `If he's not careful, one of these days that Taijiya will feed him his own head,' she reaches for another weed as she recalls the many times fire had flashed in the young woman's eyes at the Houshi's behavior.

Her smile turns soft thinking of the girl that Shippo waited impatiently for, the girl who was the glue that held the little but potent group together…Kagome. So much like her sister with her generous spirit, quick mind and fierce protectiveness. But coupled with a hot temper, open mind and willingness to follow and sometimes bend the rules made her unique from anyone the old Miko had ever encountered.

Her smile fades and she breathes a sigh of her own, `…InuYasha.' Thoughts of her sister always brought that quixotic hanyou to mind. How could they not? Their past is a long and tangled one.

She still can remember the day Kikyo died; the Hanyou's attack and destruction on the village, the young Miko's bloody appearance and swift judgement, and her self-recrimination and dying request…no order. "Burn this Tama with my body…I will take it with me into the next world." Kaede stops with her hands lying palms up on her lap, seeing not the dirt and greenish stains there, but her sister's blood. She whispers, "Onee-sama…"

It was all so long ago and something she had considered finished while growing up. With her sister dead and the Shikon no Tama gone, it should have ended Kikyo's story.

How many years had gone by before she could release her hatred? Before she could look upon her sister's killer, that dreadful creature that had taken her beloved sister from her, without wanting to…

She shuddered in the warm sunlight, her thoughts turning dark.

And then this girl shows up, reminding her strongly of her sister and bringing the Shikon no Tama back. She then revives and releases that crazy-dangerous InuYasha, something no one should have been able to do.

And how good to know, when his innocence is brought to light, that she had not damaged her own soul with committing violence upon his slumbering form.

Another day she will never forget; setting eyes upon the living face of her dead sister. Reanimated in an attempt to claim shards of the Tama, Kikyo turned on Urusue, the youkai woman who had thought to control her and her abilities. Kikyo then recalled the day of her death and screamed at the silver-haired hanyou, "InuYasha…Why did you betray me?!"

His honest bewilderment reinforced the thought that there was more going on than was obvious. Kaede had been trying to match up this hanyou that was rowdy and surly but not cruel, with the things she had always believed him guilty of. And when he looked at her, confusion rampant on his face, and claimed, "I do not remember doing this thing!" - her suspicion grew.

Finding out that he and Kikyo had been in love and had made plans to be together from Kikyo's own mouth, had been shocking. But it only reinforced the thought that InuYasha couldn't have hurt her and created more questions.

Now her sister roams the earth in an unnatural life, collecting souls of the dead to keep her false form animated, desiring revenge…and dwelling on her past claim on InuYasha.

Kaede focuses on her hands again, looking past the dirt at the signs of aging there, feeling the pull of muscles protesting across her back, the creak of joints as she shifted. She knew she would have to take some the tonic that she only used to make for the older people of her village and now must use to ease the swelling in her own joints.

`Oh Cruel Life…to bring the proof of Kikyo's death too late, when I am too old to deliver justice myself.' A frown deepens the wrinkles on her face, `That Naraku has much to answer for.'

She sighs, flexes her fingers and reaches for another weed. `Ah well, I will leave the chasing to those that are more suited for it…' yanking at a stubborn root, `And I will do all I can to help in my own way.'

Her sudden smile creases her eyes almost shut as her mind pictures the stubborn hanyou with his face in the dirt, `It's almost worth it just to see that InuYasha on a leash.'

She snickers to herself, `He was always too wild by far.' The weed finally comes up with a small clod of dirt attached to its roots, and she smirks and glances furtively behind her. The weedy clump goes flying…and lands on the unsuspecting Kitsune's head.

"Hey!" Shippo jumps up and brushes furiously at the dirt in his hair.

Kaede turns and look innocently at him, "Hmm…?" A harmless old woman, puzzled then contrite. "Eh Shippo, I'm sorry," inwardly amused, "I guess I tossed it harder than I thought."

He looks at her suspiciously and then shrugs, still brushing little particles off of his clothes.

"Shippo!" Two high voices in unison turn his attention toward a pair of very young girls, carrying woven baskets, who come skipping over to look at him through the fence rails. Satome, slightly shorter than her sister Namika, speaks up, "We're going gathering, wanna come?" Two earnest faces stare at him impatiently.

Shippo looks at Kaede where she knelt in the dirt. The old woman smiles at him, "That sounds like a good idea." She looks at the enamoured pair and then back at the hesitating Kitsune, "They could use someone strong to protect them."

The girls giggle behind their hands, blushing identically as that `someone' stands proudly and nods in agreement, "You're right, Kaede." He hops over the fence and the three head off together.

Kaede continues to smile while watching the happy trio go on their little quest. `Yes,' she goes back to her chore, `I will leave the young to the young.' She chuckles again, `And enjoy the performance when I can.'

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By midday, the youngsters had filled the baskets with various useful items, and had plenty of fun doing so; making up games to make it seem less like work. Their favorite game was making up silly rhymes for each thing they found. The sillier the rhyme, the louder their giggles grew.

Finally with rosy cheeks and garlanded with flowers and leaves, they were ready to head back to the village, hungry for the noon meal. Halfway back Shippo stops to sniff the air and the two girls turn to look at him questioningly. "Hmm…" He grins at them, "Acorns!"

Satome smiles at him then looks at her and her sister's full baskets with a vexed frown, "But we can't carry any more."

Shippo thinks for a moment, "You two go on ahead while I find out exactly where they are." He smiles winsomely at them, "I'll meet you after we eat, we'll grab some sacks and I'll lead you right to them."

The girls quickly agree and turn towards home as Shippo follows his nose deeper into the forest.

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"Kaede-sama?"

Kaede lifted the door flap at the sound of the giggling request. Satome and Namika, their eyes shining with mischief and small bundles under their arms, stood there. "Nani?"

"Is Shippo ready to go?" Namika was trying to peek around the old woman for their friend inside.

"Shippo?" She looked from one girl to the other, "I thought he was with ye?"

Satome giggled again, remembering their fun that morning, "Hai, Kaede-sama. We found lots of good things." She held up her empty sack, "Our baskets were full and couldn't hold anymore when he smelled acorns nearby…"

Namika also held out her sack and continued, "He said he would find them for us and show us where they were."

Kaede looked thoughtful and asked, "Are you sure he said acorns?"

The two girls nodded in unison.

"Hmm…" Kaede turned her gaze towards the forest across the fields, then stepped out and took the girls by their shoulders and turned them towards their home, "Those acorns must be giving him quite a chase, so maybe ye should find something else to do this afternoon." She gives them a gentle push, "I'm sure they'll still be there tomorrow."

The two pouting little girls trudge off with heads hanging and shoulders drooped, "Hai Kaede-sama," the picture of youthful disappointment.

Kaede watches them go then turns to scan the forest edge for the small energetic kitsune, an uneasy feeling stealing over her the longer she stands there. `It's the wrong time for acorns…' She looks up at the sun to gage the time and looks back at the distant trees. `I'm probably worrying over-much…'

Finally, prodded by her intuition of wrongness, she steps into her hut to gather her bow and quiver of arrows and leaves the village to head determinedly towards the forest.

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The huge cream colored cat-youkai with black-tipped twin tails and flames trailing her path through the sky ignored the argument between the two humans riding on her back as she tries to reach their destination before full dark.

"We could have stayed another night Sango!" Miroku raised his voice to be heard over the rushing wind. He held on tightly to the waist of the attractive young woman riding in front of him, with the giant boomerang slung across her back as solid a barrier between them as her irritation.

"Oh no, Houshi-sama!" She yelled firmly back at him. "That would not have been a good idea at all!" She flexed her fingers in the soft fur on the cat's ruff.

"They only wanted to thank us!" He sighed but it was lost in the air whipping past them.

"It wasn't the `thanks' that was the problem, it was `who' wanted to do the thanking!" Shaking her head in disgust at the remembered picture of the boyishly-charming Monk surrounded by a small group of impressed young women…and their suspicious men growing angrier with every flirtatious laugh.

"Couldn't we have at least stayed to eat? They were…ulp!" He almost swallowed his tongue at the hard look she gave him over her shoulder.

"No! We couldn't!" She turned back to look forward, her ponytail whapping him in the face.

He leaned to the side and bent closer to be heard, "But-" He let out a yelp and grabbed tighter as Kirara suddenly went into an unexpected dive, curved sharply to the right then straightened and leveled out. Sango's laughter rang out, "Forget it, Houshi-sama!" She patted the big cat's neck in affection and felt the rumble of acknowledgement under her hands, "Kirara agrees with me, and unless you want to walk the rest of the way…"

Miroku settles back and sighs again, an expression of infinite patience marred by a crooked smile crosses his face as he stares at the back of her head. "Ah well…" He shrugs and glances down at the forested hills and cultivated fields down below, the lengthening shadows creating deep pockets of darkness in sharp contrast with the bright greens highlighted by the lowering sun. "Looks like we'll be back to Kaede's soon."

She looks down, spotting landmarks from long experience at aerial surveys and nods. "Hai." She pats Kirara's neck again, grateful to not have to face camping out alone with the lecherous Monk with the wandering hands, not sure who she trusted less, him…or herself. Her fingers tightened in the thick fur, a blush heating her cheeks and making her glad he was behind her unable to witness her discomposure.

The rest of the trip was continued in silence, arriving at Kaede's village just as the last of the suns rays disappeared beyond the horizon. A few people coming in late from the fields headed for their individual dwellings, cook-fires already lit to welcome them, the smoke rising and blending with the oncoming colors of the evening sky.

Kirara lands in front on Kaede's home and holds still for her passengers to step down. With a flare of spinning flames the youkai shrinks to about the size of a normal cat, her twin tails the only visible sign of her uniqueness. She squeaks and leaps into her mistress' arms to be cradled, purring in contentment.

Miroku watches her cuddle the cat with something like envy before turning away and walking over to the doorway of Kaede's hut. "Kaede-sama?" He lifts the flap to duck inside, "We're back…" his voice loud in the silent interior, very dark without the fire lit. He turns back to the doorway as Sango lifts the flap to enter.

She stops at the darkness there, barely able to see the Monk right in front of her, and steps back to allow him out. "Houshi-sama?"

"Kaede's not here." He looks back at the dark hut then glances around at the other buildings of the village. "I suppose she could be with one of the villagers…"

Sango strokes the dozing cat and looks toward the other homes too. "Well, she should be back soon," she steps around him, "I will get us something to eat while we wait," and enters the hut.

He stands outside for a few minutes, watching the stars beginning to appear in the darkening sky and listening to the homey sounds of Sango starting the fire and the light clanking of crockery. He stretches with a sigh and picks up a few pieces of firewood from the pile before going inside.

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Sango wakes up with Kirara snuggled next to her and sees Miroku still sitting across from the fire where he had been last night, he hadn't moved but he was asleep. `He actually looks serious while sleeping…' She sits up and glances around at the otherwise empty looking room, and frowns.

She whispers, "Houshi-sama…" Loath to wake him, `He couldn't have gotten much sleep sitting up like that.' She tries again a little louder, "Houshi-sama?"

He jerks awake, blinks blearily and smiles at her sweetly causing her to blush.

Sango reaches over to prod through the ashes at the smoldering coals, adding some small sticks to bring the fire back to life and to distract herself. "It's morning." Carefully not looking at him she puts a small pot on to heat, "Shippo and Kaede-sama have not returned."

Miroku stops in mid-stretch, taking his eyes off her prettily blushing face and finally notices their absence. He frowns and rests his chin in his hand thoughtfully, "She could be helping someone and stayed the night there…" He didn't sound too convinced at his own reasoning.

Kirara chirrups and butts her head against Sango's knee. She reaches down to stroke the cat and follows his thought, "She didn't expect us back until later today and saw no reason to be…here?" She looked at him with a frown, "But still…"

Sounds of the village stirring and starting their busy day drifted in. The Monk stands up, "I'm going to ask around."

Sango nods, moves the little pot to the side, rolls her bedding to stow it away and stands up facing him, "Me too." She opens her arms for Kirara to jump up, "I'd feel better knowing for sure."

Miroku holds the flap open for her and follows her outside, each to head in a different direction.

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By noon Sango is back at the hut, peeking inside and making a frustrated sound when she sees it's still empty. Kirara, perched on her shoulder, mews in her ear. She reaches up to touch the cat's paws just as Miroku comes around the corner of the building.

"Sango!" He calls out and she turns. "Any news?"

She shakes her head, "No, no one has seen her since yesterday morning."

He nods, "That's all I could find out as well." He frowns and starts fingering the strand of beads wrapped around his right hand and wrist, a sure sign of his worry.

Sango feels a tug at her clothing and turns to see two little girls smiling up at her. "Hello, Sango-san," a bit of hero-worship was in their eyes. She smiles back, "Hello Satome, Namika."

The taller Namika speaks up, "Is Shippo ready to go now?"

Sango glances at the Monk, who raises an eyebrow at her and shrugs. She turns back to the girls that are now staring at the cute kitty on her shoulder. "Shippo?" she asks.

"Hai," the shorter Satome answered. "He was supposed to show us where we could find some acorns yesterday…"

Namika continues, "…but he was late coming back…"

Satome finishes, "so Kaede-sama told us we could go today."

Sango knelt down to their level and held Kirara out to them so they could pet and admire her. "Coming back from where?" She kept her tone casual.

Namika points towards the forest to the west and Satome says, "from gathering with us yesterday. He's very good at it."

Kirara was sniffing and licking curious fingertips as Sango asks, "When did Kaede-sama say this?"

"Yesterday," Namika giggled. Her sister likewise between giggles gets out, "after the noon meal."

Sango stands up and holds Kirara up so she can look her in the eye. The cat gave a small "merreow" and flicks her ears. She looks back at the mirthful children.

"I'm sorry, but they aren't here." The girls' happy faces turn disappointed. She continues, "But I will tell Shippo that it is wrong to promise something to a lady and not keep it." She winks at the girls and receives new smiles.

The sisters nod and leave, waving good-bye and giggling once more.

Sango turns to Miroku. He had crossed his arms during the conversation and now asks her, "What was that all about?"

She sets the cat down goes inside to grab her things and his staff and steps back outside. "Kirara has their scent," she hands him his staff. "She already knows Kaede and Shippo's," she slings Hiraikotsu across her back. The small twin-tailed cat "mew's" and trots off. Sango smiles at him and waves for him to follow, "She will lead us to them."

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`Stupid…stupid…stupid.' The old woman's silent litany repeats itself. `Stupid!' She tries to flex her foot causing her to gasp and wince in pain, `…stupid!' She takes another sip from the small jar she uses to carry water in. She shakes it, `half full.' Kaede stoppers the container and sets it back down. `Stupid…' She leans back against the tree where she had spent the night, trying to ignore her growling stomach. `I should have told someone, or asked for help.'

She peers up through the dense foliage and guesses the time, `half a day gone…' She snorts in self-disgust, `and not doing either of us any good like this.'

The snap of a twig brings her head up and her hand reaches for the bow lying next to her, putting an arrow to the string and aiming it toward the sound, angled diagonally across her sitting position. `Stupid…' and she waits.

"Kaede-sama!" it was faintly heard followed by a large feline head poking through the bushes; huge fangs and black-tipped ears…the most beautiful sight to the weary woman. She sighs, "Kirara," and rests the bow on her lap and relaxes against her tree as the cat-youkai emerges fully and approaches her.

Kirara sits on her haunches and lets out a roar that has her companions rushing toward them. "Kaede-sama!" Sango gets there first with the Monk right behind. They crouch down on either side of the old woman and each take one of her hands.

Kaede smiles at them, "Thank goodness, I'd hoped ye'd find me but…"

Sango squeezes her hand and leans closer with a worried look, "What happened? Are you alright?"

"The only thing wrong with me is a twisted foot and a bad case of stupidity," she answered. "I tripped badly sometime yesterday afternoon and hurt my foot too badly to walk on it."

"Well, we will have you home quickly with Kirara's help," Miroku said confidently.

Sango looks around the small clearing with a confused expression, "But Kaede-sama, where is Shippo?"

Kaede's worry showed on her wrinkled face and she reached into a pocket, pulled something out and opened her hand to show them, "I came here looking for him, and all I found were these."

In her palm were a small wooden top and a wide blue ribbon.

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Thanks - Darkless