Scroll Six: Two Halves Make a Hanyou

With the ending note of Inu-Yasha's set decision to help people in need, to be the oblivious hero that he is, Inu-Yasha and company, plus one, took to the path Little Inu had pointed out that led to Fire Soul. The first few days of the weeklong journey went off without a hitch. The only exception being the monkey-demons they ran into when the group-namely Kagome, Sango, Shippo, and Little Inu-stopped for a dip in the hot spring. That hadn't gone over well at all.

It'd started off with a rustling in the bushes.

"Hey, did you hear that, Sango?" Kagome asked, turning away from the water fight she was having with the young fox and young dog demons.

Sango nodded, making her wet hair cascade down her face and front. "Yes. I wonder what it was…."

Shippo and Little Inu ceased playing to hear what the girls were saying.

"That's funny," Shippo said as he gave a small splash with his tail, hitting Little Inu in the face with a spray, "I didn't hear anything."

Frowning and furrowing his brow, the dog-boy created a wave as he smacked the wonderfully warm water with his hands, aiming deftly so it'd go careening at Shippo's head. He was victorious. "I didn't really hear much either," he admitted, grinning as the fox's head bobbed up and down in the tiny torrent, his tail coming up in place of his noggin at times.

"I don't think imagined it…. Did I?" Kagome looked at Sango for some form of answer. Her reply was a shrug.

"No, I don't think so. It was probably just some wild animal rummaging around."

Satisfied with her friend's logic, the fifteen-year-old girl joined back in with the two boys and brought Sango in the midst of it as well.

When the foursome was ready to emerge, they had a startling revelation waiting for them at the shoreline.

"U-uh, Kagome…."

"What is it Shippo?"

"Um…." Shippo's blue eyes darted around anxiously. Quietly, he murmured, "Our clothes are missing."

Kagome's eyes almost bugged out. "What!? No way!" She scanned the shore, pacing back and forth in the hot spring.

Sango was fuming. "I bet it was that perverted monk!" she arraigned through clenched teeth.

"Now, now, Sango. We can't jump to conclusions…." She tried waving it off and sweat dropped, attempting to maintain an uneasy smile on her face.

Little Inu sniffed the air, his ears perking up, straining to hear. "Great…." he muttered with a slight groan.

"Hmm?" The girl turned to peer quizzically at him.

"It's monkey-demons. Gods, I should've been paying better attention." He smacked his head with a hand. "Ugh, now what are we going to do? We sure as hell can't leave in all our glory. Which means we can't chase down our clothes…."

With a bunch of cries and screaming, the branches of a nearby tree began to shake.

Whipping around, Little Inu started running towards it. "Aha! They're over there!" He leapt into the air-yes still in his birthday suit, but hey he's a kid-and slashed the tree branches with swipe of his small claws. As he descended back into the water, the branches fell away and revealed a group of four monkeys sat there, chattering irately at him.

Each one had some clothes in its hands or was obscurely wearing it. One monkey had Kagome's green school skirt around its neck like a long poncho and Sango's sash around its head like a bandana; another had Shippo's pants hanging off its arm-one arm through one leg-and Little Inu's undershirt on the other arm; the other one had Shippo's shirt and vest, along with Kagome's shirt, all balanced on its head like a turban; the last monkey though had not only Sango's kimono tied around it like a toga, it was wearing Little Inu's kimono. The four monkeys tittered and howled and leaped up and down on their branches, or what was left of their former roost.

"Give me that back!" Little Inu barked, eyes growing dark. "That kimono's mine!" He started to tense up, preparing to strike.

The four monkey-demons chattered all the more.

"Kitsunebi!" Shippo yelled, sending swirling bluish flame. Hoping that it would make the annoying primate demons leave their perch, he kept his eyes locked on target as he fired.

They did as hoped, and leapt to the ground. That gave Little Inu his chance.

With all of his muscles coiled and ready to spring, he sprung. Directing his strike to the ground, the dog-boy let it loose. "Sankon Tetsusou!" He scratched a fair sized crack to which Shippo threw some of his kitsune toys-one of which was a large feather that came around like a boomerang and knocked the foursome of troublemakers in.

They all toppled in like a yowling mass of fallen line-dry laundry.

Sango and Kagome gazed on with slightly shocked expressions for more than one reason.

"I never knew Shippo was capable of doing something so tactical," Sango whispered, catching her best friend's attention.

Kagome nodded. "Who would've thought? Well, he is a fox after all…."

Smirking broadly, Little Inu clambered onto the shore and glowered down at them-in all his doggie glory--thoroughly enjoying scaring them. The once-tough monkey-demon group was now just a whimpering and whining bunch with looks of sheer pathetic guilt spread across their countenance; they trembled in their train wreck of stolen articles. "Heh, not so tough now are you? I'll just take that back…" He gradually began to reach towards them to retrieve his kimono.

That idea did not work well.

The monkey wearing his kimono chomped down on Little Inu's fingers.

He howled in pain. He thrust his hand involuntarily in his mouth, sucking arduously on his digits. Figuring he was on the receiving end of some very surprised and mocking stares, he yanked his hand out. He growled very low, and deep, which really surprised Kagome.

Sounds like a grown demon…. She thought, still ducking in the water next to Sango. Her eyes averted from the young dog-demon to search for the fourth member of their party. Where's Shippo?

Unbeknownst to them, the fox-boy had slipped away from line of sight sometime during Little Inu's hand-meets-mouth session. That was the problem with foxes: they could just disappear without you noticing.

The monkey-demon gang tittered harder and whooped louder, enjoying the deriding situation they imparted upon the young dog-demon.

Apparently Little Inu wasn't taking this too well. He growled all the more. "Give me back my damned kimono, you punks!"

From the mouth of the boy, a miniature battle ensued. They all darted about Kagome and Sango like tiny blurs. The girls didn't have much of a play-by-play as it consisted of chasing chiefly. Finally, after what seemed like the longest hot spring session that yielded them all with pruney skin, Little Inu managed to catch the foursome by making them all collide into each other and go down like dominos. He promptly bopped each of them over the head, and continued to make sound effects as he regained each article of clothing, returning it to its respective owner.

With a satisfied crack of his knuckles, Little Inu half-smiled. "Heh. That outta teach you."

The primate demons lay in a disoriented heap. They were so worn and battered; they couldn't even make a squeak as they all passed out.

"That…was weird…." Kagome said, wide-eyed.

"Very odd…." Sango agreed, sharing the same expression as her best friend.

Shippo reappeared on shore beside the proud dog-boy. "Did I miss much?"

Maintaining the large eyes, the girls answered.

Kagome: "Nope."

Sango: "Too hard to tell, really."

The two girls were climbing out of the hot spring when they heard another rustling in the bushes.

Little Inu looked up from his pile of clothes. "Huh? What are you doing-"

Inu-Yasha had emerged from the bushes so quickly that Kagome fell on her rump, staring up at him. "Kagome! Are you all-" He stopped speaking; however, his jaw continued to hang open as gawked stupidly at her. Inu-Yasha's lips started to move yet nothing came out. Yeah, sure, he'd seen her without her funny clothes before, but it was still…awkward for him to see Kagome without coverage. That was something he was naïve about to the max…. He'd never ever want to disrespect her. She meant way too much to the hanyou. He could feel the heat rise in his cheeks, and his grip on Tetsusaiga's hilt go slack from shock.

Unlike the perverted monk with him, who allowed his-now huge-purple orbs to roam Sango's curves; yet only for the briefest of moments….

Inu-Yasha could've sworn Miroku had begun to blush about as bad as he himself had. Perhaps the monk did have some respect for Sango and Kagome's womanly figures.

Inu-Yasha's eyes closed, and his ears drooped as he whirled around. (If he had a tail like Sessho-Maru, it would've gone promptly between his legs.) Still struggling to find his voice, the teenaged demon amended in a murmur, "Sorry. I'm very sorry." He bowed his head.

Kagome watched him fidget and roll his shoulders uncomfortably.

"Shippo said you four were in trouble…. He sent one of his crying acorns back to Miroku and me…."

Miroku, who had joined his friend with shutting his eyes and spinning around, apologized too. "Yes…. We are…indeed…very, very sorry for barging in on you, Lady Sango and Lady Kagome." He dipped his head. "We merely thought you were in trouble…. Inu-Yasha and I meant no discomfiture nor harm." He tugged nervously at his ponytail with his free hand, as the other held that staff that's perpetually with him.

Sango and Kagome were speechless.

And the two teenaged boys wouldn't speak.

At first, the girls were about to clobber the two of them. (They speedily dropped their bludgeoning objects.) They would've had pity for Inu-Yasha; they knew he wasn't a lecher. The guy was rather respectful on such…private matters. Miroku…he wouldn't have had a chance.

Sango was most surprised that Miroku hadn't taken this chance to survey her and map her. (She knew he wouldn't dare gape at Kagome; Inu-Yasha would've sent him to Nirvana. Well, her hanyou friend was protective of her honor too, she supposed.)

Yet, he had apologized and given the courteous regard of no longer facing her. To Sango, it almost made her feel more…special. Miroku had previously told her she was a special girl to him, so was it possible the monk was really set on giving up his lecherous ways?

Possibly. Although he still relished the feeling of caressing her bottom…. Little by slow, at least it wasn't another woman…. Sango thought. He was turning quite crimson in the cheeks…. Is it possible that…Miroku's innocence and purity is real…for me?

Kagome, out of instinct, would've screamed if she her rear hadn't met the ground so swiftly and startled her. It was Inu-Yasha, after all, and he wouldn't do anything bad in either just watching or acting. Despite how tough and rugged her hanyou friend was, or pretended to be, he was quite bashful.

He was coming to help us though…. I guess I can't be mad at him out of concern…. She watched him squirm as he waited for her to make herself decent. For that, Kagome smiled. Maybe that's how he's captured my heart. He always comes to protect me, no matter the danger.

"I did something bad, huh?" Shippo whispered to Little Inu, watching the quiet group of teenagers.

He shrugged as he pulled on a pant leg. "I dunno. They're weird at this age."

After that…awkward-to say the least-moment, and after many apologies and bashful glances from the elder members to one another, the group proceeded on their way. All in all, they were making good time to Mount Fire Soul.

"If we keep up this pace, I'll be sure to get this herb to my father with plenty of time," Little Inu cheerily said at lunch a couple days after the embarrassing incident that everyone kept mum about. "The new moon is still a bit more than three weeks from now."

Kagome smiled at him. "I'm glad. I hope we can get this back to your father soon. I'm sure he misses you."

Little Inu peered down at his can of tea, a serene grin playing on his lips. "Yeah…I hope so. I really miss him. Mama too. I'm even starting to miss Coupa. That's really a scary thought."

"Sibling rivalry?"

"Sort of. I challenge Coupa a lot. I don't always do what he wants me to do. He's eleven going on twelve, same with Setsi. Soto is two years younger, and Hime is a year older than me."

Chewing on a rice ball, Shippo asked, "How ol' ah oo?"

Raising his eyebrow for a second, it clicked in the dog-boy's brain. "Me? Well, I'm seven."

Satisfied with the answer, the fox-child licked the stickiness from his fingers.

Inu-Yasha, who'd been surveying the conversation with mild interest, decided to put forth his question. "So, what's your old man like?"

"Well…strong to say the least."

"Come on, Coupa! I thought you said you could handle this." A young demon man chuckled: Little Inu's father.

Another dog-demon boy, older than Little Inu, lay panting on the ground. He groaned as he held a stitch in his side. "Come on, Father. That was not fair! You know I don't have as much speed as you!"

Little Inu's father reached down and helped his son up. "Always push yourself past what you think you can do. You should be proud; you lasted longer today than you have all week. That's a record."

Coupa peered at his father for a moment before smiling and nodding. "You're right. I did a good job."

"Right."

"Now, stop that!" Little Inu's mother laughed as she tried to make a pot of soup, batting away Little Inu's hand.

"Aw, Mama, please, can't I have just a teeny taste?"

"No. Just wait till dinner." She melodiously giggled. "You're so much like your father."

Almost on cue, Little Inu's father appeared in the room and dipped a finger in the soup. "Mmm…." He licked the broth off his finger. "That's really good."

His wife hit him playfully. "Knock that off!"

"You know you don't have to cook if you don't want to. You are the lady of the castle."

" I know, but I enjoy it."

"I'm glad. I love your cooking." He dipped his finger in the soup again.

"You're being such a bad influence."

"Am I now?" He chuckled.

"Yes," she lightly teased. "Horrible."

"Well, then I shall have to amend for that." He grabbed his wife around the waist and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

She beamed at him when she was released.

"Did I make it better?"

"You fixed your mistake."

Little Inu grinned happily at his parents, knowing full well that they loved each other, and that they loved him…and always would….

"Father's a lot of things," Little Inu said finally, drifting from recent memories. "He's very courageous, strong, kind, bighearted, and lots more. Mama still says he can be kinda arrogant in battle…. I want to be just like him."

Inu-Yasha nodded, letting a half-smile escape. "Sounds like you'll have your work cut out for you."

"Yeah…. Father was a hero too. In more than one way."

Miroku tilted his head. "I see. Best of luck, then, on retrieving the Hakushinmu herbs and you following your father's precepts."

"Thanks." The dog-boy sipped his tea. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, Shippo reaching sneakily towards his six rice balls. In response, Little Inu stabbed the center rice ball with a chopstick and waved it threateningly at the fox. "Don't ever touch my food if you don't wanna end up like this." He shook it at him, sending grains of rice everywhere, sprinkling white dots on the yellow blanket.

Shippo blinked his exceedingly humongous eyes several times before slowly bobbing his head subserviently.

"Good." The young dog-demon held the white sticky rice ball to his lips. "I'm glad we have an understanding here." With that, he parted his lips enough to allow the whole lump of rice to slip into his mouth. As a result, his cheeks puffed out so much that he greatly resembled a squirrel with too many nuts in his mouth. But, the boy defiantly chomped his food, solid determination not to spit it and eat it civilly spread wide over his face.

Kagome and Sango giggled as his eyes began to cross and his nose squish up he attempted to maneuver his chow around his chops.

With much effort, Little Inu finally managed to swallow the sticky glob. He gasped for breath. "That's really good, Kagome."

The girl beamed at him, her eyes twinkling with laughter. "Thank you, Little Inu."

"Yeah, they are really good, I guess," Inu-Yasha agreed with a bored voice, though everyone could see he was just trying to make what he said sound less like a compliment.

Nonetheless, Kagome smiled at him too. "Thanks. I'm glad you like it. I actually made them when we were in Kaede's village about a week ago. I kept them in my cold box so they wouldn't spoil."

"It seems you are becoming quite good at finding innovations while you are here, Lady Kagome," Miroku commented cheerily.

She lightly grinned again as she peered downwards. "Yeah, I guess. I have spent a lot of time here. The better prepared, the longer I can stay and help you guys and not slow you down."

The hanyou gave a snort. "Well, good. At least we don't have to worry you disappearing to that weird era of yours." Because whenever you leave, I miss you like all hell and sit around and mope….

Shippo bopped Inu-Yasha over the head. "Inu-Yasha, do you have to be such a jerk to Kagome all the time? It's not like you really do much when she's gone. You like to sulk in a tree far off from the rest of us. Or sit by the well like some lovesick puppy-" Just by the voiceless, menacing glare the older demon was giving him, Shippo shut his mouth and decided that silence was indeed golden.

Hopefully silence for him wouldn't appear in the middle of the night with golden eyes and silvery hair….

"Feh." He leaned back and crossed his arms inside of his red kimono sleeves. Stupid fox…. He didn't have to say that in front of Kagome and that kid Little Inu. But…why did he have to say it when she's here?! It's kind of embarrassing…a hanyou who has a crush…is in love…with a beautiful, kind girl; but acts like such a jerk that he can't even show her as much care as he really feels for her. Some days, I really am a gutless cur. He sighed softly, coming to that realization, though not for the first time. Gods, will I ever tell her? If I ever get my head out of my ass, yeah.

Does he really miss me that much? Everyone keeps saying that he mopes and moans at the side of the well but he…Inu-Yasha waits for me…. Kagome's face went very serene, but she didn't say anything, just enjoyed the rest of her friends company.

"How much longer till we reach the mountain?" Shippo asked, staying strictly to his own food, for fear of loosing one of his fingers.

"Well," Sango started, intently looking at the mountain, "I'm guessing about four or five more days. That sound about right, Little Inu?"

The boy nodded. "Thereabouts."

"You know, this is kind of nice," Kagome said happily, leaning against the back of the log that she shared with the two dog-demons as bookends on either side.

Miroku nodded. "Indeed it is. It is rather peaceful and quite a gorgeous day."

"No fighting or anything like that," Shippo agreed, seemingly very much relieved.

They had moved from the dusty, mountain footpath and were dining in the forest. It was a somewhat perfect spot. The midday sun was filtering in warm rays through the green canopy overhead and the song of some wild birds serenaded the companions, putting them at a comfortable ease.

Or it should have.

As the group was sitting on the yellow blanket Kagome had spread out for them, the faint sounds of swirling wind were heard.

"Huh?" Kagome asked as she and the gang all turned their attention to the approaching tornado.

Inu-Yasha stood up and growled. "Fuck…." He drew Tetsusaiga, which readily transformed.

"Inu-Yasha--?"
"It's Kouga," he spat darkly, his voice reflecting his deep hatred of the wolf-demon that skid to a halt in front of them.

"Hey, there, Kagome," Kouga greeted smoothly, making sure he kicked plenty of dust the half dog-demon's way.

"Oh, um, hi, Kouga," she responded, giving a polite smile. This…is going to be bad….

"So, how have you been doing?" he asked, leaning in towards her, arms crossed and proud smirk. "I mean it's got to be hell traveling with dog-turd over there-"

"Hey, bastard!" Inu-Yasha snarled, still shaking remnants of dust off of his scarlet kimono as he stomped over to Kouga, who was now reaching for Kagome's hands. "What the fuck are you doing here?" he angrily queried, pointing the katana at him.

With mild surprise and drawling tone, the wolf-demon regarded the hanyou lightly. "Oh, that you, dog-turd?"

Irked more, Inu-Yasha growled back, "What the hell are you doing here, wimpy wolf?"

At that, Kouga snorted. "To see my beautiful, beloved Kagome." He grasped her hands, to which the girl responded with flushed surprise and shifted uneasily.

"U-um…Kouga?"

The hanyou's jaw practically hit the forest floor. "Don't touch her!" he barked. He slapped his rival's hand away from the girl and snatched her hands possessively in his own, free hand.

Kagome blinked several times. Still stunned, she listened with awe at what her comrade in arms had to say.

"I've told you before, you dirty son of a bitch, if you ever touch Kagome again, I will go after you, whether she likes it or not! I'm protecting her so back off!"

Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Little Inu-Myoga and Kirara also there-sat and watched, almost all of them looking, to some extent, surprised.

"Wow," Sango said, "it's almost like he really means it…."

Miroku bowed his head. "Aye, perhaps he shall do something smart for once and actually bring Lady Kagome closer to himself instead of pushing her away."

"And maybe stop thinking about Kikyo," Shippo put in.

Realizing his friends were surveying him, Inu-Yasha gently steered Kagome behind him, blushing madly, but still angrier than anything. "Just get the hell out of here."

"Hmph." Kouga rolled his eyes and began to move into a stance. "Like I have to listen to you."
"Aw, would you just shut up and leave Kagome alone, you big, stupid excuse for a demon?" Little Inu barked irately, his patience wearing thin. He stepped in front of a stunned Kagome and Inu-Yasha. "Well, are you gonna leave with that sorry tail of yours between your legs?"

Kouga stared at him, shell-shocked for a moment, before bursting into hysterics. "You are telling me what to do? Yeah right! As if I'd-" He stopped mid-sentence. He sniffed, and an odd look crossed his face. "What in the world?"

"What is it, Kouga?" Little Inu drawled, a half-smirk lighting his face. "Catch wind of a scent you don't like?"

The wolf-demon stood there silently for a moment.

Kagome curiously started, "K-Kouga-?"

"You!" he snarled abruptly, deep ire flickering in his blue eyes. "You! Dog-turd! You've sunk so low!" he howled, running at top speed at Inu-Yasha.

The dog-hanyou, as well as the dog-child, leapt out of the way. Inu-Yasha grabbed the girl around the waist and out of the focus of Kouga's attack. "What in all the hells are you spouting off?" he queried, looking between the other teenaged demon and the smoking hole Kouga's fist had made.

"Don't act like you don't know!" The wolf-demon came swinging at him again.

Inu-Yasha dodged the other assault from Kouga, but just barely. He touched down beside Miroku and Sango. He set Kagome on her feet and stepped in front of her once more. "What the fuck are you so pissed off about?!"

"That!" Kouga pointed a clawed finger at the dog-boy standing next to the fifteen-year-old girl from the future. "The thing that carries the scent of my dear sweet woman, and of you, dog-turd! It is the vile scent of a half-demon!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: To everyone on the World Wide Web: I know! I know! I'm really very sorry it took me so long! Gomen to the max! Honest and true! I've had a lot of schoolwork to do recently (evil, biology student teachers will pay!) I hope this chapter quelled everyone's appetite for now. (I had to do that thing with Miroku because it just seemed right. I mean, he is trying to impress Sango. I keep up with the Shonen Sunday, so that's how I know about the special girl thing) I also had to work on a story for school. (51 pages, double-spaced, Garamond size 10 font. ~_~) Yeah, I realize I lack a true life, but that's ok. I also had a lot of trouble trying to think of a demon or something for Inu-Yasha and co. to come up against to reveal Little Inu's 'secret'. (Ok, it was pretty obvious, but we all know how wonderfully dense our hanyou hero is.) I would thank the girl who wrote me the suggestion by name to have Kouga drop by, but someone kept hacking into my account. 0.0. I changed passwords and now it is now officially non-accessible. My new e-mail is at the bottom of the author's note.

Inu-Yasha: Hahaha! *is rolling on the floor laughing* You don't have a life!

Shut up! I didn't ask you. *pops a piece of chocolate in her mouth*

Inu-Yasha: So? I'm the main character of the story. You wouldn't be writing this fanfiction without me, which sucks by the way.

No one likes a prima donna.

Inu-Yasha: Huh? What? Grr….

And I think it's pretty good. I keep getting good reviews. (Thank you!)

Inu-Yasha: Hmph. *sniffs* Hey, that stuff you're eating, I've smelt it before. *pokes a chocolate with his claw*

I wouldn't eat that if I were you, Inu-Yasha. You'd get sick.

Inu-Yasha: Feh, I'm not a weak, little human like you. I'm demon. I'm sure my stomach can handle it better than yours.

Well, ok, but don't eat too many.

~Hour later~

Inu-Yasha: *lying on the ground* Ugh…. I don't feel good.

*picks up the box* No wonder. No one would after eating fifty chocolates. Survey! Should I get Kagome to come help him next author's note or not? It's up to you! Write me at my new address: hanyou_miko_dreamer@hotmail.com

Sorry for taking so long. ^^; Write more when I can. Please send reviews; I love reviews. Quick note: when I talk about Inu-Yasha's mother's eyes in Scroll Three: Reminiscent Nightmares, change it from dark brown to violet. I have my reasons, ok? (I say that a lot, huh? Gomen.)

CYA L8ER!

~Moonlight Shadow

Japanese used:

gomen-sorry

hanyou-half-demon/half-breed

P.S. I'm working on my website and I'll post my big debut when I've got enough stuff on there worth looking at. Plus, I'm working on a couple more Inu-fics. I'll have a sneak preview on one of them in the next scroll. See ya then!

~Moonlight Shadow