InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ the hammock ❯ Chapter 1

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The hammock


I do not own any of the characters in this story.



Some Kagome/Shippo, Kagome/Inu-yasha and Kagome/Kikyo scenes . . .


_____________________________


Feudal Japan in the woods outside Keade’s village during the summer . . .

Shippo is walking through the woods. He is clearly looking for something.

“Ah” he says to himself. He goes over to tree and starts to move around some leaves. He uncovers a piece of rope. ‘A trip wire. Part of the snare.’ He thinks as he flexes his claws. He cuts the rope and one of the branches of the tree flexes and a noose of rope suddenly dangles a few meters from Shippo.

‘I hate these. How many foxes have been caught and killed by them?’ he thinks as he walks away with a grin on his face.

SNAP! Shippo eyes widen. ‘A double trap!’ is all he can think before he is caught in the trap.

SWOSH!

“Great!” Shippo mumbles. He is caught in a net, dangling a couple of meters off the ground. He is hanging from a tree in the webbing of a net.

“Oh, well, I’m not hanging around.” He says and starts to rip the cords of the net. But as he tries to cut them, pain spreads up his arm.

“Ouch! What?!” he looks around and looks up. Above him, in the tree is an anti-demon scroll, limiting his abilities.

‘Great . . . I’m stuck here until somebody finds me . . . ’ he thinks . . .

Later . . . in Keade’s village at her hut.

Keade, Shippo and several farmers are sitting (standing in Shippo’s case) near the fire pit in her hut.

“So . . . you caught him in one of your traps?” Keade says.

“Yes, Lady Keade. We’re sure he is the one that been destroying the traps. Whenever he isn’t around, the traps work, when he’s here they’re destroyed.”

Keade turns to Shippo. “Did you destroy them?”

Shippo, with an angry expression on his face, says, “Of course I did. How many foxes have those traps killed?”

“What about our crops?!”

“Foxes are thieves!”

“We have to protect ourselves!”

The farmers yell.

Keade holds up her hand for silence. She gets it. Miroku and Sango enter the hut, but do not say a thing.

“Shippo, destroying traps is a bad thing.”

Shippo, looking like he’s about to burst with anger, says. “Keade. If the traps had grain in them to trap rabbits, I’d understand. IF the traps were empty, I might still understand. But those damn traps are baited with meat. I’m not going to let them kill foxes.” He folds his arms across his small chest in a very Inu-yasha-like pose.

Keade slowly shakes her head, “I’m sorry, Shippo. But.”

“But what! I helping people, not killing them!” Shippo interrupts.

“You are doing it wrong and they were and are correct to catch you.” Keade waves to the farmers.

Shippo looks at Miroku and Sango, a pleading expression in his eyes.

They look at each other, grimace, and Miroku says, “this is a matter for the village, Shippo. As such, it is not our place to interfere.”

Shippo glares at them. “The scroll on the trap.” He grits out.

Miroku looks down at the ground. “The villagers told me that they were having problems with their traps. I didn’t think it was you, Shippo.” He says in a small voice. “I was just helping the village like I’m supposed to.”
“Thank you for bringing him to me. I will take care of this. It will not happen again.” Keade says as she dismisses the farmers. They leave the hut.

“I don’t care. I will do it again.” Shippo declares.

“Shippo.” Keade says. “What you are doing is wrong and you must be punished for it.”

“I am NOT wrong!” Shippo screams!

Keade makes a gesture and suddenly Shippo is tied up in glowing reddish bands of light.

Keade sighs. “Shippo, you will accept the punishment that I’m going to give you,”

“Kagome wouldn’t punish me.” Shippo says in a low voice

“Shippo, if you’re thinking that Kagome will stop me. Don’t. This is strictly a matter between you and the villagers. Kagome and you are guests of this village. She has no formal ties to you. Nor, you to her. So, even if she was here, instead of at her school, my decision would still stand.” Keade says in an even tone of voice.

Shippo glances at Miroku and Sango for help again. They refuse to meet his gaze. “They can’t help either, Shippo.”

“Shippo.” Sango says, as she looks at Keade. “If you cooperate, Keade will be merciful.”

Keade nods. “Of course.”

Shippo breathes out and tears beginning to fall from his eyes. He nods yes.

“Good.” Keade says, “the village has been having some problems with a flock of crows, your powers can help there. For every dead crow you bring me, I’ll forgive you of a trap you destroyed.”

Shippo grimaces, but nods. ‘Just get it over with. But . . . I’m going to have to come up with so way to destroy those traps and get away with it . . . ’ he thinks. ‘Sighs . . . there is nothing Kagome could do, so there no need to mention this to her.’

He grins, ‘it is a good thing Inu-yasha was off with Kikyo, for some, ha ha, unknown reason he would have laughed his head off when I got bundled in that trap.’

A couple of days later...

Kagome has returned and the group is off on another trip. They are setting up camp at the end of the day.

Kagome, instead of her normal futon, pulls out something different from her huge backpack.

“What is that?” Shippo asks before anyone else.

“IT’s a hammock, Shippo.”

“What is a ‘hammock’?” Inu-yasha growls out.

“It’s where I’m going to be sleeping tonight, Inu-yasha.”

“Huh?” he blurts out. The rest of the group looks questions at Kagome as well.

She sighs, “Remember all the rocks we had to sleep on last time?” the group nods, the last adventure was up in a mountain and finding level ground to sleep on was a problem. “Well, I made a mistake about mentioning to my mother how my back hurt from those rocks, and I mentioned, that now that’s summer, I might need a lighter futon because of the heat at night.”

She waves her hand at the hammock. “My mother saw this in an ad and got it for me.”

Sango looks it over, “how do you sleep in it?”

“You hang it between a couple of strong tree branches and you sleep on it.”

“Weird. People from your side of the well are weird, Kagome.” Shippo declares.

“They probably are, Shippo.” Kagome says as she starts to tie the hammock up. She locates a couple of trees and ties up the hammock about a meter off the ground.

‘One thing about coming to this side of the well. I’ve learned a lot about ropes and knots.’ Kagome sighs as she thinks. She grins.

“Lady Kagome, If I can ask, why the grin?” Miroku politely asks.

“OH, I thought it was funny that I learned how to tie knots because I’ve been kidnaped and tied up so many times, and I’ve had to learn how to untie knots . . . ” Kagome tries to grin, ‘it’s not as funny when you have to say it aloud.’ She thinks.

The group looks at each other and politely grins back at Kagome. Inu-yasha, however, does not.

“Well, let’s see if I learned how to tie knots better than the people that have kidnaped me.” Kagome says with a sickly grin as she swings herself into the hammock. The tree limbs creak, but the knots hold and the hammock, with Kagome securely in it, swings in the slight breeze.

“This might be ok.” She says after a couple of minutes. The hammock is obviously larger than it needs to be and folds around her.
“Forgive me Kagome, but, that seems rather large for you.” Miroku asks.

“Yeah, My mother bought a hammock designed for two people.” Kagome says.

“Shippo, you want to get in?” Kagome asks as she bends outside the hammock to pick him up. The hammock rocks violently. “Oopps!” she retreats into the hammock.

“No, Kagome. I think I’ll sleep with Sango tonight.” Shippo shakes his head and he speaks.

“Ok, Shippo. It’s probably best anyway, until I can get used to this.” Kagome mumbles as she tries to get untangled from the hammock.

Sango grins, “Besides, that probably reminds Shippo of that net trap.” She says.

Shippo stares at Sango and then pointedly goes over to Miroku. “I’m sleeping with you tonight.”

“What net?” Kagome says as she looks at Sango. Inu-yasha looks at her as well.

“Huh . . . “ Sango looks around at Shippo and the others. “I would have thought Shippo or Keade would have told you, Kagome.”

“Told me what, Sango?” Kagome looks at Shippo. “What happened while I was gone?”

Sango looks at Miroku. He shakes his head. Sango mouths the word, “chicken” at him. Shippo violently shakes his head no, as well.

Sango sighs deeply and explains about Shippo and the traps. During the explanation, Kagome gets out of the hammock and gathers Shippo in her arms.

“I see.” She mumbles when Sango finishes.

“HA! HA! HA!” Inu-yasha laughs and slaps his hand to his thigh. “I would have loved to have seen that. The brat trapped in a net . . . ”

“Sit, boy.”

THUMP!

“Bitch!”

“It’s not nice to laugh at people, Inu-yasha.”

“Shippo has already gathered up enough dead crows for Keade to forgive him of the traps he destroyed, Kagome. And I thought one of them would have told you, so.” Sango says in a very apologetic tone, she can see that Kagome is angry.
Kagome waves off Sango. “It’s not your fault, Sango.” She picks up Shippo and stands him up facing her.

“Did you do it?”

“Of course, Kagome. The traps hurt foxes, what I’m supposed to do? Let them get hurt?” Shippo says, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

“Of course not, Shippo. But, there has to be a better way than that.” Kagome softly replies. Kagome slumps down, “I wish I could have been here.” She gathers Shippo up in her arms.

“So, do I.” Shippo says into her ear.

“Keade wouldn’t have changed her mind, if you were here, Lady Kagome.” Miroku says. “She has to view it from the perspective of the villagers. They dislike and hurt foxes, if she had done anything else, she would have gone against them and her position in the village, could be hurt.”

Kagome looks at Miroku, “I thought she . . . ”

Miroku coughs, “The quest for the jewel and the fights it brings, Lady Kagome. There are people in the village that don’t like that. So far, Lady Keade has convinced them that everything is fine and everything will get better, but.”

“But, that means on things like this, she has to go with the villagers instead of us.”

“You are correct, Lady Kagome.”

A pause.

“What are you going to do?” Shippo whispers into Kagome’s ear.

“I don’t know, Shippo. You did something right in stopping the random killing of foxes. On the other hand, the villagers must be able to set traps to protect themselves.” She grimaces. “I just don’t know, Shippo.” She rubs his head and hugs him. Inu-yasha’s growl is heard in the background. “Shush, Inu-yasha.”

Kagome looks up and stares at Inu-yasha, “And you. Why didn’t you know about this?” She pointedly asks him.

Inu-yasha turns as faces away from Kagome and he says, “Feh.” But before he turned around, Kagome could see an emotion in his eyes, with anybody else, she’d say it was fear, but this is Inu-yasha, so it can’t be that . . .

Shippo speaks up, “Kikyo was here, Kagome.”

“I see.” Ice forms, even on this hot summer night, around Inu-yasha from the tone in her voice.

Kagome visibly controls her emotions and turns to Shippo.

“And I need to think about you, Shippo.”

“Me?” he hesitantly says.

“Yes, you. I do not like it that I wasn’t involved.” Kagome says in a low, angry voice. “Keade and I will have to have a discussion about that.”

“She’s going to say you didn’t have a say in it, Kagome.” Sango gently tells her friend.

“I know. Somehow I’ve got to come up with a way, so that I do have a say.” Kagome says. Tears form in her eyes and she whispers into Shippo’s ear, “If only I knew more about the well, Shippo. If only you could get through it. That would solve a lot of this, but you can’t.”

Shippo nods. ‘When Kagome is on her side and whenever Inu-yasha isn’t watching the well, I always try it at least once. But nothing . . . ’ he thinks.

‘Since I don’t know about the well, I could get stranded on my side. I can’t adopt Shippo, unless I can be sure I will be with him, always. Otherwise . . . ’ Kagome shakes her head and grimaces.

“I’m going to have to think about this.” Kagome says as she releases Shippo. “You still want to sleep on the ground?”

“Yes, Kagome.”

“Very well. I’m going to try to get some sleep now.”

“Yeah, wench. The rumor about this shard has it about a week travel time away. I want to get there in three days.” Inu-yasha says. “The sooner you get to sleep. The sooner I can wake you up.”

The next morning . . .

“Miroku?” Kagome asks.

“Yes, Lady Kagome.”

“Don’t nobles have body servants, hand maidens and such?”

“Of course.”

“They work for the noble and are part of the noble’s household.”
Miroku nods.

“And as such, if they get into trouble, the noble that they work for can get involved.”

“Yes.” Miroku nods. “I see where you are going with this, Lady Kagome.”

“And?”

Miroku nods, “it should work. There are some nobles that treat servants as part of their family.”

“If I should vanish, or something like that happens?”

“Then he would be free to do whatever he wished.”

“Anything else I need to know?”

“You’ll need to pay him some sort of wage.”

Kagome turns to Shippo, who has been following the conversation, and he has a small smile on his lips.

“Shippo?”

“Yes, Kagome.”

“How would you like to be my official page?”

Shippo’s grin becomes an ear to ear smile. “Yes, Lady Kagome.”


“What!” Inu-yasha yells! “You can’t!”

“Yes, I can, Inu-yasha.” Kagome grins. ‘I think my mother will approve of this as well. She’s always going on about me being a princess. And what’s a princess without a servant?’ she thinks.

“Now, Shippo. There is something that you should be aware of. When I’m gone, you are the only person from my household here, so, you will represent me.”

Shippo nods in understanding.

“Which means, you can’t do things that I will disapprove of.”

Shippo, with stricken look on his face, says, “Does that mean, Inu-yasha and I?”

Kagome waves Shippo to silence, “No, Shippo, I don’t mean Inu-yasha.”
“What I am, not here?” Inu-yasha interrupts.

“NO, Inu-yasha. You are here. So, please butt out.” Kagome growls at him.

Inu-yasha grinds his teeth together, but doesn’t say a thing. ‘She’s still mad about Kikyo.’ He thinks.

“As I was saying, Shippo, Don’t do things that I’m going to dislike.”

“Like those traps.” Shippo says in a low voice.

“Yes, like them.” Kagome looks Shippo in the eye. “I’m going to come up with something about them, Shippo. I promise that.”

Shippo nods. Kagome leans close to him.

“Basically, Shippo, at least tell me about things like that before you do it, ok?” Kagome whispers in his ears.

Shippo nods, slowly.

“While we are walking today, Shippo, we can talk about your duties.” Kagome says in a light playful voice as she sets him in the basket of her bike.

“Yeah, I want to be paid in chocolate.” Shippo excitedly says.


Later that evening as the group sets up camp . . .

“How was that hammock, Kagome?” Sango asks as she sees Kagome take it out of her backpack and start to look around.

“Very comfortable, Sango. I’m thinking about leaving it behind and letting you try it out the next time I’m home.”

“You are?”

“Yes, you want me to?”

“Hmmm . . . Ok, I’ll try it.”

Kagome nods her head, and kicks off her shoes, and starts to climb a large tree.

“What are you doing, wench?” Inu-yasha asks.

“One of the pictures in the ad for this had it hanging up high in the branches of a tree, Inu-yasha. So, I’m going to hang it up in this tree.” Kagome smiles at Inu-yasha. “For once you’re not going to sleep alone in the tree.”

Inu-yasha stops, twists his heads sideways as he looks up at the tree and back down at Kagome, and he says. “No. You’re not. What if you fall out?”

“Inu-yasha, the hard part was getting out. I’m not going to fall out.” Kagome replies as she climbs.

Later, at night, after Kagome has set-up the hammock. A bright, mostly full, moon is in the cloudless sky.

“Inu-yasha?” Kagome whispers.

“Yeah.”

“Please, join me?”

“...” Inu-yasha opens and closes his mouth. “Why?” He whispers.

“Because.”

“Because, why?”

Kagome sighs, “Because, Inu-yasha, I would like too at least once, sleep with you in a tree. Nothing else.”

“Nothing?”

“Yes, nothing else.” Tears start to form in Kagome’s eyes, “Please.” She whispers.

Inu-yasha looks around. They are up in the tree, buried in amidst the leaves, at night. Nobody on the ground will know what’s happening.

Inu-yasha joins Kagome in the hammock.

“Thank you.” She whispers.

“Feh. You would have whined all night. I didn’t want to hear it.”

“Hrumpf.”

They turn around and rest back to back.

“Inu-yasha, what were you doing with Kikyo?”

“I don’t have to answer that, bitch.”

Kagome sighs, “I know, Inu-yasha, but please?”

“Feh.”

“Fine, then. Good night, Inu-yasha.” Kagome says in a cold voice.

Later . . .

Kagome wakes up. One arm is trapped beneath her, the pins and needles feeling in it, is what woke her up.

She opens her eyes and stares into Inu-yasha peacefully sleeping face. She grins, ‘we shifted positions in the night.’

‘I just can’t stay angry at him. He’s so beautiful.’ She slowly moves her free hand to him and slowly moves it up his side.

He shifts and mumbles in his sleep. Kagome flexes the fingers in her trapped arm. They tingle. ‘I should wake him up to free my arm. But . . . ’

Her fingers reach his head and hair. They slowly entangle themselves in it. ‘But . . . when else will I have a chance like this.’

Her face bends toward Inu-yasha face. Her lips pucker and . . .

“Kikyo.” Inu-yasha mumbles.

Kagome freezes and her face goes white. ‘He’s dreaming about her.’ Her fingers tighten and she’s about to pull his hair.

“Kagome.” Inu-yasha mumbles.

‘Make up you gods damned mind, Inu-yasha . . . ’ she thinks, but her fingers loosen on his hair.

Inu-yasha grimaces in his sleep, “no.” A pause. “No. Kikyo. Hurt.” Kagome can see Inu-yasha’s eyes move rapidly under his eyelids.

‘He’s having a nightmare. I should wake him.’ She thinks.

“Kagome. Hurt me.”

Tears form in Kagome’s eyes, ‘he’s dreaming that I’m hurting him.’ She removes her hand from his hair. ‘I don’t want to hurt him.’

“Hurt me. Don’t hurt Kagome!” Inu-yasha wakes up with a start.

He enfolds Kagome into his grasp, squeezing her.

“Shshsh . . . ” Kagome whispers, “I’m ok. I’m safe. In your arms I’m always safe.” She hugs him.

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

On the ground . . .


The tree limb is moving and the leaves are shaking.

Shippo is staring up at the tree. ‘I’m going to sleep with Kagome from now on. Even if it is in something that looks like a net. Inu-yasha is not going to get between us.’

He glares at the tree.

Miroku and Sango remove their gaze from the tree and glance at each other. Both blush and glance away.

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

“Kagome.”

“Yes, Inu-yasha?”

“Let go. I have to leave.”

“Why?” Kagome painfully whispers. “Everyone has nightmares, Inu-yasha. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Inu-yasha grinds his teeth together. “I just have to leave.”

“Please tell me, why?” she begs as she holds on to him.

“Because, bitch, I’m supposed to protect you. If I’m close to you, I forget about keeping guard and relax.” Inu-yasha glares at her.

“And if I think I’m best protected by having you next me?” Kagome asks.

“I... All I know is about fighting, Kagome, I can fight best away from you.”
Kagome raises her eyebrows, “I wonder about that, Inu-yasha. How many times in fights, have you gotten better because I was close by.”

“Feh.”

“Inu-yasha, I’ll release you, if you answer this question.”

“Feh.”

“Was Kikyo hurting me in your nightmare?”

Inu-yasha face goes as white as his hair. He opens and closes his mouth.

Kagome releases him. “You don’t have to answer me.”

Inu-yasha scrambles out of the hammock. “Inu-yasha?”

“Yeah.”

“Stay close, please?”

“Feh.”

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

next morning . . .


Inu-yasha and Kagome climb down out of the tree.

As soon as Kagome touches the ground Shippo jumps up on her shoulder.

“How was last night?” Sango asks. Her face bright red.

Miroku looks intensely at Inu-yasha, with a lecherous gleam in his eyes.

Kagome looks at her two friends and her mouth opens and closes. “Sango!” she blushes, “Nothing happened! I would have expected that question from Miroku, not you!”

Sango looks at the ground, “I am sorry, Kagome. It’s just that the tree limb keep moving all night . . . ” she says in a low voice.

“Well . . . Nothing happened, Ok.”

Inu-yasha growls, goes over to Miroku and picks him up by the throat. “Nothing happened, perverted monk. Do you understand?”

“Ack . . . can’t . . . talk . . . ” Miroku tries to say something.

“Inu-yasha! Drop him! They made a mistake. There’s no need to hurt him.” Kagome says.

Inu-yasha drops Miroku, growls and turns away.

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

After a wasted trip, the rumor of about the shard was wrong and nothing was there, the group is returning to Keade’s village.

“I’m going to tell Keade about the deal Shippo and I made, then I’ll be going home, Inu-yasha.”

“Feh. You are not going home just yet, bitch.”

“Sit, boy.”

THUMP!

“I will.”


In Keade’s hut . . .

“I understand, Kagome.” Keade nods. “A neat, and acceptable, solution.”

“Good.” Kagome says with finality in her voice. “I will be involved with any decision about Shippo from now on.”

Keade nods.

“Lady Keade, I’ve been thinking about the village’s traps. And I might have a solution.”

“Please, go on.”

“Foxes are part of nature and have a place in the world. So, random killing of them is wrong.”

Keade nods and says. “The villagers should be able to protect their corps.”

“Yes. What I was thinking is Shippo goes and talks to the local foxes.” Kagome turns to Shippo and asks, “You can talk to them, right?”

“Of course.”
“And tell them what, Kagome.” Shippo beats Keade to the question.

“The village kills rats, crows, rabbits and other pest animals, right.” Keade nods. “But most of that meat isn’t used for food. Most of the villagers only eat meat at festivals, if then, right?”

Keade nods.

“OK, my idea is that when the village kills pest animals the carcasses are left outside the village for the foxes. And the foxes, then, will not raid the village.”

“Hmmm . . . That might work.” Shippo says. “Especially if a shrine to Inari is set-up for where the donations are made.”

Keade slowly nods. “We do use some of the furs and bones from those animals, But . . . ” She nods her head swiftly. “It could work, Kagome. I will see what I can do.”

“Good. Hopefully, by the time I get back, something positive will happen.” Kagome smiles.



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

That night . . . at the well . . .

Kagome climbs out of the well. ‘I hope everyone’s asleep and I can do this without interruptions.’ She thinks.

She walks away from the well and the village in a direction the group rarely goes. After about a half-hour walk, she stops at a clearing and pulls out a white piece of cloth.

‘When I talking to Keade this afternoon, I asked her for this. Hopefully the spell I’m going to try will work.’ she thinks.

Kagome mumbles over the cloth and a few minutes later one of Kikyo’s insect demons appears in the clearing. It is looking about, confused.

‘I thought, so. With Kikyo’s cloth, I confused and attracted one of her demons. Now, while it’s confused.’ Kagome thinks and she approaches the demon. She quickly climbs on it back.

It shakes it head and hurries off, carrying Kagome on it’s back.

Later . . .

Kikyo is standing next to a pond. The lights of a village softly gleam in the distance between a couple of trees.
The demon carrying Kagome stops in front of her. Kagome slides off the demon and it scurries away.

“Kikyo.”

“Reincarnation.” Kikyo looks around. “You’re alone. Why?”

“Because, Kikyo, before this is all over.” Kagome waves her hands. “I wanted to have at least tried to talk to you.”

She pauses. “I’m betting my life that there is enough of the good Miko of legend within you that we can, at least, have one conversation without trying to kill each other.”

A pause.

Kikyo nods. “I don’t know what we’re going to talk about, but, if you wish to say something, I’m not going to stop you.”

Kagome sighs, “thank you, Kikyo.” She bows to her.

Kikyo doesn’t move.

Kagome shakes her head, “I’ve wanted to ask this for awhile, Kikyo. The curse on Miroku, can it be broken?”

Kikyo starts, “I would not have expected that question.”

“I wanted us to at least have a couple of minutes of civilized conversation before we start to rip each other to shreds.” Kagome says with a slight smile on her lips.

A ghost of a smile touches Kikyo’s lips as she says, “If I saw his grandfather, when the curse was new, I could have destroyed it. But, now, after a couple of generations,” Kikyo shakes her head, “I don’t know. Perhaps, but, knowing Naraku, I would anticipate some sort of trap within the curse.”

Kagome nods, “thank you.”

“Do you consider yourself to me a good miko?” Kikyo asks.

“Huh, Yes.” Kagome replies in surprise. She was not expecting that question.

Kikyo nods, “It is right and proper for young people to obey the wishes of the parents, grandparents and other forefathers, correct?”

“Yes. Of course.”
“You are my reincarnation, my descendant, at least spiritually, correct?”

Kagome takes a deep breath, “Yes.”

“Then why are you being a bad miko, a disobedient child and refusing to let me kill you?” Kikyo smiles wickedly.

“Because, sometimes, anyone can make mistakes. And letting you kill me would be a mistake.”

A pause as they look into each others eyes.

“This isn’t going to work is it?” Kagome whispers.

“No. This was very foolish of you.”

Kagome shrugs, “I make mistakes.” Her mouth twitches, “unlike some people I know, I can admit that. Can you?”

“Leave before I kill you.”

Kagome shivers instinctively from the cold tone in Kikyo’s voice. One of Kikyo’s insect demons approaches Kikyo with a glowing soul in its mouth.

Kagome swallows, “How can a person as good as you were, Kikyo, destroy, permanently, a child’s soul?” she whispers.

Kikyo’s left hand glows as power builds in it.

“As much as I’ve come to hate Inu-yasha or Naraku, I hate you more.”

Kikyo gathers the soul in her right hand. “You are everything I want and everything, even before I died, I wanted to be.” Kagome shivers at the malice in Kikyo’s voice.

“I had to be perfect, without mistakes. You, on the other hand, willfully acknowledge mistakes, without a penalty. If I even thought about a mistake, I was punished severely.”

Kikyo glares at Kagome. “When I was growing up, I never had a friend. And except, perhaps, for Inu-yasha, I never will. You make friends without trying.”


“You are alive. I am dead.” Kagome whitens. “When I kill you, I can live.”

Kikyo looks into her left hand and the glow of the magic she is gathering increases.

Kagome closes her eyes. Tears start to form in them. ‘I’m sorry, everyone. I thought this would work . . . but she’s going to kill me . . . ’ she thinks.

“And the one thing I can never forgive you for . . . You possess Inu-yasha’s heart.”

Kagome starts and opens her mouth. “But, but . . . the kisses . . . ”

“I might possess his body, but I’ll never have his heart. And for that.” Hatred burns through Kikyo’s speech.

She gestures and the magic in her left hand fades. “And for that, you deserve a painful and lingering death. Not the clean one, I was going to give you.”

Kikyo’s smiles, “the demons in the hell I was pulled from are lonely. You will occupy them.”

Kikyo gestures to the nearby insect demon. “Take her back.”

Kikyo glares at Kagome. “The next time we meet, I will not stay my hand.”

Kagome swallows and nods. “Thank you, Kikyo for staying your hand this time.” She pauses, swallows and whispers, “If you’d give me the chance, I’d try to save you.”

“Leave. I know what I am and the only way for me to live is for you to die.”

Kagome climbs on the insect demon.

“Oh, yes. The spell you did tonight, it will not work again.”

“I know. I knew that when I did it. I, I just wanted to say, if only to myself, I tried, Kikyo.” Tears begin to form in Kagome face.

“Leave.”

Kikyo watches Kagome vanish into the distance. ‘I’ll never trust her. Saving me would take great power and great sacrifice on her part. It is easiest to kill me. In her place that is what I would do to a being like myself. A true miko must destroy me, not help me.’ She thinks. She turns and walks to the village.


Kagome wipes the tears from her eyes, ‘Why won’t she let me try? I know if we worked together I can save her, why won’t she trust me?’ she thinks.

A small smile graces her lips, ‘she said, I had Inu-yasha’s heart. Is that true? Why would she lie about that? If anything, she should have told me she has it. Should I believe her?’ Kagome slowly nods. ‘I want to believe her. And I hope, gods, how I hope, she’s right.’

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

A couple of days later, Kagome has openly returned.

“Well, did everyone try that hammock?” She asks the group.

“Yes, we did, Kagome.” Sango says after a pause.

“And?”

“Well . . . the only one to really like it was Kirara.” Sango says as she points to the hammock. It’s been strung between a couple of trees near the well. Kirara’s head lifts out of the hammock.

“Kirara’s been in it all the time . . . ” Shippo says.

Kagome blinks, “OK . . . I talked my mother into getting me a regular lightweight summer futon, instead of a hammock. So, Kirara can have it.”

“Why? I thought you like that pile of string?” Inu-yasha asks.

“Oh, for camping out, it’s fine. But we do, at least occasionally, stay indoors and it would just cause too much talk and discussion in any household we are guests in. So, it’s easier to go with a futon, instead.” Kagome says.

“Good.” Inu-yasha says, “then we don’t have to wait for you to untie it. There is a rumor of a shard nearby and time is wasting . . . ” He declares.

Kagome smiles, “I’m ready. Let’s go.”


_____________________________

The end


Authors’ notes:

For those wandering, this storyline would take place after “Spring fertility festival” but before “When friends find out.” This doesn’t exactly fit in there, but, that’s want you get when you try to fit new stories into old ones...

Shippo & being a servant to Kagome . . . first, I like the idea of Kagome eventually adopting Shippo and sooner or later, I will do that. But . . . I wanted to see if I could do something else between them.

Will this change their relationship. Not really, it just gives a different excuse for Shippo to be around, especially when people ask, “is he your son?”


Pages/body servants/hand maidens were common in Japan. In many cases peasants would pay nobles to take their child into the noble’s household as a servant. As part of the nobles household, the child, depending on the noble, might get a better education and better chances at marrying above your station. Friendships with powerful people. On the other hand, there were nobles that abused servants like slaves. It depended on the noble. (And the reputation of the noble... nobles that abused people, well...they tended to have to pay the families...)


Inari: Japanese god of rice and patron god of Foxes. (those fox statues you see in the background, like the one Shippo used on Inu-yasha in his first meeting... that's Inari messenger...)

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/oinari.shtml



Thank you for reading
jeff shelton