InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The 500 Year Engagement ❯ The 500 Year Engagement - Kagome "Passes" a Test ( Chapter 22 )

The 500-Year Engagement

Kagome “Passes” a Test

By Majicman55

 

Disclaimer: The characters from “InuYasha” are not mine; they are the intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not benefit financially from these writings. I just like to play with the characters.

 

 

Kagome looked around nervously as she sat, surrounded by her “friends,” in the restroom at WacDonald's. She then focused her attention on the little white stick Ayumi held out in front of her.

 

“Just pee on it. Okay?”

 

“But I'm not pregnant!” It was the end of the school week after the beach vacation, and Kagome's plan to get the rumor mill spinning had worked to perfection. At the same time, she had to act the part of a teenage girl who had risked getting pregnant.

 

Yuka and Eri stood on either side of Ayumi, stubbornly blocking the miko's exit from the stall. Midori and Rin stood behind the other three girls. Both were making an effort not to laugh at Kagome's protests. Not a very good effort, though. To Kagome, it seemed more like they were trying to get her to break up along with them.

 

“Come on, Kagome. You've been in denial all week. You wouldn't even go see the school nurse,” Ayumi chided. “We're your friends.” Ayumi held out the stick again. “You don't know what we went through to get this.”

 

Yuka looked slightly nonplussed. “But you just asked Hojo...”

 

“Hojo?” squeaked Kagome. (She still had to play the part.)

 

Ayumi glared at Yuka.

 

Eri glared at Yuka, too. “You weren't supposed to say anything!”

 

Kagome stopped staring at her feet and looked up at Ayumi. “I get it. You told Hojo it was for you. What a friend!”

 

“Ummm.” Ayumi shifted from foot to foot.

 

“You did tell him it was for you…right?”

 

“I couldn't have everyone thinking I might be pregnant!”

 

“As I said…what a friend.”

 

“Just pee on it. Okay?”

 

Kagome sighed resignedly. “O-kay.”

 

 

******************

 

 

The weasel took a seat near the ladies room. Not that he really expected to overhear any conversation from inside, but he had been ordered to follow Kagome around…and the money was good.

 

It was a great surprise, then, when a few moments later he heard several teenage girls shrieking, followed by the anxiety-ridden declaration, “our Kagome is pregnant!”

 

The Weasel moved back nearer to the girls' booth. Before sitting down, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object which he surreptitiously dropped into Kagome's large, yellow backpack. He then sat down facing away from where they the girls would be. No sense in giving them a long look at his face. It would only make it more likely that they'd spot him later.

 

“This should be interesting,” he thought, “and rewarding, too.” He rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the extra money he'd get for such valuable information.

 

 

******************

 

 

“What will you do, Kagome? Have an abortion?”

 

Kagome heard Ayumi's question, but was more concerned over how many patrons were staring at them. Eri's outburst had been quite loud and, even though Kagome was staging the whole thing, it didn't mean she couldn't suffer embarrassment.

 

She allowed Ayumi, Yuka and Eri to lead her back to the booth, while Rin and Midori followed. “Could you please keep your voice down?” She flushed slightly as they all slid back into her seat. “I don't want to broadcast it to the world, you know.”

 

“Gomen.”

 

Kagome smiled wanly. “But, to answer your question, I will keep it.”

 

“Them.”

 

Kagome snapped a stern look at Midori; then turned back to Ayumi, Eri and Yuka, smiling sweetly as only she could. “There have been multiple births in our family.”

 

“Oh, yes,” piped in Midori. “My mother has had several.”

 

“Really?” said Eri.

 

“Twins, triplets…”

 

Yuka was staring. “How many children did she have? A dozen?”

 

“More than that.” Midori caught the annoyance on Kagome's face. “But she was always a very good mother.”

 

“Really?” repeated Eri, as she stared at Kagome. She had a mental image of Kagome holding three crying babies. Visions of babysitting money filled her head. She took Kagome's hand. “If you ever need any help, I'll be there for you.”

 

“Thanks, I'm sure.”

 

“What about that your possessive jerk of a boyfriend?” said Yuka. “He doesn't seem very mature. Won't he abandon you?”

 

Kagome looked up to answer and noticed that Midori didn't look too happy at Yuka's description of her father. Her aura was flaring! The miko glanced around quickly and discovered that her friend's soda was boiling. “No, Yuka, I don't think so. You don't know InuYasha the way I do.” Kagome concentrated a moment.

 

Midori frowned when Yuka's soft drink froze solid. “Good ol' mom. Always gotta show her powers are so much stronger than mine.” She turned to Yuka. “I'll have you know that InuYasha is the sweetest, gentlest, most considerate, most mature father ever!” She began heating the soda again.

 

“Huh?” All three girls stared at Midori.

 

Midori realized her slip. She looked up from Yuka's cup, which now had the odd distinction of containing both ice and boiling soda, and corrected herself lamely, “I mean, I'm sure he will be.”

 

Kagome really needed to distract the girls now. “I believe so, too. That's why we're getting married.”

 

“HUH?”

 

After a moment of commotion, in which Kagome noted gratefully that Rin and Midori participated, Ayumi was the first to speak. “Does InuYasha know about this?”

 

Kagome smiled and took a sip of her drink. “Not yet.”

 

Yuka picked up her soda, took a sip and made a sour face at the cup. “How did my soda get so warm and flat?”

 

Kagome shot a glance at Midori and then turned back to Yuka. “Cheer up. It could be worse. You could be pregnant.”

 

 

******************

 

 

The weasel watched as the girls got up to empty their trays. So, in addition to being pregnant, the girl planned on getting married. That would be worth even more money! He paused. Well, he couldn't confirm that that detail yet, but he would continue to shadow her. He'd know soon enough.

 

He watched as the girls went out the door and unconsciously licked his lips as Kagome exited. The girl had legs that went all the way up to her…

 

He wouldn't have minded hitting that, himself.

 

 

******************

 

 

As the girls walked in the direction of Kagome's home, they noticed people reading posters displaying a picture of the Higurashi Shrine.

 

“What's this about, Kagome?” asked Ayumi, as all the girls stopped to examine one of the flyers.

 

“It's my ji-chan's idea. He hired re-enactors to perform regular shows at the shrine.” Kagome summarized, “There's a monk, a taijiya…and InuYasha's in it, too. He's playing the youkai.”

 

Ayumi, Eri and Yuka paused from reading the poster, gave each other knowing looks, and nodded in unison. “That settles it, then,” announced Ayumi. “We'll be there!”

 

“We'll be there, too!” declared Rin and Midori.

 

Kagome did her best to look worried. It was hard because everything was going so well. “Well, okay…but promise me you won't disrupt the show.”

 

Ayumi, Eri and Yuka agreed. “We promise.”

 

“But,” said Ayumi, “don't expect us not to give InuYasha a piece of our minds if he doesn't agree to marry you!”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes and did her best to groan convincingly.

 

 

******************

 

 

Kagome closed the door behind her. The girls had continued on their way home and Midori and Rin had been picked up by Jaken.

 

“Oi. So how did things go?”

 

Kagome took off her yellow backpack. “As planned.” She giggled and took one of her mate's ears between finger and thumb, rubbing it gently. “…although the girls might give you an earful after the show, tomorrow.”

 

InuYasha growled gently. “Be careful when you do that. You might get more than you bargained for.”

 

“I'm counting on it.”

 

 

******************

 

 

The weasel sat in his car, parked down the street from the shrine, and listened intently through his headphones. Planting a bug in the girl's backpack had been a stroke of genius.

 

He listened as there was a thump, followed by the sound of a door closing. He guessed that the boy and girl had retreated to her room where the girl had tossed the pack into the corner and closed the door for privacy. There was a brief interlude of quiet, followed by the sound of bedsprings. “Teenagers.”

 

This was followed by more sounds of sex…except that, after several minutes, it became obvious that this was going way beyond what he was used to hearing. He had performed plenty of private detective work and had monitored several straying husbands and wives as they held their tawdry meetings in everything from parked cars to expensive hotel rooms…but this was getting ridiculous.

 

There was the obligatory moaning and calling out of names, and more squeaking bedsprings, but he could have sworn he heard animalistic(?) growling as well. He was confused by feral noises that came not only from the boy…but from the girl, too.

 

It went on, and on…and on.

 

He loosened his pants and kept listening.

 

 

******************

 

 

“What is that man doing?” The policeman had been checking parked cars as part of his normal routine when he noticed that in one of them was a man wearing headphones. It was unusual, so he had stopped to observe. His diligence was rewarded when, after several minutes, it was obvious that the man was “indulging” in something he definitely shouldn't be doing in public. “First it was giant boomerangs. Now I have to deal with perverts?”

 

The officer tapped on the window, causing the man to jump. “I'll trouble you to get out of the car, sir.”

 

 

******************

 

 

“Tell me, again, why I had to bail you out.” Mr. Sato glared at the weasel. “Undoubtedly you realize that I make my money through pornography…so I want you to explain why you would draw attention to my operations by being arrested on a morals charge?”

 

“Gomen. Gomen nasai.” The weasel sat across the desk from his irate employer.

 

As usual, Kano was sitting in the corner, out of the light. “You want me to take care of this man, Mr. Sato?”

 

The weasel groaned…and groaned more when he looked over to the other man in the room. “What is it about that man's smile?” Gone were the visions of extra profit as he realized he would have to give up his information just to get back on Mr. Sato's good side. “I have found out something important.”

 

Katashi's eyes narrowed. “It had better be.”

 

“The girl is pregnant.”

 

Kano leaned forward into the light. “You're certain?” The shark youkai thought back to his encounter with the miko. There had been something about her scent…

 

“Quite certain…and there's something else.”

 

Mr. Sato leaned forward. “Yes?”

 

“There may be a wedding.”

 

“I see.” Mr. Sato leaned back. Weddings constricted the participants' actions. It would make it easier to strike at them. “When?”

 

“I'm not sure, yet. I should get back to watching the girl.”

 

Mr. Sato waved his hand dismissively. “Go.” He steepled his fingers as he contemplated the possibilities.

 

The weasel stood up, bowing several times as he backed away.

 

“Get out!”

 

The man bowed once more and hurried towards the door.

 

Kano smiled again. “Come back when you have more information.”

 

The weasel gulped. “There is one more thing.” He took a folded up paper out of his pocket. “There is some kind of show tomorrow at the Higurashi Shrine. I don't know if it's important.” The weasel rushed forward and placed the unfolded poster on the desk, backing out again just as quickly.

 

“Thank you” said Kano, smiling again…although it was plain by the weasel's nervous expression that Kano's “gratitude” hardly had allayed the man's fear.

 

The door slammed shut and Kano listened to the weasel's rapidly retreating footsteps. He moved to the chair formerly occupied by the weasel and looked at the document in Mr. Sato's hands. “What is it?”

 

“It says something about re-enactors.” Mr. Sato's eyes widened when he examined the taijiya. “That's the girl who was on the island with Kagome and this is that InuYasha bastard.” He laid the poster flat so Kano could see, too. “It says she's playing the part of a youkai exterminator. This other man is playing a monk, and InuYasha will be playing a youkai in a special show tomorrow.”

 

Kano's eyes narrowed as he studied the picture. “So that is the legendary InuYasha.”

 

“You have never seen him?”

 

“Not personally, but we all know of him…and of Kagome.” He scowled. Kano looked lost in thought. “There was a monk and a taijiya in their pack, but they would be long dead.” Kano smiled evilly. “I think this calls for a test.”

 

“A test? What kind of test?”

 

Kano stood up to leave. “There's someone I need to talk with.”

 

 

******************

 

 

“What is it that you want?”

 

Kano swam near enough to the other youkai to converse, but not so close that the rather dull creature would revert to its base nature and attempt to eat him. “I have a job for you.”

 

The creature waved a tentacle. “What's in it for me?”

 

“You can still take the form of a human?”

 

“You want me to go onto land?” The giant octopus did not look thrilled at the prospect. “Again, what's in it for me?”

 

“My eternal gratitude.”

 

The creature waved its tentacles in a motion that indicated both derision and dismissal. “You'll have to do better than that.”

 

Kano held out the picture from the poster so that the octopus youkai could regard it with one of his large, saucer-shaped eyes. The one in red is a hanyou who has been most troubling to me. The other two are humans who, apparently, are his friends. If you can kill them for me, I will grant your fondest wish.”

 

“Shokushu goukan.”

 

“That's what you want?”

 

The creature regarded the taijiya closely. “Let me keep the girl for myself and I'll do it.”

 

Kano laughed inwardly. If this dull-witted youkai could be bought off through the indulgence of his perversion, that was fine with him. “You have yourself a deal.”

 

 

******************

 

 

“Oi. What's this, Kagome?”

 

Kagome took the small object from her mate. The only reason they had stopped was that they had heard Mama and Sota returning, and it would be time for supper soon, anyway. “It looks electronic. I think it's some kind of listening device.”

 

“A microphone?”

 

“Yeah. Someone may have been listening while we…” The miko blushed.

 

InuYasha took the object back and crushed it.

 

“What did you do that for?”

 

“Feh. It's not like I can follow the signal.”

 

“But now they know we're onto them.”

 

“No. They know their transmitter isn't working anymore.”

 

Kagome still wasn't mollified. “How will we find out who they are?”

 

“Think about it. Who would it be?”

 

“Oh…yeah. We'll just have to be on our toes.” The miko thought for a moment. “We'd better tell Sango and Miroku that Mr. Sato hasn't had the sense to give up yet.”

 

“Feh.”

 

 

******************

 

 

“Where's grandpa?” asked Kagome, sitting down at the kitchen table.

 

Sota put down his glass. “He's out on a date, again.”

 

“Again?”

 

“He's become quite the playboy,” said Mama.

 

Sota grinned. “It's the priestess from our neighboring shrine. I think jio-chan's sweet on her.”

 

“You're the one who removed the seal, Kagome,” said Miroku. “Don't complain. Besides, I hope I'm that…active…when I'm his age. The monk grimaced when Sango elbowed him.

 

`Yeah, but…”

 

“Feh. Forget it, Kagome. Tell them about what we found.”

 

“Oh, yeah.” Kagome explained that InuYasha had found a “bug” on her backpack. This puzzled the monk and the taijiya until Kagome explained the bug was a little like Naraku's saimyoushou in that it could relay what it “heard” in the room.

 

Also, since Mr. Sato was the only one who had reason to do something like this, they could safely assume he was involved.

 

It meant they had to be on their guard.

 

 

******************

 

 

Mr. Sato and Kano looked out of an upper-floor window that commanded a view of the Higurashi Shrine grounds.

 

Mr. Sato took down his binoculars. “And this youkai is going to attack the people in the show?”

 

“That's right.”

 

“Because you want to see if these re-enactors are the real monk and taijiya from five hundred years ago.”

 

“Correct.”

 

Katashi took a pull from a flask he took out of his pocket. “But they couldn't be.”

 

“The miko, Kagome, is over five hundred years old. The legend is that the monk and the taijiya disappeared shortly after the Inu-tachi defeated Naraku.” Kano took the binoculars from Mr. Sato. While he had youkai senses, his were adapted for use under water. “Going up against Kagome and InuYasha is dangerous enough. If those two really are Miroku and Sango, I must know it.”

 

There was a line beginning to form at the entrance the the shrine. Kano smiled when he spotted his “man” approaching the entrance.

 

 

******************

 

 

The octopus youkai was uncomfortable. He hadn't gone about in his human form in ages. He looked at the piece of paper Kano and the human, Mr. Sato, had given him. The shark youkai had told him it was something the humans called “money” and Mr. Sato had told him it was just the right amount to get him into the “show.”

 

Per Kano's instructions, he stood at the end of the line and waited his turn. Finally, an old priest who seemed to babble incessantly took the piece of paper he held out and motioned him inside, where it was obvious that he should wait with the humans behind a rope barrier.

 

He passed the time waiting for the show to start by imagining what he would do to the girl in the picture once he had her in his power. The four extra appendages he held within his loose-fitting kimono wriggled with anticipation.

 

 

******************

 

 

Sango was finishing the last details in donning her taijiya outfit when Miroku, already dressed as a monk, allowed the tatami mat to fall back into place over the door out of which he had just been peering. “Do you feel it, Sango?”

 

“An ominous presence?” she giggled. The taijiya thought the monk was joking, considering their impending performance.

 

But Miroku's expression did not change, did not lighten. “I am not talking about InuYasha, nor Kirara. It is definitely someone or something else.”

 

Sango turned serious. “Jaken? I heard that Rin and Midori were coming. Perhaps Rin convinced Sesshoumaru to come.”

 

“No. I would have recognized them. Jaken is too weak, and Lord Sesshoumaru is much stronger than this.” Miroku pulled the mat back again…enough to peek out and see the crowd of spectators. “You're kidding.” He pulled the mat back far enough that Sango could see, too. “See the tall one?”

 

Sango picked out the individual Miroku and pointed out. He had overlarge, saucer-like eyes and his kimono moved disquietingly, as if it contained several restless snakes. The thing stood behind Midori and Rin and three other girls Sango thought she recognized from pictures Kagome had shown her of her school friends.

 

As Sango and Miroku watched, all five girls jumped and looked around wildly, trying to discover who had fondled their behinds.

 

“Hentai bastard,” muttered Miroku.

 

“We have to tell InuYasha.”

 

“Yes, we…”

 

The monk was interrupted by music piping through speakers on the shrine grounds. Sango and Miroku watched as Kagome, dressed in traditional miko garb, walked out to address the crowd.

 

“Too late. We'll have to wing it.”

 

 

******************

 

 

Kagome looked over the crowd, which she guessed at being somewhere between two hundred fifty and three hundred. She spotted her friends, along with Midori and Rin, easily enough as all the girls were waving and carrying on.

 

“In the Sengoku Jidai, our ancestors had to face many dangers we do not have to face today. Dangerous youkai terrorized the land.”

 

At her words, InuYasha appeared on the roof of one of the shrine buildings. He had used his power of illusion this time to disguise himself as a menacing youkai complete with large fangs and sharp claws, ready to strike. He growled and carried on. Kagome did her best not to giggle as the crowd gasped and small children grabbed their parents' legs.

 

“But, fortunately, the people were not defenseless.” Kagome turned her attention back to the crowd. There were priests and mikos (she bowed), monks, and even taijiyas ready to help.”

 

Who was the strange man standing behind her friends? He gave her the creeps with his large, saucer-shaped eyes and his kimono that seemed to move in a very strange way. But the show had to go on.

 

“Behind me are a monk and a taijiya. Monks of great virtue (Kagome did her best to suppress another giggle) could use sacred sutras, and other devices, to subdue or destroy youkai. This monk is named “Miroku” and is an expert in the use of sutras and of his shakujou. The girl beside him, who is also his fiancé (the crowd applauded politely), is a taijiya. Taijiyas were paid youkai exterminators who even fashioned their armor and weapons from parts of destroyed youkai. This particular taijiya is named “Sango” and the large “boomerang” she carries is her weapon, called “Hiraikotsu.”

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome puzzled at what her friends, Midori and Rin, were doing. The girls seemed to be holding their hands protectively over their butts. She noticed also that Midori was now steering the girls away from the strange man.

 

“Good girl,” she thought. She was just thinking how it was a shame that their first show would draw a hentai in the crowd when she caught Midori's eye.

 

“Youkai,” her daughter mouthed silently.

 

Kagome's eyes got big, then narrowed again as she reached out with her own senses.

 

It was a youkai, alright. “InuYasha.”

 

“What is it,” came the answering thought.

 

She stared intensely at the youkai and transmitted the image to her mate. “Youkai…in the crowd.”

 

“Kuso.”

 

“What?”

 

“I left Tetsusaiga in our room.”

 

“Kuso! And I don't have my bow.”

 

“Yeah, but I NEED Tetsusaiga…and you don't need your bow.”

 

“It's a lot easier to focus with the bow.” Kagome heard the crowd murmuring and realized there were innocents who could get hurt or killed, including her friends. Fortunately, Midori had moved herself, Rin and her friends a safe distance away. But everyone else…

 

“Ladies and gentlemen. For our first show, I will need a volunteer from the audience. You, sir!” She pointed to the youkai. Kagome walked to the rope line, lifted it and pulled the “man” forward and led him to where she had been standing before.

 

Behind her, Miroku and Sango looked at each other. This wasn't in the show. “She's caught on,” whispered the monk.

 

“Sometime youkai would assume the likeness of humans, and these youkai could be the most dangerous of all!” As she spoke, Kagome took the hand of the youkai and concentrated.

 

There was a flash of pink light and the youkai howled in pain. His kimono flew off and he stood there, revealed, with four tentacles waving in the air.

 

The crowd gasped. The show was so real!

 

The youkai recovered quickly, sending a tentacle towards Kagome, but the miko had already erected a barrier which shocked the octopus youkai every time he touched it.

 

Miroku and Sango ran up beside Kagome.

 

Miroku held his shakujou protectively in front of them all and looked back over his shoulder. “Are you okay, Kagome?”

 

“I'm fine, but you'd better protect…”

 

It was too late. All four tentacles had extended to great lengths and one of them had wrapped around Sango. The taijiya was lifted into the air and brought close to the youkai. “Yessss. You'll do nicely.”

 

To Miroku's infuriation, the other three tentacles were starting to stroke his Sango in a most lecherous way.

 

People in the crowd were shielding their children's eyes.

 

The monk raised his shakujou with the intention of striking the youkai, but the creature constantly shifted to keep Sango between him and the monk.

 

“Iron reaver, soul stealer!” InuYasha landed close to the youkai and struck out, severing the tentacle holding the taijiya. He then caught Sango and gave her over to Miroku. “Getting a little rusty, monk?”

 

“Hmpf. Thank you, InuYasha. LOOK OUT!”

 

Another of the youkai's tentacles lashed out, knocking InuYasha through the air.

 

“Now who's rusty?” Miroku took a defensive pose in front of the two girls, swiping away the probing tentacles as they tried to get past him. Suddenly the monk's eyebrows arched as he detected a surge in the youkai's energy. “InuYasha! It's changing!”

 

A glow surrounded the youkai as it changed first into its octopus form, and then continued changing into something huge and hideous.

 

“What is it?” cried Miroku.

 

“I've seen pictures of this in storybooks.” Kagome noted that Sango had retrieved Hiraikotsu and was getting ready to attack. “It's called a kraken, but they're supposed to be deep sea creatures.” The miko glanced over to where the crowd had been and discovered, to her relief, that most had fled. Her school friends, Midori and Rin were still there, but her friends had fainted. She looked back to Miroku, who was now getting out sutras and casting them at the creature, weakening it.

 

“Hiraikotsu!”

 

Sango's weapon sliced through another of the tentacles.

 

Fortunately, the youkai was by nature a sea creature and couldn't move well on dry land…although, being youkai, it certainly could move a lot better than a beached normal octopus would.

 

It was no match for the four of them.

 

“Blades of blood!” Red sickles sliced the youkai's tentacles into small pieces, leaving only the central body mostly intact.

 

 

******************

 

 

Kano watched as Kagome stepped forward, next to the now crippled youkai. She place both hands on the creature. As the shark youkai and Mr. Sato watched, a pink glow suffused the youkai, who turned immediately to dust and blew away in the wind.

 

Both Kano and Katashi whistled at the sight of the youkai's dissolution at the hands of the miko.

 

“She is powerful.”

 

“And those two definitely are Miroku and Sango.”

 

Katashi took another pull at his flask. “You still want to go after her?”

 

Kano thought about the power possessed by the miko…power he would have (the jewel) if she were destroyed. He thought about the girl's impending wedding and the opportunity it presented. “Yes.”

 

Mr. Sato took another swig, capped and put away the flask. “You ever cater a wedding?

 

 

 

A/N: Well, the neko's out of the bag. Kagome's friends (and her enemies) know she's pregnant. And, unfortunately, it looks like the first re-enactor show is a bust…or is it?

 

As always, please read and review. Thanks! Oh, and again, more reviews = more inspiration for new chapters.

 

On a personal note, sorry for the delay in updating, but I am particularly busy this time of year. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure the story will be done by the end of September. I'm already sketching out some one shots (including a Halloween one shot), plus a new, longer story. More on those later.