InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Frog Demon Princess ❯ The Bone Eater's Well and Inuyasha ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Twilight dawn 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Comedy / Drama / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.22.2010 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 373 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Comedy / Drama / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.22.2010 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 373 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. The honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi.
If looks could kill, Sesshoumaru would be dead already.
He had suggested traveling to the Bone Eaters Well, where the curse had originated, and see if they could find any clues on who or what caused the curse. Kagome didn’t have any complaints since it would be the smartest way to go about it. They didn’t have any other leads and he might find something that she missed or didn’t even think of. But the again, she was too shocked and upset about her body shrinking and turning an ugly green color, to think about anything else.
What has her wanting to kill the demon lord, is his lack of speech.
He could have stopped Jaken at any time, but he refuses to do so and her many attempts to change his mind has gone unnoticed. Not even Rin’s singing could drown out the terrible sound.
Jaken had literally took Sesshoumaru’s ‘woo her in the morning’ to heart, and started croaking when the sun had risen, which he continues to do so now. In fact, the croaking has become deeper, louder and his throat extends out into the shape of a ball.
The idea of Jaken mating with her was disgusting. He probably hasn’t seen a female of his kind in quite awhile, but he knows her circumstance. He knows she traveled with Sesshoumaru’s half brother and that she was once human. That alone should’ve made him stop such crazy antics.
And that croaking!
Does he really believe that she will fall for that? She doesn’t understand how female frog demons find the croaking appealing. It sounded like some animal breathing its last breath. Sooner or later he’s going to realize she’s not responding to his croaking and think of another way to seduce her.
She shuddered at the thought.
But whatever he comes up with can’t be as bad as the croaking, right?
She had long ago attained a long stick and waved it around, threatening to hit Jaken with it. She’s surprised she lasted this long. A normal person would have already succumbed to their wishes and would have already seriously maimed him by now.
“That’s it! I can’t take it anymore!” She suddenly stopped and hit Jaken hard, upside the back of his head. He fell down with a soft thud.
She dropped the stick and simply walked around him. Hopefully, he learned his lesson. She doesn't even feel guilty for hitting him. He had it coming. How many times did she warn him to stop his croaking? Too many to count.
"Since Jaken is taking a short break" she paused to chuckle. "May we rest as well?"
The demon lord nodded his consent. He was about to stop the group to do the same exact thing and the former priestess saved him from voicing his wishes. He did not like to speak unless it was necessary, but something about the girl has him speaking more than he usually would.
“Wait a moment,” he called out to Kagome as she began to head into the woods. He walked over to Ah-Un, reached into the brown leather bag Rin always carried, and pulled out a spare orange and white checkered kimono.
“Put this on,” he said, tossing it to her. “You need to change your clothing. If you don‘t want your friends to find out the truth, you will do what I say.”
Kagome looked down at herself and noticed he was right. They would spot her a mile away. The short, green skirt is a dead giveaway and the red ascot. She should have realized it sooner, but she was grateful the demon lord brought it up.
She clutched the material in her tiny claws and once more began her trek into the woods. She hadn’t even walked two steps forward, when Sesshoumaru stopped her. “What now?” she sighed.
“Beware of any poison ivy or oak,” he spoke in amusement. “It would delay us in our quest to find a priestess to cure the rash on your backside.”
Kagome stopped in her tracks and turned around so fast, her vision blurred. “Was that supposed to be some kind of ill humored joke or an actual warning?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Take it as you will.”
“I just don’t get demons. Nothing they do ever makes sense,” she murmured to herself, knowing very well the demon lord could hear her.
Still she took his advice, or whatever you call it, and steered clear of anything that remotely looked like poison oak or poison ivy. She had enough problems as it is and doesn’t need a rash on her ass to go along with it.
Deciding that she was far enough from Sesshoumaru’s hearing and peering eyes, she stopped in the middle of a patch of bright green ferns. She painstakingly removed her skirt and blouse, throwing them in a heap beside her and kept her white, laced panties, laying them down on top of the foliage.
Her mother is going to be furious with her. This is the second uniform that was destroyed in less than a month. Her family is on a tight budget and buying another new uniform would make it even tighter. Maybe she should bring other clothing with her. It would make more sense and she had plenty of them.
Kagome knew the moment of truth had finally arrived. She needed to relieve herself in the woods and find out what the hell had happened to the lower half. It wasn’t going to be easy and she wished nothing down there has changed. Who knows? Maybe the spell made her grow a penis.
She sighed with relief as the tension in her bladder went away.
Her hands seemed to have a mind of their own and traveled down her body to rest against the outer skin. She held her breath the entire time and a whooshing sound came out, upon learning that everything was as it should be, even though it seemed smaller.
Once she was finished, she dressed in Rin’s spare kimono. To her surprise it fit perfectly. The hem seem to rest at her ankles and didn’t reach the ground like her other outfit did, where she would trip over her own webbed feet.
Kagome decided she wanted to test out her new found powers, since Sesshoumaru wouldn’t expect her back so soon, and found a clearing that would give her enough room to practice. It wasn’t very far from her previous location and she didn’t sense any demons nearby, but she remained alert.
‘Sesshoumaru mentioned I secreted a poisonous substance on my skin when facing a foe,’ she rationalized. ‘At least I have that going for me. I don’t even know what powers a frog demon has or if I process any of them for that matter.’
Kagome knew her powers had disappeared or were dormant inside of her body. While she was in this form, she won’t be able to use them anyway. She would have purified herself or those around her.
‘Let’s see now,’ she thought, tapping her clawed fingers against her chin. ‘I need to think how frogs act and their habits.’
She knew frogs could jump very far distances at a fast rate. Certain frog species could even climb trees. While some may play dead to fool their predator from eating them.
Kagome decided to give climbing a try and stood at the base of the tree, looking up. The height wasn’t so bad in case she did fall and there are some leaves to cushion the blow. Gathering her courage, Kagome stretched out her arms around the tree and began to hike herself up.
She ignored the scrapes and the burns of the bark as she continued to climb. She paused for a moment to look down at the forest floor and realized what a mistake it was as she began to slid back down. She had lost concentration and no matter what she did, she continued her descent.
Pain shot up her spine as she landed on the bed of leaves. It knocked the wind out of her and she remained calm as her body began to regroup. She took a couple of deep breaths and rubbed her lower back, where it began to throb.
“Well, I guess I’m not climber,” she whispered, feeling foolish. “I shouldn’t even attempted that, but I would’ve never learned otherwise.”
She jumped to her feet and decided she would attempt jumping. If this did not work out for her, then she will stop and rejoin the others. She has probably been gone a long time and didn’t want anyone to see her performing these odd tricks.
Kagome bent down on all fours and leaped.
She heard a breathing sound next to her and realized it was laughter. “That won’t work, miko,” Sesshoumaru informed her, with a smirk on his face. “What are you trying to accomplish?”
She landed face first and took in a mouthful of dirt. She spit it out and glared at the amused demon lord. “Obviously, making a fool of myself.”
“Frog demons are basically useless,” he said, as he watched her pick herself off the ground. “They are only good for two things: devoting their life to you and catering to your every whim or they do make excellent stress relievers.”
“Stress relievers?”
Sesshoumaru nodded. “Would you like a demonstration? I will be pleased to provide one for you.”
Kagome took a few steps back, remembering all the times she has seen Jaken flying through the air, receiving hundreds of rocks to his head, and a soft, black leather boot to his face. “No thanks, I’m good.”
Sesshoumaru began to head back towards the others and Kagome quickly followed behind him, not wanting to irritate the demon lord.
“What to do about these old things,” she said, holding up the clothing she had on previously, when they re-entered the clearing. She didn’t want to leave them in the woods where any demon or human could find them.
“Give them to me.”
She didn’t question it and handed Sesshoumaru what he requested. But she never expected him to do what he did next. He dropped everything at his feet and stared at his hands in disbelief. He turned back to face her and she cringed in fear. She didn’t know what she did, but she knew it would not end well for her. “Why is your clothing damp, miko?”
She felt an embarrassed blush rise to her cheeks and she swallowed nervously. “I might have accidentally peed on them,” she murmured, shuffling her foot around in a patch of grass.
He didn’t say anything as he slowly dripped green poison onto the offensive clothing, causing them to vanish within seconds. “Come here, Jaken,” he spoke, in a calming voice.
Kagome had not hit Jaken very hard and he woke up moments after she entered the woods. He was furious when he found out what she did to him, but his lord told him to be quiet, that he deserved it for being a pain in his side.
Jaken immediately obeyed his master’s wishes, pleased to find he was needed, but soon changed his mind after finding out what his lord really wanted from him. He tried not to shudder as his lord used his clothing to wipe off the wet liquid on his hands. When his lord stepped back, he inhaled the scent and found that he liked it.
After Sesshoumaru washed his hands from the water pouch Rin offered him, he waved them forward with a flick of his hands.
They had only traveled a short distance, but Kagome was already feeling aches in her feet. She's not use to them yet and trying to keep up with the demon lord's fast pace, only made her get further behind. She knew there would be blisters before the day was through, but she would grin and bare it.
Sesshoumaru glanced behind him and noticed one member of his group struggling to keep up. He admired her courage and her silence. Even though it was clear she was in pain, by the wince around the edges of her mouth, she never once made a sound.
He dropped back to walk beside her, ignoring the jealous looks he was receiving.
“Does it hurt much?” he asked causally, glancing at the former miko out of the corner of his eye. “I will allow you to ride on the back of Ah-Un for a short period of time.”
She jumped, startled. She hadn't noticed him coming up beside her.
Kagome knew she should be focusing more on their surroundings and not the pain in her feet. Like she also knew the demon lord would not let anything harm her.
“It does,” she admitted, staring straight ahead. She didn’t want the demon lord to think she was weak. She would walk on her own two feet until they reached the well. “But to make them stronger, I must continue as I have been.”
Sesshoumaru nodded at her, pleased with her answer. “My offer still stands if the pain becomes unbearable.”
She smiled gratefully at him.
Sesshoumaru looked at her now, eyeing her carefully. He noticed her smile had vanished and she had a far off look in her eyes. “What is the matter, miko? Is it your feet?” He asked with concern.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I was just thinking.”
“What about?”
Kagome looked up to find him watching her. She felt her heart beat faster within her chest and willed herself to calm down. “Where to go next if we don’t find anything at the well. We don’t have many options to choose from.”
“There is an old friend of my father’s that might be able to help. His location is not very far from here.”
“What type of demon is he?” Kagome asked.
Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise. He figured she would go along with his plan and not ask any questions. At the same time, he was pleased with her inquiry. She was proving to be intelligent as well as determined. “He’s a tree demon.”
“A tree demon?” she echoed.
“Yes,” he answered, humoring her. “He has been around for many years and may know something about the curse placed upon you.”
"I guess," she said, thinking it over. "It doesn’t make much sense, at least not to me."
“What doesn't make sense?"
She grew excited as the forest became familiar to her. “The fact that there’s a tree demon who talks. Then again,” she said, spotting the well in the distance. “I never believed demons existed either.”
Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. “You are a strange one, aren’t you?”
She giggled. “You have no idea.”
Kagome couldn’t contain her sudden nervousness and glanced about the area around the Bone Eaters Well. Finding nothing, her eyes focused on Sesshoumaru and watched him as he walked around, searching for clues.
“Do you sense anything in the area?” he asked Kagome, and she knew he was testing her.
She took in a deep breath. She didn’t smell anything alarming. The only thing she could smell was the previous night’s rain. She gave up after two more failed attempts. “I’m afraid not.”
“It seems your sense of smell is inferior to mine,” he stated, ignoring the glare cast his way. “I detect a trace of grave yard soil. It’s a scent I do not recognize.”
Kagome’s heart hitched in her throat. “Kikyo has been here?” She half whispered, pain evident in her voice. “She cast this curse on me?”
Sesshoumaru watched the former miko struggle with her emotions. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to help her. “Miko,” he spoke, catching her attention. “It’s not Inuyasha’s wench that I sensed. It’s another who smells like grave yard soil.”
Kagome shook her head, thoughtful. “That couldn’t be it, Lord Sesshoumaru. Kaede is still alive and Tsubaki is dead. My own arrow sealed her fate.”
A serious look came upon his face. “Those two are not the only known miko’s.”
He stopped suddenly, and sniffed the air. "Prepare yourself, miko," Sesshoumaru warned her, stiffening his posture. "The half breed approaches."
A flash of red appeared and Inuyasha’s loud mouth accompanied it. "What the hell are you doing here, bastard?"
“Do not interfere in my business, half breed.”
When Inuyasha couldn’t get another word out of him, he turned his focus on the frog demon next to him. "Where do you keep finding these things, Sesshoumaru? If you ask me, you should have left them there."
A displeased look came over her features. “This thing has a name, you know,” she said, bitterly. “But I suppose that’s too much information for a half demon like you to understand.”
Instead of getting angry, he just laughed. “You got guts, kid. I like that.”
“I’m a grown woman, idiot.”
Inuyasha peered at her. “Are you sure about that? You’re kind of small for a grown woman.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. “Yes, I’m sure. In frog demon species, I am considered an adult.”
Inuyasha stopped what he was about to say and stared at her. “I can’t believe there’s a female version of Jaken,” Inuyasha said, shivering with horror. “I thought he was ugly enough.”
Kagome rolled her eyes. “Of course, there are female frog demons,” she pointed out dryly. “How else would the species survive, idiot.”
A smirk crossed Inuyasha’s facial features. “Doesn’t it bother you that your offspring look like sperm?”
She couldn’t resist the temptation to say, “ Compared to Lord Sesshoumaru, you have the mentality of a pup.”
Inuyasha was about to yell at her, but he stopped and closed his mouth. There was something familiar about her. The way her eyes glared at him when she was angry reminded him of Kagome. “Do I know you?”
Kagome became frightened. He couldn’t learn the truth. Not when’s she like this. “No,” she answered with a slight shiver to her voice. She hoped he wouldn’t notice. “I’m afraid not.”
“Shouldn’t you be more concerned for your miko,” Sesshoumaru spoke, deciding to intervene. If the two of them carried on much longer, Inuyasha will soon learn the truth and demand the girl be returned to him.
Sesshoumaru couldn’t allow that to happen. He doesn’t understand what has come over him, but he wasn’t willing to let the girl go. He considered her as his.
He didn’t know that his words had brought her deepest fear out in the open.
Inuyasha scoffed. “The stupid wench is probably still at home wanting me to fetch her. She’s more trouble than she’s worth.”
“If you would use your nose, you will be able to sense your miko’s lingering scent. She has already been to the well.”
Inuyasha found his half brothers words to be true. “That wrench,” he gritted through his teeth. “She’s going to get it when I see her.”
For the first time in a long while, Kagome felt uneasy being around Inuyasha. Something about his manner scared her. He was never like this when he was around her, but maybe he was and she just never noticed.
Her shock turned into anger and she found herself wanting to throttle him. “Did it ever occur to you that your miko was kidnapped or killed? Instead of being there for her, you were off with another,” she accused.
"You can't prove anything."
She’d expected him to deny her accusation, but he didn't. She wasn't really surprised. Inuyasha never admitted to being at fault for anything.
“I don’t have to you, idiot!” she snapped. “Her scent is all over you.”
He reared back, almost as if she slapped him. "Back off, bitch," he snarled, regaining his composure. “That is none of your damn business.”
She turned and lowered her head to glare at him and hardened her eyes. He wasn't going to get away with that. “It is my business when you’re two timing,” she said, anger sparking in her eyes. “Do you really believe you would get away with it? The girl you’re hiding it from is not as stupid as you think she is.”
He glanced away, his jaw tightening. “You are really starting to piss me off. You don’t know anything about the situation. So, you don’t get to tell me what to do.”
She didn’t know whether to be angry or hurt by his words. “I’m not telling you what to do!“ She yelled at him, taking a few steps forward. “I’m only pointing out the truth!”
He gave her an irritated look, and she knew she had gone to far. “Keep your damn opinions to yourself. I don’t want them.”
“Behave yourself,” Sesshoumaru spoke, pulling Kagome back. His gaze continued to pierce her, daring her to say something. When he was certain his message was clear, he turned back towards Inuyasha. “Your presence is beginning to sicken me. I will take my leave now.”
The ring of steel sounded as Inuyasha unsheathed his sword. "I didn’t give you permission to leave,” he said, giving Sesshoumaru a dirty look. “You will not brush me off like I am nothing.”
“Most half breeds are nothing.”
Kagome had no idea what the demon lord was thinking. She might not be able to talk Inuyasha out of it this time. She has never seen him this angry before and someone could get hurt. She was relieved to find that Jaken and Rin had already moved near the tree line, far away from the fight that was about to ensue among the brothers.
Sesshoumaru reached out and flung Kagome to the side, as Inuyasha raised his sword and charged.
The demon lord removed Tokijin from the belt on his waist and held it in front of him.
He easily blocked his half brother’s attack and disappeared, only to appear a second later above Inuyasha. He struck the hilt of his sword on top of his half brother’s head and landed a foot away to watch him fall onto the grass in a heap, lying motionless.
Sesshoumaru turned and walked away from his unconscious half-brother.
“Milord, you were magnificent,” Jaken boasted, running after him. “No one can compare to your fighting abilities.”
Sesshoumaru didn’t turn around when he said, “Enough, Jaken. I don’t consider my sparing with Inuyasha as a fight. A true fight is done with strength and intelligence. The only thing he brings to it, is anger.”
They left the clearing before Inuyasha woke up.
If anyone noticed the tear escaping down her cheek, they didn’t say anything and left the former miko to her own thoughts.
Kagome couldn’t help but think Inuyasha had let her down again. He’ll never change.
She cannot get caught up with this mess again. She shouldn’t be that surprised. He’s always running off to Kikyo when her back is turned or whenever she goes home. And she is sick of it. If Inuyasha wants Kikyo so badly, he can have her.
She is done with him. She has had her heart broken too many times.
To be continued…
If looks could kill, Sesshoumaru would be dead already.
He had suggested traveling to the Bone Eaters Well, where the curse had originated, and see if they could find any clues on who or what caused the curse. Kagome didn’t have any complaints since it would be the smartest way to go about it. They didn’t have any other leads and he might find something that she missed or didn’t even think of. But the again, she was too shocked and upset about her body shrinking and turning an ugly green color, to think about anything else.
What has her wanting to kill the demon lord, is his lack of speech.
He could have stopped Jaken at any time, but he refuses to do so and her many attempts to change his mind has gone unnoticed. Not even Rin’s singing could drown out the terrible sound.
Jaken had literally took Sesshoumaru’s ‘woo her in the morning’ to heart, and started croaking when the sun had risen, which he continues to do so now. In fact, the croaking has become deeper, louder and his throat extends out into the shape of a ball.
The idea of Jaken mating with her was disgusting. He probably hasn’t seen a female of his kind in quite awhile, but he knows her circumstance. He knows she traveled with Sesshoumaru’s half brother and that she was once human. That alone should’ve made him stop such crazy antics.
And that croaking!
Does he really believe that she will fall for that? She doesn’t understand how female frog demons find the croaking appealing. It sounded like some animal breathing its last breath. Sooner or later he’s going to realize she’s not responding to his croaking and think of another way to seduce her.
She shuddered at the thought.
But whatever he comes up with can’t be as bad as the croaking, right?
She had long ago attained a long stick and waved it around, threatening to hit Jaken with it. She’s surprised she lasted this long. A normal person would have already succumbed to their wishes and would have already seriously maimed him by now.
“That’s it! I can’t take it anymore!” She suddenly stopped and hit Jaken hard, upside the back of his head. He fell down with a soft thud.
She dropped the stick and simply walked around him. Hopefully, he learned his lesson. She doesn't even feel guilty for hitting him. He had it coming. How many times did she warn him to stop his croaking? Too many to count.
"Since Jaken is taking a short break" she paused to chuckle. "May we rest as well?"
The demon lord nodded his consent. He was about to stop the group to do the same exact thing and the former priestess saved him from voicing his wishes. He did not like to speak unless it was necessary, but something about the girl has him speaking more than he usually would.
“Wait a moment,” he called out to Kagome as she began to head into the woods. He walked over to Ah-Un, reached into the brown leather bag Rin always carried, and pulled out a spare orange and white checkered kimono.
“Put this on,” he said, tossing it to her. “You need to change your clothing. If you don‘t want your friends to find out the truth, you will do what I say.”
Kagome looked down at herself and noticed he was right. They would spot her a mile away. The short, green skirt is a dead giveaway and the red ascot. She should have realized it sooner, but she was grateful the demon lord brought it up.
She clutched the material in her tiny claws and once more began her trek into the woods. She hadn’t even walked two steps forward, when Sesshoumaru stopped her. “What now?” she sighed.
“Beware of any poison ivy or oak,” he spoke in amusement. “It would delay us in our quest to find a priestess to cure the rash on your backside.”
Kagome stopped in her tracks and turned around so fast, her vision blurred. “Was that supposed to be some kind of ill humored joke or an actual warning?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Take it as you will.”
“I just don’t get demons. Nothing they do ever makes sense,” she murmured to herself, knowing very well the demon lord could hear her.
Still she took his advice, or whatever you call it, and steered clear of anything that remotely looked like poison oak or poison ivy. She had enough problems as it is and doesn’t need a rash on her ass to go along with it.
Deciding that she was far enough from Sesshoumaru’s hearing and peering eyes, she stopped in the middle of a patch of bright green ferns. She painstakingly removed her skirt and blouse, throwing them in a heap beside her and kept her white, laced panties, laying them down on top of the foliage.
Her mother is going to be furious with her. This is the second uniform that was destroyed in less than a month. Her family is on a tight budget and buying another new uniform would make it even tighter. Maybe she should bring other clothing with her. It would make more sense and she had plenty of them.
Kagome knew the moment of truth had finally arrived. She needed to relieve herself in the woods and find out what the hell had happened to the lower half. It wasn’t going to be easy and she wished nothing down there has changed. Who knows? Maybe the spell made her grow a penis.
She sighed with relief as the tension in her bladder went away.
Her hands seemed to have a mind of their own and traveled down her body to rest against the outer skin. She held her breath the entire time and a whooshing sound came out, upon learning that everything was as it should be, even though it seemed smaller.
Once she was finished, she dressed in Rin’s spare kimono. To her surprise it fit perfectly. The hem seem to rest at her ankles and didn’t reach the ground like her other outfit did, where she would trip over her own webbed feet.
Kagome decided she wanted to test out her new found powers, since Sesshoumaru wouldn’t expect her back so soon, and found a clearing that would give her enough room to practice. It wasn’t very far from her previous location and she didn’t sense any demons nearby, but she remained alert.
‘Sesshoumaru mentioned I secreted a poisonous substance on my skin when facing a foe,’ she rationalized. ‘At least I have that going for me. I don’t even know what powers a frog demon has or if I process any of them for that matter.’
Kagome knew her powers had disappeared or were dormant inside of her body. While she was in this form, she won’t be able to use them anyway. She would have purified herself or those around her.
‘Let’s see now,’ she thought, tapping her clawed fingers against her chin. ‘I need to think how frogs act and their habits.’
She knew frogs could jump very far distances at a fast rate. Certain frog species could even climb trees. While some may play dead to fool their predator from eating them.
Kagome decided to give climbing a try and stood at the base of the tree, looking up. The height wasn’t so bad in case she did fall and there are some leaves to cushion the blow. Gathering her courage, Kagome stretched out her arms around the tree and began to hike herself up.
She ignored the scrapes and the burns of the bark as she continued to climb. She paused for a moment to look down at the forest floor and realized what a mistake it was as she began to slid back down. She had lost concentration and no matter what she did, she continued her descent.
Pain shot up her spine as she landed on the bed of leaves. It knocked the wind out of her and she remained calm as her body began to regroup. She took a couple of deep breaths and rubbed her lower back, where it began to throb.
“Well, I guess I’m not climber,” she whispered, feeling foolish. “I shouldn’t even attempted that, but I would’ve never learned otherwise.”
She jumped to her feet and decided she would attempt jumping. If this did not work out for her, then she will stop and rejoin the others. She has probably been gone a long time and didn’t want anyone to see her performing these odd tricks.
Kagome bent down on all fours and leaped.
She heard a breathing sound next to her and realized it was laughter. “That won’t work, miko,” Sesshoumaru informed her, with a smirk on his face. “What are you trying to accomplish?”
She landed face first and took in a mouthful of dirt. She spit it out and glared at the amused demon lord. “Obviously, making a fool of myself.”
“Frog demons are basically useless,” he said, as he watched her pick herself off the ground. “They are only good for two things: devoting their life to you and catering to your every whim or they do make excellent stress relievers.”
“Stress relievers?”
Sesshoumaru nodded. “Would you like a demonstration? I will be pleased to provide one for you.”
Kagome took a few steps back, remembering all the times she has seen Jaken flying through the air, receiving hundreds of rocks to his head, and a soft, black leather boot to his face. “No thanks, I’m good.”
Sesshoumaru began to head back towards the others and Kagome quickly followed behind him, not wanting to irritate the demon lord.
“What to do about these old things,” she said, holding up the clothing she had on previously, when they re-entered the clearing. She didn’t want to leave them in the woods where any demon or human could find them.
“Give them to me.”
She didn’t question it and handed Sesshoumaru what he requested. But she never expected him to do what he did next. He dropped everything at his feet and stared at his hands in disbelief. He turned back to face her and she cringed in fear. She didn’t know what she did, but she knew it would not end well for her. “Why is your clothing damp, miko?”
She felt an embarrassed blush rise to her cheeks and she swallowed nervously. “I might have accidentally peed on them,” she murmured, shuffling her foot around in a patch of grass.
He didn’t say anything as he slowly dripped green poison onto the offensive clothing, causing them to vanish within seconds. “Come here, Jaken,” he spoke, in a calming voice.
Kagome had not hit Jaken very hard and he woke up moments after she entered the woods. He was furious when he found out what she did to him, but his lord told him to be quiet, that he deserved it for being a pain in his side.
Jaken immediately obeyed his master’s wishes, pleased to find he was needed, but soon changed his mind after finding out what his lord really wanted from him. He tried not to shudder as his lord used his clothing to wipe off the wet liquid on his hands. When his lord stepped back, he inhaled the scent and found that he liked it.
After Sesshoumaru washed his hands from the water pouch Rin offered him, he waved them forward with a flick of his hands.
They had only traveled a short distance, but Kagome was already feeling aches in her feet. She's not use to them yet and trying to keep up with the demon lord's fast pace, only made her get further behind. She knew there would be blisters before the day was through, but she would grin and bare it.
Sesshoumaru glanced behind him and noticed one member of his group struggling to keep up. He admired her courage and her silence. Even though it was clear she was in pain, by the wince around the edges of her mouth, she never once made a sound.
He dropped back to walk beside her, ignoring the jealous looks he was receiving.
“Does it hurt much?” he asked causally, glancing at the former miko out of the corner of his eye. “I will allow you to ride on the back of Ah-Un for a short period of time.”
She jumped, startled. She hadn't noticed him coming up beside her.
Kagome knew she should be focusing more on their surroundings and not the pain in her feet. Like she also knew the demon lord would not let anything harm her.
“It does,” she admitted, staring straight ahead. She didn’t want the demon lord to think she was weak. She would walk on her own two feet until they reached the well. “But to make them stronger, I must continue as I have been.”
Sesshoumaru nodded at her, pleased with her answer. “My offer still stands if the pain becomes unbearable.”
She smiled gratefully at him.
Sesshoumaru looked at her now, eyeing her carefully. He noticed her smile had vanished and she had a far off look in her eyes. “What is the matter, miko? Is it your feet?” He asked with concern.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I was just thinking.”
“What about?”
Kagome looked up to find him watching her. She felt her heart beat faster within her chest and willed herself to calm down. “Where to go next if we don’t find anything at the well. We don’t have many options to choose from.”
“There is an old friend of my father’s that might be able to help. His location is not very far from here.”
“What type of demon is he?” Kagome asked.
Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise. He figured she would go along with his plan and not ask any questions. At the same time, he was pleased with her inquiry. She was proving to be intelligent as well as determined. “He’s a tree demon.”
“A tree demon?” she echoed.
“Yes,” he answered, humoring her. “He has been around for many years and may know something about the curse placed upon you.”
"I guess," she said, thinking it over. "It doesn’t make much sense, at least not to me."
“What doesn't make sense?"
She grew excited as the forest became familiar to her. “The fact that there’s a tree demon who talks. Then again,” she said, spotting the well in the distance. “I never believed demons existed either.”
Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. “You are a strange one, aren’t you?”
She giggled. “You have no idea.”
Kagome couldn’t contain her sudden nervousness and glanced about the area around the Bone Eaters Well. Finding nothing, her eyes focused on Sesshoumaru and watched him as he walked around, searching for clues.
“Do you sense anything in the area?” he asked Kagome, and she knew he was testing her.
She took in a deep breath. She didn’t smell anything alarming. The only thing she could smell was the previous night’s rain. She gave up after two more failed attempts. “I’m afraid not.”
“It seems your sense of smell is inferior to mine,” he stated, ignoring the glare cast his way. “I detect a trace of grave yard soil. It’s a scent I do not recognize.”
Kagome’s heart hitched in her throat. “Kikyo has been here?” She half whispered, pain evident in her voice. “She cast this curse on me?”
Sesshoumaru watched the former miko struggle with her emotions. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to help her. “Miko,” he spoke, catching her attention. “It’s not Inuyasha’s wench that I sensed. It’s another who smells like grave yard soil.”
Kagome shook her head, thoughtful. “That couldn’t be it, Lord Sesshoumaru. Kaede is still alive and Tsubaki is dead. My own arrow sealed her fate.”
A serious look came upon his face. “Those two are not the only known miko’s.”
He stopped suddenly, and sniffed the air. "Prepare yourself, miko," Sesshoumaru warned her, stiffening his posture. "The half breed approaches."
A flash of red appeared and Inuyasha’s loud mouth accompanied it. "What the hell are you doing here, bastard?"
“Do not interfere in my business, half breed.”
When Inuyasha couldn’t get another word out of him, he turned his focus on the frog demon next to him. "Where do you keep finding these things, Sesshoumaru? If you ask me, you should have left them there."
A displeased look came over her features. “This thing has a name, you know,” she said, bitterly. “But I suppose that’s too much information for a half demon like you to understand.”
Instead of getting angry, he just laughed. “You got guts, kid. I like that.”
“I’m a grown woman, idiot.”
Inuyasha peered at her. “Are you sure about that? You’re kind of small for a grown woman.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. “Yes, I’m sure. In frog demon species, I am considered an adult.”
Inuyasha stopped what he was about to say and stared at her. “I can’t believe there’s a female version of Jaken,” Inuyasha said, shivering with horror. “I thought he was ugly enough.”
Kagome rolled her eyes. “Of course, there are female frog demons,” she pointed out dryly. “How else would the species survive, idiot.”
A smirk crossed Inuyasha’s facial features. “Doesn’t it bother you that your offspring look like sperm?”
She couldn’t resist the temptation to say, “ Compared to Lord Sesshoumaru, you have the mentality of a pup.”
Inuyasha was about to yell at her, but he stopped and closed his mouth. There was something familiar about her. The way her eyes glared at him when she was angry reminded him of Kagome. “Do I know you?”
Kagome became frightened. He couldn’t learn the truth. Not when’s she like this. “No,” she answered with a slight shiver to her voice. She hoped he wouldn’t notice. “I’m afraid not.”
“Shouldn’t you be more concerned for your miko,” Sesshoumaru spoke, deciding to intervene. If the two of them carried on much longer, Inuyasha will soon learn the truth and demand the girl be returned to him.
Sesshoumaru couldn’t allow that to happen. He doesn’t understand what has come over him, but he wasn’t willing to let the girl go. He considered her as his.
He didn’t know that his words had brought her deepest fear out in the open.
Inuyasha scoffed. “The stupid wench is probably still at home wanting me to fetch her. She’s more trouble than she’s worth.”
“If you would use your nose, you will be able to sense your miko’s lingering scent. She has already been to the well.”
Inuyasha found his half brothers words to be true. “That wrench,” he gritted through his teeth. “She’s going to get it when I see her.”
For the first time in a long while, Kagome felt uneasy being around Inuyasha. Something about his manner scared her. He was never like this when he was around her, but maybe he was and she just never noticed.
Her shock turned into anger and she found herself wanting to throttle him. “Did it ever occur to you that your miko was kidnapped or killed? Instead of being there for her, you were off with another,” she accused.
"You can't prove anything."
She’d expected him to deny her accusation, but he didn't. She wasn't really surprised. Inuyasha never admitted to being at fault for anything.
“I don’t have to you, idiot!” she snapped. “Her scent is all over you.”
He reared back, almost as if she slapped him. "Back off, bitch," he snarled, regaining his composure. “That is none of your damn business.”
She turned and lowered her head to glare at him and hardened her eyes. He wasn't going to get away with that. “It is my business when you’re two timing,” she said, anger sparking in her eyes. “Do you really believe you would get away with it? The girl you’re hiding it from is not as stupid as you think she is.”
He glanced away, his jaw tightening. “You are really starting to piss me off. You don’t know anything about the situation. So, you don’t get to tell me what to do.”
She didn’t know whether to be angry or hurt by his words. “I’m not telling you what to do!“ She yelled at him, taking a few steps forward. “I’m only pointing out the truth!”
He gave her an irritated look, and she knew she had gone to far. “Keep your damn opinions to yourself. I don’t want them.”
“Behave yourself,” Sesshoumaru spoke, pulling Kagome back. His gaze continued to pierce her, daring her to say something. When he was certain his message was clear, he turned back towards Inuyasha. “Your presence is beginning to sicken me. I will take my leave now.”
The ring of steel sounded as Inuyasha unsheathed his sword. "I didn’t give you permission to leave,” he said, giving Sesshoumaru a dirty look. “You will not brush me off like I am nothing.”
“Most half breeds are nothing.”
Kagome had no idea what the demon lord was thinking. She might not be able to talk Inuyasha out of it this time. She has never seen him this angry before and someone could get hurt. She was relieved to find that Jaken and Rin had already moved near the tree line, far away from the fight that was about to ensue among the brothers.
Sesshoumaru reached out and flung Kagome to the side, as Inuyasha raised his sword and charged.
The demon lord removed Tokijin from the belt on his waist and held it in front of him.
He easily blocked his half brother’s attack and disappeared, only to appear a second later above Inuyasha. He struck the hilt of his sword on top of his half brother’s head and landed a foot away to watch him fall onto the grass in a heap, lying motionless.
Sesshoumaru turned and walked away from his unconscious half-brother.
“Milord, you were magnificent,” Jaken boasted, running after him. “No one can compare to your fighting abilities.”
Sesshoumaru didn’t turn around when he said, “Enough, Jaken. I don’t consider my sparing with Inuyasha as a fight. A true fight is done with strength and intelligence. The only thing he brings to it, is anger.”
They left the clearing before Inuyasha woke up.
If anyone noticed the tear escaping down her cheek, they didn’t say anything and left the former miko to her own thoughts.
Kagome couldn’t help but think Inuyasha had let her down again. He’ll never change.
She cannot get caught up with this mess again. She shouldn’t be that surprised. He’s always running off to Kikyo when her back is turned or whenever she goes home. And she is sick of it. If Inuyasha wants Kikyo so badly, he can have her.
She is done with him. She has had her heart broken too many times.
To be continued…