InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Piper's Well ❯ Credibility Crisis ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I know, I forgot to say this in the prologue… *whimpers* Do I really have to say it now? Ouch! Hey, stop it, that hurts!

 

…Fine. I don't own Inuyasha.

 

But Shippo's mine. *huggles Shippo possessively*

 

Ouch! Fine, I don't own any of the Inuyasha characters. Happy now?

 

 

Author's Notes: A big thank you to everyone who read, even if they didn't review! And Yuubi gets a cookie for the good advice! ^_^ Thanks very much! And don't worry; I wasn't really planning a love triangle. That would be way too much; and they're so hard to watch, let alone write!

 

Oh, and for anyone who is new to all this, hanyou means “half demon” in Japanese, and “Kami” is kinda like saying “God.”

 

Italicized words are thoughts, and all other speech is in quotes. ^_^

 

Alrighty, and on with the story!

 

 

 

The Piper's Well

By NewSalemWitch

Chapter 1: Credibility Crisis

 

 

 

 

 

“Kagome, we shouldn't be here,” Eri whispered as the four girls crept into the forest.

Kagome rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “And why not? Miroku was just trying to scare us. I bet he doesn't even believe in that cannibal hanyou tribe story. Besides, if they're cannibal hanyous, then that means that they don't eat humans. Just each other.”

“Well then, why doesn't he ever come here?” Yuka demanded. “This is the perfect place to meditate and do all those priestly things.”

“Since when does Miroku do anything priestly?” Kagome retorted. As an afterthought she added, “Besides, I'll protect you guys. I've gotten pretty good at archery, you know. It's been a whole year now since I first started.”

Yuka raised an eyebrow. “A whole year?”

“Well, almost a year,” Kagome muttered. “But it's not like I'm really bad. I can hit the target four out of five times.”

“Kagome, it's only twenty paces away and is four feet across,” Ayumi pointed out.

(A/N: FYI, that is impossibly easy to hit.)

“Can we please just go?” Eri interrupted quietly with a pleading look about her. “I don't like this place. It's really dark. And quiet and it gives me the creeps…” She glanced around uneasily. “And I really don't like this place.”

“You already said that,” Ayumi reminded her. “But I'm with you. My mother will not be please when she find out I skipped milking the goat to go gallivanting off with you girls—especially when it's into the forest.”

“You guys…” Kagome pouted, showing off her best puppy dog eyes. “We just got here! Come on, just a few more minutes, then we can all turn around and go back. Please?”

Eri shook her head while looking pleadingly at the two sane girls. Ayumi and Yuka nodded in agreement to the silent plea. “Nope, Kagome, we're all going back right now,” Ayumi said firmly. She took one arm while Eri took the other. “Let's go.”

“It's just a forest!” Kagome whined as she was half dragged past the tree line and down the slope back to the village. “It's peaceful in there! Quiet and peaceful and-”

“And swarming with demons!” Yuka rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Kagome, sometimes all I want to do is bop you over the head with… I don't know, something hard.”

Eri nodded fervently. “Ditto.”

Kagome sighed exasperatedly and glanced back for one last look at the forest. She'd never been so close before, due to the strict hold her grandmother had over her. Well, maybe she's not so strict about everything, Kagome admitted to herself. But she sure doesn't like the forest. Unfortunately, the rules Kaede had laid down keeping Kagome away from the leafy haven only made it more appealing.

Too bad her friends didn't like forbidden spices.

Suddenly, she gasped and spun around. But by the time she regained her footing and looked back, the apparition was gone. “Did you see that?” She asked shrilly.

“See what?”

Kagome pointed to a branch in a tree at the edge of the tree line, her mouth still agape. “There was boy standing in a tree! And he had white hair and kitty ears on the top of his head!” Her nose wrinkled semi-consciously. “And he looked kinda mad.”

Ayumi raised an eyebrow skeptically as she peered in the general direction Kagome was pointing in. “Are you sure you didn't imagine it?”

“I'm positive! He was there, I swear it!”

Her friends exchanged dubious glances. “I'm sure he was, Kagome,” Yuka said patronizingly.

Eri, on the other hand, whimpered. “Miroku wasn't lying! There really is a cannibal hanyou tribe!”

Ayumi made a disgusted noise and grabbed Eri's arm, motioning that Yuka do the same with Kagome. They began leading their two friends away. “There is no such thing as a cannibal hanyou tribe.”

Yuka nodded. “If whatever you saw was real, Kagome—no, don't look at me like that. Let me finish! If whatever it was you saw really was real, the most likely conclusion is that it was a demon.” She sighed. “We'll have to alert everyone.”

“You realize that if we tell everyone about your little friend and he turns out to be fake, you'll be labeled some kind of insane nut job, right?” Ayumi asked.

“She might not,” Eri said. “We just might end up being on edge for a while, but if nobody attacks and nobody else in the village sees anything, then she'll be labeled crazy.”

Kagome finally took her eyes off the tree line and focused on the quickly approaching village. “Gee, thanks.” She rolled her eyes. “It's good to know you all believe me.”

 

 

/*-++-*\

 

“Is that so?” Kaede asked when the four girls had finished their story. It had been a long and confusing ordeal, beginning with a reason why the girls were in the forest-- one that had not been entirely true. The constant interruptions from Kagome about the skepticism in Ayumi's voice and Eri asking about cannibal hanyou tribes were enough to drive anyone crazy. Kaede was a patient soul, but even she had momentarily lost her temper after the eleventh time Kagome interrupted. After a quick bout of yelling involving all of them—even shy little Eri-- she had appointed Kagome to tell the story. Even though there was a silence spell on Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi, it had taken several questions to straighten everything out.

“So, you four girls were near the forest--” Kaede glanced suspiciously at the girls, who had suddenly found something very interesting on the floor, ceiling, or walls to look at. “But not in it, and decided to leave. But as you were walking away, you, Kagome, turned back and saw--”

“A boy with long silvery white hair with furry little kitty ears on the top of his head and bright red clothing,” Kagome finished. “And he was glaring at me. I dunno why.”

“Don't know, Kagome,” Kaede corrected absently. “Use proper grammar, dear heart.” She waved a hand and the silence spells came off with a pop.

“So was he a demon?” Yuka piped up. “I mean, he must've been, for him to have ears like that.”

Kagome shook her head silently for a moment. “He might not have been human, but he wasn't a demon, either,” she said. Her brow furrowed as she searched for the right words. “I don't know what he was, but he wasn't human and he wasn't a demon.”

“Well, what else could he have been?” Ayumi demanded. “Assuming, of course, that he's real.”

Kagome glowered at her friend. “He is too real! Why would I make up something like him?”

“Kagome, I very much doubt it's even possible for someone like that to exist,” Ayumi said placidly. “Whoever heard of a demon that looks even remotely human? All the ones that have ever attacked out village were hideous monsters.”

Kaede tried to cut in before things could get out of hand. “Ayumi, Kagome--”

“Well they can't all be like that!” Kagome was valiantly trying to keep from shouting at her friend.

She was failing miserably.

“What about all those stories about hanyous? In order for a demon and a human to have a child, they both have to have the same body structure!” she yelled.

Kaede cleared her throat. “Girls--”

“Those stories are just that—stories!” Ayumi scowled. She wasn't much better at keeping a rein on her temper.

“Girls!” Kaede was scowling as she placed a silence spell over Kagome and her friends for the second time that day. “Now listen. I am going to go speak to Sango's father about this.” She considered for a moment. “Perhaps I will speak to Miroku as well. He may have… ahem… impure tendencies, but he is still a spiritual man and will likely have advice of some sort. And you girls will speak of this incident to no one. Not even amongst yourselves. Do you understand?”

The girls nodded.

“Good.” The old priestess got up and left the hut, smirking as she turned her back on the girls.

Said girls frowned confusedly at each other for a moment, then scrambled after her, clutching their throats and trying to yell after her.

 

/*-++-*\

 

“Psst! Sango!”

A raven hair girl looked up from polishing her bone boomerang. She frowned slightly. “Kagome? Is that you?”

Kagome looked cautiously around, and then slowly came out of her hiding place to kneel by her best friend. “Did you hear what happened?”

Sango nodded and handed Kagome a polishing rag. “Yes. I overheard Kaede telling Father and Miroku about it.”

Kagome grinned as her friend blushed at Miroku's name. “You were eavesdropping! Why?”

Sango's blush became a full-blown red-hot chili pepper red. “I was just—curious, that's all! Kaede looked so serious, and then she wanted to speak with Father and Miroku—hey, don't laugh!”

Kagome chuckled. “You know I'm just teasing you. But what did they say? Kaede won't tell me anything.”

Sango smiled superiorly. “I didn't hear much, but Kaede and Miroku were talking about how it's weird that you knew your friend wasn't a demon--”

“My friend? Why is he my friend?” Kagome demanded, completely missing the point.

“Because you're the only one who saw him. Anyway--”

“So? You believe me, don't you?”

Sango's polishing hand slowed, then stopped. “You want the truth?”

Kagome's face fell. She knew what was coming. Even her best friend didn't believe her. “Yes,” she muttered.

“Yes. I think I do.”

Kagome looked up and grinned. “You do?” How could she have doubted Sango, of all people? “Wait—you think you do?”

Sango shrugged. “I believe you saw what you said you saw, but I think it was a demon.”

“But--”

“Do you want to hear what everyone was saying or not?” Sango demanded. Kagome nodded. “Well, then hush up. Kaede and Miroku were most hung up on how you knew your little friend wasn't a demon, because you haven't… erm… `demonstrated the use of any spiritual powers.' That's how they put it.”

Kagome sighed. “I know there's such a small chance of me getting them now, because I'm so much older than most kids when their powers are awakened, but I also know what I know. I may not know how I know it, but I do. That boy was not a demon.”

“It's not unheard of for someone's spiritual powers to show up at fifteen,” Sango consoled her friend. “Rare, maybe, but not unheard of.”

Kagome smiled, though it didn't completely reach her eyes. “The last person to have spiritual powers show up late was that Princess Kikyo from all those stories. Besides, it doesn't matter. I might've been able to be a priestess if Kaede had been my real grandmother, but spiritual powers tend to run in the family. My mother was probably a weaver or something.” she shook her head and abruptly changed the subject. “What did your father say?”

Sensing her friend wanted a change of topic, Sango obliged willingly. “He was most worried about the village's defenses in case of an attack. Me an' him an' Kohaku are going with the other demon slayers tomorrow to look over the outer walls. You can come if you want,” she offered. “It's liable to turn into dirty, hard work, but you know you're always welcome to join us.”

Kagome laughed. “I'm sure I am,” she said. “You all can get as much help as you can.” Sango blinked a few times as her eyes became shadowed with sadness, and Kagome looked stricken. “Oh, no! Sango! I'm so sorry; I didn't mean it that way!” A few years ago, Sango had gone out to watch her father and several other inhabitants of their village exterminate a demon that had been plaguing a village several days' walk away from their own. Her little brother had come along as well, and it was her duty to take care of him. Their little band had returned triumphant, but their village had not fared so well. They had been attacked by over fifty demons all at once that had heard that the village's best exterminators were out. Their entire village had been burned to the ground, and there were no survivors. It had been the first time Sango had seen a dead human.

The remaining exterminators buried their friends and neighbors, gathered their belongings and left. After traveling around slaying demons for a few months, they had ended up in Kagome's village and decided to make it their own. Kagome and Sango had met and become fast friends.

“It's ok,” Sango said shortly. “It was a long time ago, and Father and Kohaku are both alive. That's what matters.”

Kagome nodded hesitantly. What to do to make up for her slip? “I'd be happy to come with you tomorrow.”

Sango peered at her suspiciously. “Really?”

Kagome nodded. “It'll be a learning experience,” she joked. As if she'd never seen Sango and the other exterminators make sure the walls were sound! “Besides, a bit of hard work never hurt anyone.”

 

/*-++-*\

 

Kagome may have crawled into bed that night with a great deal weighing on her mind, but she had every intention of going to sleep immediately.

No, really, she did.

She sighed and closed her eyes, but a moment later they popped back open. “Maybe he was a demon,” she murmured softly to herself. “Maybe Ayumi was right… what else could he be?” She scowled and turned over on her side. Ayumi may have been right when she'd said the boy was a demon, but that was it. All those other things were just… emotional baggage?

Kagome sighed exasperatedly and turned over on her stomach. What a foolish thought! Ayumi didn't have emotional baggage; she was as sturdy as a full-grown redwood tree.

“She couldn't really believe that, could she?” Kagome wondered aloud. “She couldn't possibly believe that all demons are filthy monsters. Just because we've never met a nice one doesn't mean they don't exist.” Turning over—again—with a grumble, Kagome decided that she was running in circles and should give up and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow I'll go apologize to Ayumi for yelling, she decided. Maybe I'll ask her what she thinks then.

It felt like she had just drifted off to sleep when a noise woke her. Thump.

Kagome's eyes widened. “What the--” she gasped. A quick padding noise was coming from above her. It continued until it had moved over to the edge of her room, then stopped. She looked up, wondering what on earth was large enough to make such a noise. It would have to have been a large raccoon to make that much noise.

Thump.

Kagome gasped again as it hit her.

Something—or someone-- was on the roof.

Kagome's eyes widened as she instinctively scrunched down and pulled the covers up to her chin as discreetly as possible. Kami save me! Her heart was racing and she fought the urge to whimper. For a few moments all she was capable of was mindless terror. This will never do, Kagome thought as she tried desperately to calm down. I'm not a coward, so I have to stop behaving like one. She began taking deep, even breaths. Breathe in for a count of seven, hold for a count of seven, and breathe out for a count of seven. Breathe in for a count of seven, hold for a count of seven, and breathe out for a count of seven. Meditate. Breathe. Focus on the breathing. Focus on your breathing. Ignore the fear. Just ignore it. Slowly, Kagome's breathing began to return to normal.

Trying to keep her breathing steady, she rolled out of bed and dressed swiftly. It was best if she determined if there really was someone out there before she woke Kaede. Her credibility was already in question; if she woke the village and it turned out it had been nothing more than an injured bird, her credibility would be completely shot. On her way out of the room she grabbed her bow and quiver, just to be on the safe side. If there really was something out there, she'd be able to defend herself until help arrived.

In theory, anyway.

Breathe in, breathe out. Don't think like that.

Quietly she crept through the house, painfully aware of how loud her breathing was. And who would've know how much noise doors make?

Just breathe. Focus on your breathing.

Kagome slowly opened the front door. She hesitated before going outside, but took one last deep breath, steeling herself, and stepped out.

For several minutes all she could do was stand there, frozen. Her heart was still pounding wildly in anticipation of meeting whatever was hidden in the shadows. Kagome was fully prepared to step outside only to be attacked. Knifed to death, perhaps. Or have an arrow shot through her neck. Or—

Stop it, she commanded herself. Just stop it.

Kagome walked a little farther, so she was just steps away from the garden. She turned around and looked up at the house. It had been built many years ago, yet still stood proudly. It had two stories, unlike most houses in the village, because Kaede was the village's resident priestess. As such, she was obligated to welcome visitors into her house—meaning she needed somewhere to put them. That's where all the extra rooms came into play.

Kagome sighed and started back inside. I really had been hearing things, she thought ruefully. Good thing I didn't wake anyone.

She paused at the door once again and looked up at the stars. They looked back at her, winking and gossiping amongst themselves. The first constellation her eyes found was, as per usual, the Piper. The Piper had been the main deity of the kitsunes in the old days, before the Hundred Years' War. The war had gone on for exactly one hundred years, six months, and twenty-two days. No one could remember exactly how it had started, but it had ended only about twenty years ago. To end it, the late King Hayabusa of Yamikura and the current rulers of Inaria, King Toshiro and Queen Sakura, forged a treaty involving the construction of what was called the Haven as part of the peace treaty. It was a large area of land carved out of the border between the two countries, covered by a large dome. The dome was made completely out of the purest magical energy around. Anyone entering the dome with the intent to do ill was not allowed through. The dome almost had a mind of it's own in that matter, because it was never wrong, and no one had to stand by it twenty four- seven to make sure it was working. None of the ordinary folk knew exactly how it had been done, or how it maintained its power, but then again, no one really cared either, so long as it worked.

Kagome sighed peacefully, glad to be proven wrong about the noises, and turned to go back inside. “I hope my bed hasn't gotten cold,” she murmured.

Then, without warning, two strong arms grabbed her from behind. One slid around her waist and the other came to cover her mouth. Kagome screamed anyway, but the noise was muffled. “Shut it, wench,” a rough voice hissed in her ear. “Or I'll gut you like a fish right now.”

Kagome stopped shrieking but couldn't keep her whimpers quiet. Gods above, who is this? He's going to kill me. And she rammed her elbow into his stomach as hard as she could. Unprepared for the assault, her captor grunted and loosened his grip just enough for Kagome to wrench herself free and start running. “Help! Kaede! Sango, somebody help me!”

“I told you to shut it!” The man growled.

Kagome shrieked as the man grabbed her again. She pulled an arrow out of her quiver and jammed it into whatever part of him was closest. The man cursed as blood began to flow from his hand, but didn't relinquish his hold on her in the slightest. She twisted in his grip, crying and trying in vain to free herself.

“Stupid wench…” and then a slight pressure on the back of her neck and Kagome was out like a light.

 

 

 

14