InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Guardian Cu' ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Cu Cebhfhion 
in which a band of shard hunter's on the trail of a big big lizard catch up to something entirely different
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Drama / Fantasy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.13.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 217 | Status: Work In Progress
in which a band of shard hunter's on the trail of a big big lizard catch up to something entirely different
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Drama / Fantasy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.13.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 217 | Status: Work In Progress
The Characters and World of InuYasha belong entirely to the admirable and talented Rumiko Takahashi. I in no way lay claim to them or make any money off of them.
Cu' the Guardian, aka GinCu' is mine, so is his meadow and the plot of this story.
Chapter Ten
I don't think a low level youkai like this one will have gone very far, Sango settled Hiraikotsu comfortably over her right shoulder, keen eyes narrowing she assessed the broad path left by the huge lizard they had been fighting earlier. Twisted saplings, stripped naked of their leaves by the rapid passage of a large scaly body, poked out of a well-tossed debris salad made up of mangled bushes and crushed undergrowth most of which lay half buried under chunky clots of moist earth turned up by the creature's long claws during it's wild dash to escape. It didn't even seem bright enough to realize how much more powerful having a Jewel shard makes it.
Yeah, if we're lucky the bastard stopped to take a shi.. A pair of brown eyes shot him a warning 'watch your mouth in front of the small child' look from over the top of their owner's yellow backpack, ....nap as soon as it lost our scent. Arms folded across his chest, InuYasha spun around to stare off in the same direction as Sango, right foot tapping out a steady rhythm of impatience signaling his intrinsic need to be on the move and actively doing something productive.
In his mind productive was doing things like finding another Jewel shard, or killing Naraku or both. Both would be good, in fact both would be a perfect way to make-up for this whole damn waste of a day. However, if that uncooperative bastard Naraku didn't plan on being polite enough to show up for the takedown, InuYasha reasoned, then brutally eradicating that big stupid lizard who had slung him into a tree, causing an afternoon full of painful embarrassment, would soothe his bruised ego quite nicely.
Well, the campfire is all taken care of. Accompanied by a cheerful metallic jingling of the brass rings dangling from the head of his staff, Miroku walked casually over to stand next to Sango. Giving the pair a cursory glance, InuYasha rolled his eyes as he caught sight of the fingers on Miroku's free hand start to quiver under the impulse of a strange tic, which only seemed to be entirely beyond the innocent looking monk's conscious control. Apparently under the guidance of an evil little mind all their own, his long fingers wiggled in a hypnotically pulsating motion, flexed once then stretched out to hover ever so closely in the vicinity of the Demonslayer's left buttock.
When she knocks the shit out of you, you're stayin' wherever you fall, Bouzo. We've wasted enough time today without you windin' up out cold, InuYasha whispered under his breath, just loud enough for Miroku's ears alone to get the message, Your damned hand might be cursed but don't you at least have a little control over the arm it's hangin' off of ?
Already in possession of a matched set of overly rosy cheeks, the monk weighed the fleeting merits of adding an even rosier lump on the head to his present list of injuries which had been incurred while making more than one grab for Sango's righteously protected goods during lunch. Sighing heavily and calling up what appeared to be no small amount of effort, the monk pulled the wayward arm back to his side and clenched the lustful hand firmly behind his back. Schooling his face into an expression of boyish innocence he merely smiled as the object of his affection glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Sango shifted her boomerang around on her shoulder, just enough to let him know that she was ready should either one of Miroku's hands decide to get out of hand.
Oi, Kagome, what's the hold up? Ain't you packed yet? Impatience was as evident in his voice as in the beat of his still tapping foot. Whirling to face the girl, a scowl accentuating the arch of his dark eyebrows, InuYasha stomped over to where Kagome was sitting back on her heels as she fastened up the buckles on her bulky knapsack.
All done, she replied cheerfully. Getting to her feet the girl prepared to hoist the unwieldy bag into position, But I really need to go home for supplies soon. We ate the last of the food I brought back with me for lunch.
No more Ninja snacks, Kagome? Wearing the wide-eyed look only successfully managed by a small child suddenly faced with the loss of a favorite treat, Shippou gazed up at her the hint of a dewy tear shining in his eye and a trembling motion slightly vibrating along his lower lip. He was already mourning the fact that her announcement probably meant she was all out of Pocky too.
Sorry, Shippou, it's all gone... Shaking her head in commiseration, Kagome began to swing the still heavily loaded backpack up over her shoulder then gave out a slight squawk of surprise as she realized it had suddenly vanished right out of her hands.
Neatly relieving her of the dumpy yellow burden before she could settle it into place, InuYasha stood behind her holding up the misshapen knapsack with one clawed fist. Whadda you mean we ate the last? He dangled the pack by it's wide canvas straps, testing the weight of the lumpy bag speculatively.
I mean, InuYasha that there is no more food in there, those two extra bowls of Ramen you insisted on having for lunch wiped us out. Kagome made a swipe at the pack to regain possession, but the dog eared boy merely lifted it easily out of her reach.
So there's nothing important in this thing then? Tongue in cheek he watched her dance and grab at the rumpled prize.
My books are impor.... Like a big yellow bird the pack went arcing silently through the air to land in a small cloud of dust next to her bike. Hey!...I need.. A pair of strong arms lifted Kagome up, swinging her easily around to land astride the already moving hanyou's back. ....those..
Taking the half demon's unspoken cue and knowing that once InuYasha started running he wasn't likely to stop until he was within sight of their target, Sango, Shippou and Miroku hastily mounted Kirara and the Firecat took to the sky.
Leave it, we can get it on the way back, InuYasha glanced over his left shoulder at the startled girl.
But..what about my bike? She tried to twist around to get a farewell glimpse at her suddenly abandoned possessions lying in the dirt next to the remains of their well doused campfire.
InuYasha bounded up in the air taking a long leap that set him down in the middle of the lizard's track, You can't ride that contraption through here. He took off at a ground eating run, long silver hair blowing back over his still gaping passenger.
INU... Ouch, she was already winding up for the kill, YASH..
Using a fallen log for a springboard, the half demon's feet left the ground as he soared into another huge leap that brought him up to tree top level in an instant, the abrupt change in altitude causing the girl to shriek her surprise out loudly next to his ear instead of finishing her dreaded sentence.
Don't say it Kagome, the grounds a long way down for the both of us.
She could hear the chuckle in his voice, flowing back to her on the wind. You big jerk, you just left all of my stuff back there, the anger in her tone held the mute promise of a bountiful helping of SitSitSitSit the moment his feet touched back down for good.
As soon as we grab the shard off that lizard, I promise to go back and get them, Maybe the offer of a compromise would be enough to keep him out of a deep hole in the dirt later, after all a guy could only stomach so much earthworm shit between his teeth in one day. He wasn't stupid after all...he was learning...she seemed to trust him to keep his promises.
Lacing her arms around his neck, Kagome leaned in close to his left ear, You mean it?
Yep, I mean it. He heard her utter a satisfied sigh as she settled into a more comfortable position. InuYasha smiled to himself and wished he could keep running on with her like this forever.
InuYasha? No trace of anger remained in her soft voice. Craning her head back up from where it had been resting on his shoulder she asked hesitantly, Carrying me like this isn't hurting you is it?
Feh, He took another breathtaking leap to top the crown of a large maple which their quarry had been forced to skirt rather than blindly mow down, I told you, I'd be healed up before lunch was over. Takes more than a couple of little pieces of wood...
...fifty seven..she whispered.
Oi, wench, I know exactly how many there were, he glanced over his shoulder at her, heard you count out each and every damned one....
Oh..
It was a sadly pensive little 'Oh', that immediately made him fell guilty for not just keeping his big mouth shut. What did it matter if she had counted them or not, at least she hadn't snickered even once while doing it. Oh yeah, the rest of them had tried to hide their stupid grins, stifling chuckles behind their hands as they sat beside the fire with their backs to him during the whole sorry operation.
All except for Shippou. That sneaky-ass fox had been the only one who kept peeking back at him, trying to covertly study what was none of his fuckin' business with those bright green eyes that never missed a trick. Busily guiding those blasted crayon things as he did so across more than one page in that equally damned pad of drawing paper he was so fond of, it was a pretty safe bet that the Kitsune had sketched his unique version of the whole incident....multiple times. Shippou wasn't one to let a ripe opportunity like that pass him by. He'd record it in brilliant color, not only for posterity but to show to anyone with a pair of working eyes once they got back to Kaede Baba's village, which meant the whole damned village.
InuYasha stifled a snicker of his own, he had ditched Kagome's pack for more than just the sake of expediting the search for the shard. Yeah, there was definitely one thing that wasn't going to make it back when he went after Kagome's pack and to keep from being Sat, he was already busy formulating excuses.
' Damn, I nearly lost the whole pack when I jumped the river, learn how to stow your things away better, Runt.' His shoulders shook with a silent chuckle. ' Sorry Runt, it slipped right out of the pack when I dodged around that Oni who wanted to give me grief on my way back...' Another bigger chuckle. ' Ugly bastard shit all over it before I could get it back from him. Oni's don't know nothin' about art noway.' More shaking, this time accompanied with an outright guffaw. That excuse might get him the S-Word but the look on the kit's face when he heard his drawing pad had been reduced to little more than used toilet paper, would be worth it.
What's so funny? What are you laughing at? Kagome was leaning back up, talking in his ear.
'Oh, Shit, need to be a little more careful..' Uh, Nothing.... 'Change the subject...change the subject...Think quick asshole...Change the fuckin' subject.' Soaring up to the top of another tree, he shot what he hoped was an innocent look back at her before plunging ground-ward in a free-fall dive made to take the girl's attention off of his sudden bout of unexplained mirth.
Uh, Kagome..
Yes, InuYasha? Her arms tightened reflexively and she hugged him closer as he neatly pushed off from a low-hanging branch to hurtle upwards into another well controlled leap toward the crown of the next tree.
He didn't care if his backside did still smart a little, it was worth having Kagome this close to him. 'Hey ! Don't forget to change the subject. She hasn't forgotten that you were finding something she wasn't in on pretty damned hilarious.'
Kagome, thank you for not laughing..you know...earlier..
Oh, InuYasha, it wasn't your fault. I couldn't make fun about something like that. Her voice was sweet and sincere as she gave him a little squeeze of a hug. You know I would never laugh at you, especially for something you had no way of preventing.
Next time I'll try to land in a bush, Ok? Then you'll just have to pick a few leaves outta my hair.
Leaves would be a lot easier than splinters, Kagome replied happily giving him another hug.
' Yay, it worked.....'
Now, just what were you finding so funny?
' .Shit, it didn't...does she have to have a one track mind all the time? '
InuYasha? There's something going on up ahead, Sango called out from above. Since Kirara had been flying consistently above the treetops her passengers had an overall better view than the pair fluctuating between the trees and the ground below. Gracefully the Firecat made a quick decent, landing without incident in the center of the recently carved trail. InuYasha skidded to a stop beside her.
There's definitely a shard near here, Kagome said quickly, before anyone could ask. It doesn't seem to be moving either.
What did you see? The hanyou already had his nose up, checking the air currents for scents. Beside the normal sylvan smells enhanced by those of recently crushed and broken vegetation and freshly upturned earth, a rank reptilian odor permeated the whole area. He blinked in surprise for there was another scent lightly entwined with the ones he expected that made his nostrils flare in response to it. Some strange note in that scent pinged against a distant and long forgotten memory which in turn sent back the message to his conscious mind that it was familiar.
Our lizard is just up ahead, Sango replied as she slipped lightly down from Kirara's back. It's stopped in a meadow just beyond the edge of the forest, maybe a hundred and twenty feet from here.
There was the sharp and distinctive sound of knuckles cracking in gleeful anticipation.
Well, lets go get that shard then, A rather devilish gleam lit the half demon's eyes as he envisioned smoldering lizard innards flying out in several wide and colorful arcs across the landscape.
Before InuYasha could turn around to sprint off down the path with Kagome still clinging to his back, Sango spoke up, InuYasha, you need to know there is another Youkai with it. We couldn't get a very clear look, because the lizard kept getting in the way, but from what we could see it doesn't appear to be a lower youkai at all.
Yes, InuYasha. This may be a time to employ a certain amount of caution, Dismounting Kirara, the monk came over to stand next to the demonslayer, one hand firmly gripping his staff, the other massaging his left cheek, which somehow looked a great deal redder than the last time InuYasha had seen it.
You're a fine one to be preaching to me about caution, Bouzo.. Snorted the hanyou, his yellow eyes purposely fastened on the the spot Miroku was rubbing so assiduously .
She almost knocked him off Kirara this time, the peanut gallery still perched safely atop the Firecat chimed in. I thought he was a goner for sure.
Clearing his throat a bit loudly Miroku continued, trying to assume both a saintly and put-upon look at the same time. InuYasha, we do not know what this other Youkai may be capable of. From what we could make out, this one appears to be a high Youkai and could well be as powerful as your brother.
Feh, I ain't afraid of Sesshoumaru and I sure as hell ain't afraid of this one either. Besides, the only youkai aura I'm sensing at the moment is the stink rolling off that lizard.
I am very surprised that you of all people can sense nothing more than the lizard, InuYasha, Miroku said with unfeigned surprise. Whoever it is that we saw in the meadow has a very powerful aura indeed.
Maybe it would be better if we didn't rush right in, Kagome added, hoping for once that the impulsive hanyou would curb that innate tendency which seemed to frequently dictate his actions by impelling him to jump in first with sword swinging and ask questions of the quivering leftover chunks after the dust had settled.
There was already a belligerent gleam burning deep in his yellow eyes, which unfortunately, from her position, she couldn't see. Silently the others took uneasy note of it though, with each of them knowing that it clearly showed that InuYasha was itching for a fight, any fight, with anybody, the bloodier, the messier, the better.
Why? If we sit around here with our thumbs up our asses,we're gonna loose that shard... He smirked at her over his shoulder. Not the good-natured 'I'm cute and you know it' smirk but the nasty, 'I know it all and you don't know shit' smirk, the one that just naturally made her jaw clench as she fought down a little red eyed demon of her own.
Thank you Mr. Tasteful for that colorful description... She took a deep breath and mentally began to count to ten. 'He's already gotten hurt once today..I will not get mad..I will not...'
Well, you can always just shoot him and purify his ass, Ka..Go..Me. Now he was using THAT voice, the one that went with THAT smirk.
That isn't going to happen anytime soon.. The mental countdown aborted at four and opened the door to make an exit hand in hand with her good intentions. Kagome's right eyelid twitched, she really was going to try counting again.
Oh yeah? Why not? Forget how to shoot your fuckin bow? He not only smirked, but added an irritating little snicker to it.
NO! Because some JERK made Me leave it behind. It was laying over next to my bike You big IDIOT!
Up this close he swore he could jets of steam coming out of not only her flared nostrils but her left ear as well. Did he choose to keep his mouth shut at the sight of a small fire-breathing dragon glaring back at him over his left shoulder ? Does Sus Domestica possess wings?
Why didn't you say something earlier, Wench? A very deep inhalation, sounding remarkably like the lizard's low hiss, sounded close to his left ear. It wasn't a good sound, not coming from Kagome. Oops... That was the wrong question to ask, as well as the wrong way to ask it. By this time he was already pretty close to figuring out that maybe his real mistake was in uttering the whole 'thumbs up our asses' statement in the first place, but it was too late now to take it all back.
Kagome's flashing brown eyes sparkling with undisguised anger met his. At the moment nothing was hidden from him within their depths, he could read her thoughts plainly and they were very simple. They solely consisted of, at most, two very short words repeated over and over and over. Tightening his grip on her thighs InuYasha did the only thing an endangered hanyou thinking of self preservation was capable of doing under the circumstances, he jumped straight up into the air.
Don't forget where you are Kagome.. He hit the ground and immediately leapt up again.
Put me down, this isn't going to save you! Kagome screeched back at the nearest flattened white furred ear.
Can't we talk about this? Like a red and silver ball, InuYasha bounced right off the ground.
You've already said enough to put yourself in a ten foot hole, care to try for fifteen? Her voice was getting louder.
That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid Wench. Up..down..up..down..
I wonder how long he can keep doing that? Sango asked, her eyes following the yelling blur of red , silver, black and green as it careened in bounding leaps back and forth along the width of the trial.
Until he collapses from exhaustion or she looses her voice, murmured Miroku, his eyes following the same pattern as Sango's. It is amazing how hard some people will work at vainly trying to stave off the inevitable.
Kagome's still going to absolutely 'kill' him when he finally stops. Shaking her head Sango spared a quick glance in Miroku's direction to check on exactly how his hands were occupied at the moment.
Shippou's bright green eyes were also watching the bouncing hanyou with interest.
And when she does, He said dryly and without the least bit of sympathy for the half demon, he's just going to die tired.. The Kitsune could hardly wait to sketch a picture of this to go with all the others in his collection but in leaving the backpack behind, InuYasha had temporarily deprived the kit of his drawing supplies. Idiot, I hope you tire out soon, he muttered under his breath.
To hell with this, InuYasha said suddenly, We need to go get that shard, Kagome. Abruptly reversing direction he started running along the trail toward the opening where the lizard's path broke through the tree line into the broad clearing beyond.
When the rest of the group caught up with them, the now silent pair was standing at the edge of the forest gazing out over the meadow, their argument forgotten. Kagome had slid off InuYasha's back and was quietly standing next to him. It was much to Shippou's disappointment that the hanyou was still upright and not partially buried in a respectable sized Kagome induced hole.
What was taking place in the clearing arrested everyone's attention. The lizard was indeed there, it's heavily scaled body a massive mock sunset of yellow and orange stretched out upon the cool, deep green meadow grass. The creature's enormous sharp-snouted head, pivoting from side to side atop a thick muscular neck was facing a much smaller figure standing directly in it's path. Seemingly entranced, the waylaid reptile was directing all of it's attention toward what appeared to be a very tall, slenderly built young man with long dark silver hair, clad in a strangely cut outfit in various shades of gray and white. He was carrying on what appeared to be quite an animated conversation with the lizard, seeming to understand perfectly whatever it was trying to convey with head bobs, tongue flicks and low throaty hisses.
Is he a Youkai? Sango asked softly.
I no longer feel any kind of aura coming from him, Miroku whispered back.
Feh, you feel no aura cause he doesn't have one, InuYasha was eying the man intently, unsure of why there was something so familiar about this total stranger. I told you the only youkai here is that overgrown bug-eater.
Still we shouldn't just run out there, at least not until we have some idea of exactly what he is, Kagome tugged on the hanyou's wide red sleeve, What if he's only masking his aura in some way...Like Naraku does?
InuYasha nodded back at her as he considered this as a possibility. From what he could see the young man just couldn't be simply a human but, the half demon was fairly certain that the stranger wasn't Youkai either. Aura or not, there was something too otherworldly about him, something that belied any known concept of mortality at all.
You don't think he's gonna get eaten do you, InuYasha? the Kitsune asked in a nervous little voice.
Somehow I don't think he has to worry about that, Shippou, He glanced down to see the child standing next to him, a look of worry creasing the fox-boy's small face. Reaching down InuYasha offered the kit a hand, then swung him up to perch on his left shoulder. If those two got into a fight, I think the lizard would lose.
Really? A pair of huge round eyes gazed expectantly at him.
Yeah..
Suddenly the lizard bobbed it's head rapidly up and down, as if happily agreeing with some amiable suggestion then laid it down to rest in the grass near the stranger's feet. The gray clad man hopped up to land lightly upon the long snout, took several strides forward then bent down to remove something lodged between the lizard's red bulbous eyes. Jumping back into the grass he smiled as the creature rapidly dwindled in size until it's sun colored body was no longer than the palm of his hand. Giving a faint hiss of farewell, it scurried away and disappeared into the tall grass, leaving the young man to inspect what he held loosely between his fingers. Holding the object up between thumb and index finger to inspect it in the light, he laughed, shook his head in obvious amusement, tucked it neatly away in a tiny pocket by the waistband of his long-skirted, sleeveless coat then turned and began walking purposefully toward the far side of the clearing.
There was that strangely inevitable moment of silence before InuYasha said the one thing everyone in the group expected him to say, That Bastard took our shard.
Cu' the Guardian, aka GinCu' is mine, so is his meadow and the plot of this story.
Chapter Ten
I don't think a low level youkai like this one will have gone very far, Sango settled Hiraikotsu comfortably over her right shoulder, keen eyes narrowing she assessed the broad path left by the huge lizard they had been fighting earlier. Twisted saplings, stripped naked of their leaves by the rapid passage of a large scaly body, poked out of a well-tossed debris salad made up of mangled bushes and crushed undergrowth most of which lay half buried under chunky clots of moist earth turned up by the creature's long claws during it's wild dash to escape. It didn't even seem bright enough to realize how much more powerful having a Jewel shard makes it.
Yeah, if we're lucky the bastard stopped to take a shi.. A pair of brown eyes shot him a warning 'watch your mouth in front of the small child' look from over the top of their owner's yellow backpack, ....nap as soon as it lost our scent. Arms folded across his chest, InuYasha spun around to stare off in the same direction as Sango, right foot tapping out a steady rhythm of impatience signaling his intrinsic need to be on the move and actively doing something productive.
In his mind productive was doing things like finding another Jewel shard, or killing Naraku or both. Both would be good, in fact both would be a perfect way to make-up for this whole damn waste of a day. However, if that uncooperative bastard Naraku didn't plan on being polite enough to show up for the takedown, InuYasha reasoned, then brutally eradicating that big stupid lizard who had slung him into a tree, causing an afternoon full of painful embarrassment, would soothe his bruised ego quite nicely.
Well, the campfire is all taken care of. Accompanied by a cheerful metallic jingling of the brass rings dangling from the head of his staff, Miroku walked casually over to stand next to Sango. Giving the pair a cursory glance, InuYasha rolled his eyes as he caught sight of the fingers on Miroku's free hand start to quiver under the impulse of a strange tic, which only seemed to be entirely beyond the innocent looking monk's conscious control. Apparently under the guidance of an evil little mind all their own, his long fingers wiggled in a hypnotically pulsating motion, flexed once then stretched out to hover ever so closely in the vicinity of the Demonslayer's left buttock.
When she knocks the shit out of you, you're stayin' wherever you fall, Bouzo. We've wasted enough time today without you windin' up out cold, InuYasha whispered under his breath, just loud enough for Miroku's ears alone to get the message, Your damned hand might be cursed but don't you at least have a little control over the arm it's hangin' off of ?
Already in possession of a matched set of overly rosy cheeks, the monk weighed the fleeting merits of adding an even rosier lump on the head to his present list of injuries which had been incurred while making more than one grab for Sango's righteously protected goods during lunch. Sighing heavily and calling up what appeared to be no small amount of effort, the monk pulled the wayward arm back to his side and clenched the lustful hand firmly behind his back. Schooling his face into an expression of boyish innocence he merely smiled as the object of his affection glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Sango shifted her boomerang around on her shoulder, just enough to let him know that she was ready should either one of Miroku's hands decide to get out of hand.
Oi, Kagome, what's the hold up? Ain't you packed yet? Impatience was as evident in his voice as in the beat of his still tapping foot. Whirling to face the girl, a scowl accentuating the arch of his dark eyebrows, InuYasha stomped over to where Kagome was sitting back on her heels as she fastened up the buckles on her bulky knapsack.
All done, she replied cheerfully. Getting to her feet the girl prepared to hoist the unwieldy bag into position, But I really need to go home for supplies soon. We ate the last of the food I brought back with me for lunch.
No more Ninja snacks, Kagome? Wearing the wide-eyed look only successfully managed by a small child suddenly faced with the loss of a favorite treat, Shippou gazed up at her the hint of a dewy tear shining in his eye and a trembling motion slightly vibrating along his lower lip. He was already mourning the fact that her announcement probably meant she was all out of Pocky too.
Sorry, Shippou, it's all gone... Shaking her head in commiseration, Kagome began to swing the still heavily loaded backpack up over her shoulder then gave out a slight squawk of surprise as she realized it had suddenly vanished right out of her hands.
Neatly relieving her of the dumpy yellow burden before she could settle it into place, InuYasha stood behind her holding up the misshapen knapsack with one clawed fist. Whadda you mean we ate the last? He dangled the pack by it's wide canvas straps, testing the weight of the lumpy bag speculatively.
I mean, InuYasha that there is no more food in there, those two extra bowls of Ramen you insisted on having for lunch wiped us out. Kagome made a swipe at the pack to regain possession, but the dog eared boy merely lifted it easily out of her reach.
So there's nothing important in this thing then? Tongue in cheek he watched her dance and grab at the rumpled prize.
My books are impor.... Like a big yellow bird the pack went arcing silently through the air to land in a small cloud of dust next to her bike. Hey!...I need.. A pair of strong arms lifted Kagome up, swinging her easily around to land astride the already moving hanyou's back. ....those..
Taking the half demon's unspoken cue and knowing that once InuYasha started running he wasn't likely to stop until he was within sight of their target, Sango, Shippou and Miroku hastily mounted Kirara and the Firecat took to the sky.
Leave it, we can get it on the way back, InuYasha glanced over his left shoulder at the startled girl.
But..what about my bike? She tried to twist around to get a farewell glimpse at her suddenly abandoned possessions lying in the dirt next to the remains of their well doused campfire.
InuYasha bounded up in the air taking a long leap that set him down in the middle of the lizard's track, You can't ride that contraption through here. He took off at a ground eating run, long silver hair blowing back over his still gaping passenger.
INU... Ouch, she was already winding up for the kill, YASH..
Using a fallen log for a springboard, the half demon's feet left the ground as he soared into another huge leap that brought him up to tree top level in an instant, the abrupt change in altitude causing the girl to shriek her surprise out loudly next to his ear instead of finishing her dreaded sentence.
Don't say it Kagome, the grounds a long way down for the both of us.
She could hear the chuckle in his voice, flowing back to her on the wind. You big jerk, you just left all of my stuff back there, the anger in her tone held the mute promise of a bountiful helping of SitSitSitSit the moment his feet touched back down for good.
As soon as we grab the shard off that lizard, I promise to go back and get them, Maybe the offer of a compromise would be enough to keep him out of a deep hole in the dirt later, after all a guy could only stomach so much earthworm shit between his teeth in one day. He wasn't stupid after all...he was learning...she seemed to trust him to keep his promises.
Lacing her arms around his neck, Kagome leaned in close to his left ear, You mean it?
Yep, I mean it. He heard her utter a satisfied sigh as she settled into a more comfortable position. InuYasha smiled to himself and wished he could keep running on with her like this forever.
InuYasha? No trace of anger remained in her soft voice. Craning her head back up from where it had been resting on his shoulder she asked hesitantly, Carrying me like this isn't hurting you is it?
Feh, He took another breathtaking leap to top the crown of a large maple which their quarry had been forced to skirt rather than blindly mow down, I told you, I'd be healed up before lunch was over. Takes more than a couple of little pieces of wood...
...fifty seven..she whispered.
Oi, wench, I know exactly how many there were, he glanced over his shoulder at her, heard you count out each and every damned one....
Oh..
It was a sadly pensive little 'Oh', that immediately made him fell guilty for not just keeping his big mouth shut. What did it matter if she had counted them or not, at least she hadn't snickered even once while doing it. Oh yeah, the rest of them had tried to hide their stupid grins, stifling chuckles behind their hands as they sat beside the fire with their backs to him during the whole sorry operation.
All except for Shippou. That sneaky-ass fox had been the only one who kept peeking back at him, trying to covertly study what was none of his fuckin' business with those bright green eyes that never missed a trick. Busily guiding those blasted crayon things as he did so across more than one page in that equally damned pad of drawing paper he was so fond of, it was a pretty safe bet that the Kitsune had sketched his unique version of the whole incident....multiple times. Shippou wasn't one to let a ripe opportunity like that pass him by. He'd record it in brilliant color, not only for posterity but to show to anyone with a pair of working eyes once they got back to Kaede Baba's village, which meant the whole damned village.
InuYasha stifled a snicker of his own, he had ditched Kagome's pack for more than just the sake of expediting the search for the shard. Yeah, there was definitely one thing that wasn't going to make it back when he went after Kagome's pack and to keep from being Sat, he was already busy formulating excuses.
' Damn, I nearly lost the whole pack when I jumped the river, learn how to stow your things away better, Runt.' His shoulders shook with a silent chuckle. ' Sorry Runt, it slipped right out of the pack when I dodged around that Oni who wanted to give me grief on my way back...' Another bigger chuckle. ' Ugly bastard shit all over it before I could get it back from him. Oni's don't know nothin' about art noway.' More shaking, this time accompanied with an outright guffaw. That excuse might get him the S-Word but the look on the kit's face when he heard his drawing pad had been reduced to little more than used toilet paper, would be worth it.
What's so funny? What are you laughing at? Kagome was leaning back up, talking in his ear.
'Oh, Shit, need to be a little more careful..' Uh, Nothing.... 'Change the subject...change the subject...Think quick asshole...Change the fuckin' subject.' Soaring up to the top of another tree, he shot what he hoped was an innocent look back at her before plunging ground-ward in a free-fall dive made to take the girl's attention off of his sudden bout of unexplained mirth.
Uh, Kagome..
Yes, InuYasha? Her arms tightened reflexively and she hugged him closer as he neatly pushed off from a low-hanging branch to hurtle upwards into another well controlled leap toward the crown of the next tree.
He didn't care if his backside did still smart a little, it was worth having Kagome this close to him. 'Hey ! Don't forget to change the subject. She hasn't forgotten that you were finding something she wasn't in on pretty damned hilarious.'
Kagome, thank you for not laughing..you know...earlier..
Oh, InuYasha, it wasn't your fault. I couldn't make fun about something like that. Her voice was sweet and sincere as she gave him a little squeeze of a hug. You know I would never laugh at you, especially for something you had no way of preventing.
Next time I'll try to land in a bush, Ok? Then you'll just have to pick a few leaves outta my hair.
Leaves would be a lot easier than splinters, Kagome replied happily giving him another hug.
' Yay, it worked.....'
Now, just what were you finding so funny?
' .Shit, it didn't...does she have to have a one track mind all the time? '
InuYasha? There's something going on up ahead, Sango called out from above. Since Kirara had been flying consistently above the treetops her passengers had an overall better view than the pair fluctuating between the trees and the ground below. Gracefully the Firecat made a quick decent, landing without incident in the center of the recently carved trail. InuYasha skidded to a stop beside her.
There's definitely a shard near here, Kagome said quickly, before anyone could ask. It doesn't seem to be moving either.
What did you see? The hanyou already had his nose up, checking the air currents for scents. Beside the normal sylvan smells enhanced by those of recently crushed and broken vegetation and freshly upturned earth, a rank reptilian odor permeated the whole area. He blinked in surprise for there was another scent lightly entwined with the ones he expected that made his nostrils flare in response to it. Some strange note in that scent pinged against a distant and long forgotten memory which in turn sent back the message to his conscious mind that it was familiar.
Our lizard is just up ahead, Sango replied as she slipped lightly down from Kirara's back. It's stopped in a meadow just beyond the edge of the forest, maybe a hundred and twenty feet from here.
There was the sharp and distinctive sound of knuckles cracking in gleeful anticipation.
Well, lets go get that shard then, A rather devilish gleam lit the half demon's eyes as he envisioned smoldering lizard innards flying out in several wide and colorful arcs across the landscape.
Before InuYasha could turn around to sprint off down the path with Kagome still clinging to his back, Sango spoke up, InuYasha, you need to know there is another Youkai with it. We couldn't get a very clear look, because the lizard kept getting in the way, but from what we could see it doesn't appear to be a lower youkai at all.
Yes, InuYasha. This may be a time to employ a certain amount of caution, Dismounting Kirara, the monk came over to stand next to the demonslayer, one hand firmly gripping his staff, the other massaging his left cheek, which somehow looked a great deal redder than the last time InuYasha had seen it.
You're a fine one to be preaching to me about caution, Bouzo.. Snorted the hanyou, his yellow eyes purposely fastened on the the spot Miroku was rubbing so assiduously .
She almost knocked him off Kirara this time, the peanut gallery still perched safely atop the Firecat chimed in. I thought he was a goner for sure.
Clearing his throat a bit loudly Miroku continued, trying to assume both a saintly and put-upon look at the same time. InuYasha, we do not know what this other Youkai may be capable of. From what we could make out, this one appears to be a high Youkai and could well be as powerful as your brother.
Feh, I ain't afraid of Sesshoumaru and I sure as hell ain't afraid of this one either. Besides, the only youkai aura I'm sensing at the moment is the stink rolling off that lizard.
I am very surprised that you of all people can sense nothing more than the lizard, InuYasha, Miroku said with unfeigned surprise. Whoever it is that we saw in the meadow has a very powerful aura indeed.
Maybe it would be better if we didn't rush right in, Kagome added, hoping for once that the impulsive hanyou would curb that innate tendency which seemed to frequently dictate his actions by impelling him to jump in first with sword swinging and ask questions of the quivering leftover chunks after the dust had settled.
There was already a belligerent gleam burning deep in his yellow eyes, which unfortunately, from her position, she couldn't see. Silently the others took uneasy note of it though, with each of them knowing that it clearly showed that InuYasha was itching for a fight, any fight, with anybody, the bloodier, the messier, the better.
Why? If we sit around here with our thumbs up our asses,we're gonna loose that shard... He smirked at her over his shoulder. Not the good-natured 'I'm cute and you know it' smirk but the nasty, 'I know it all and you don't know shit' smirk, the one that just naturally made her jaw clench as she fought down a little red eyed demon of her own.
Thank you Mr. Tasteful for that colorful description... She took a deep breath and mentally began to count to ten. 'He's already gotten hurt once today..I will not get mad..I will not...'
Well, you can always just shoot him and purify his ass, Ka..Go..Me. Now he was using THAT voice, the one that went with THAT smirk.
That isn't going to happen anytime soon.. The mental countdown aborted at four and opened the door to make an exit hand in hand with her good intentions. Kagome's right eyelid twitched, she really was going to try counting again.
Oh yeah? Why not? Forget how to shoot your fuckin bow? He not only smirked, but added an irritating little snicker to it.
NO! Because some JERK made Me leave it behind. It was laying over next to my bike You big IDIOT!
Up this close he swore he could jets of steam coming out of not only her flared nostrils but her left ear as well. Did he choose to keep his mouth shut at the sight of a small fire-breathing dragon glaring back at him over his left shoulder ? Does Sus Domestica possess wings?
Why didn't you say something earlier, Wench? A very deep inhalation, sounding remarkably like the lizard's low hiss, sounded close to his left ear. It wasn't a good sound, not coming from Kagome. Oops... That was the wrong question to ask, as well as the wrong way to ask it. By this time he was already pretty close to figuring out that maybe his real mistake was in uttering the whole 'thumbs up our asses' statement in the first place, but it was too late now to take it all back.
Kagome's flashing brown eyes sparkling with undisguised anger met his. At the moment nothing was hidden from him within their depths, he could read her thoughts plainly and they were very simple. They solely consisted of, at most, two very short words repeated over and over and over. Tightening his grip on her thighs InuYasha did the only thing an endangered hanyou thinking of self preservation was capable of doing under the circumstances, he jumped straight up into the air.
Don't forget where you are Kagome.. He hit the ground and immediately leapt up again.
Put me down, this isn't going to save you! Kagome screeched back at the nearest flattened white furred ear.
Can't we talk about this? Like a red and silver ball, InuYasha bounced right off the ground.
You've already said enough to put yourself in a ten foot hole, care to try for fifteen? Her voice was getting louder.
That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid Wench. Up..down..up..down..
I wonder how long he can keep doing that? Sango asked, her eyes following the yelling blur of red , silver, black and green as it careened in bounding leaps back and forth along the width of the trial.
Until he collapses from exhaustion or she looses her voice, murmured Miroku, his eyes following the same pattern as Sango's. It is amazing how hard some people will work at vainly trying to stave off the inevitable.
Kagome's still going to absolutely 'kill' him when he finally stops. Shaking her head Sango spared a quick glance in Miroku's direction to check on exactly how his hands were occupied at the moment.
Shippou's bright green eyes were also watching the bouncing hanyou with interest.
And when she does, He said dryly and without the least bit of sympathy for the half demon, he's just going to die tired.. The Kitsune could hardly wait to sketch a picture of this to go with all the others in his collection but in leaving the backpack behind, InuYasha had temporarily deprived the kit of his drawing supplies. Idiot, I hope you tire out soon, he muttered under his breath.
To hell with this, InuYasha said suddenly, We need to go get that shard, Kagome. Abruptly reversing direction he started running along the trail toward the opening where the lizard's path broke through the tree line into the broad clearing beyond.
When the rest of the group caught up with them, the now silent pair was standing at the edge of the forest gazing out over the meadow, their argument forgotten. Kagome had slid off InuYasha's back and was quietly standing next to him. It was much to Shippou's disappointment that the hanyou was still upright and not partially buried in a respectable sized Kagome induced hole.
What was taking place in the clearing arrested everyone's attention. The lizard was indeed there, it's heavily scaled body a massive mock sunset of yellow and orange stretched out upon the cool, deep green meadow grass. The creature's enormous sharp-snouted head, pivoting from side to side atop a thick muscular neck was facing a much smaller figure standing directly in it's path. Seemingly entranced, the waylaid reptile was directing all of it's attention toward what appeared to be a very tall, slenderly built young man with long dark silver hair, clad in a strangely cut outfit in various shades of gray and white. He was carrying on what appeared to be quite an animated conversation with the lizard, seeming to understand perfectly whatever it was trying to convey with head bobs, tongue flicks and low throaty hisses.
Is he a Youkai? Sango asked softly.
I no longer feel any kind of aura coming from him, Miroku whispered back.
Feh, you feel no aura cause he doesn't have one, InuYasha was eying the man intently, unsure of why there was something so familiar about this total stranger. I told you the only youkai here is that overgrown bug-eater.
Still we shouldn't just run out there, at least not until we have some idea of exactly what he is, Kagome tugged on the hanyou's wide red sleeve, What if he's only masking his aura in some way...Like Naraku does?
InuYasha nodded back at her as he considered this as a possibility. From what he could see the young man just couldn't be simply a human but, the half demon was fairly certain that the stranger wasn't Youkai either. Aura or not, there was something too otherworldly about him, something that belied any known concept of mortality at all.
You don't think he's gonna get eaten do you, InuYasha? the Kitsune asked in a nervous little voice.
Somehow I don't think he has to worry about that, Shippou, He glanced down to see the child standing next to him, a look of worry creasing the fox-boy's small face. Reaching down InuYasha offered the kit a hand, then swung him up to perch on his left shoulder. If those two got into a fight, I think the lizard would lose.
Really? A pair of huge round eyes gazed expectantly at him.
Yeah..
Suddenly the lizard bobbed it's head rapidly up and down, as if happily agreeing with some amiable suggestion then laid it down to rest in the grass near the stranger's feet. The gray clad man hopped up to land lightly upon the long snout, took several strides forward then bent down to remove something lodged between the lizard's red bulbous eyes. Jumping back into the grass he smiled as the creature rapidly dwindled in size until it's sun colored body was no longer than the palm of his hand. Giving a faint hiss of farewell, it scurried away and disappeared into the tall grass, leaving the young man to inspect what he held loosely between his fingers. Holding the object up between thumb and index finger to inspect it in the light, he laughed, shook his head in obvious amusement, tucked it neatly away in a tiny pocket by the waistband of his long-skirted, sleeveless coat then turned and began walking purposefully toward the far side of the clearing.
There was that strangely inevitable moment of silence before InuYasha said the one thing everyone in the group expected him to say, That Bastard took our shard.