InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Ties that Bind... ❯ You do this HOW often?! ( Chapter 4 )

OK, OK...Vashtya's been a BAAAAAD girl lately--I haven't been writing and updating as promised...and I'm sorry. Blame Sesshy...he was...distracting! *points to a half-naked Sesshoumaru, who's laying in bed glaring at the spectators*. See? YOU try to focus while you're being tickled til you scream by a half-dressed youkai who REALLY wants to keep you busy! LOL!!! Alright, enough of the excuses--honestly, I've been so wore out from work that I haven't had much time to think of where this story's going next...I know where it's gonna end up, but the route it'll take there's still a mystery to me--so we'll see where Ryoko and Kagome wanna take it next ^_~.

*Turns around sharply at a low growl coming from the bed* Hehehe...methinks our local youkai be getting restless...so you all just...er...take this bowl of popcorn and watch a movie, OK? No? Hmmm...guess I'll go ahead and type this next chapter then ;)...remember, comments/suggestions WELCOME!

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Chapter 4: You do this HOW often?!

The next morning, Kagome was far less...THRILLED with the bargain she'd made with Ryoko. Who wouldn't be questioning their sanity after having willingly agreed to be trained by this...coach from hell. First, a 6k run, followed by 30 sit ups, 30 push ups, and then, after all of that, swinging practice. Panting, feeling as though her arms would fall off, Kagome collapsed onto the bed in the guest bedroom that Ryoko had told her she could use as her own. Maybe I would have been better off with Sesshoumaru, she thought briefly, groaning, even as she dismissed the wayward thought from her head. Focusing on quieting her mind, she allowed her miko energy to flow through her body briefly, leaving her feeling far less tired and sore.

"Kagome! Hurry up or we'll be late for school!"

Climbing off the bed, Kagome quickly grabbed her uniform (freshly washed and pressed by Ryoko's aunt) and leapt into the bathroom, showering quickly and throwing her clothes on before tearing down the hallway, arriving just as Ryoko was pulling her shoes on, ready to walk out the door.

"Ready for your first day at Daimon High?" Ryoko asked, smiling.

"As ready as I'm going to get," Kagome replied. "And tonight, it's MY turn to play teacher" she finished, grinning impishly at the nervous look Ryoko shot her way. Laughing out loud, she linked arms with the much taller girl. "Don't worry...it's not nearly as difficult as that...training you put me through!"

Suddenly, Ryoko pulled her arm free, drawing her bokken and hacking at a nearby tree branch. When a young boy fell out of the tree, she turned back around and started to walk away, a slighly irritated look on her face.

"Miss Ryoko! Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend? Any friend of yours is of interest to me...I need it to put in your official biography!" The young boy blurted out, an eerie gleam of intensity flashing in his eyes.

Sighing in defeat, Ryoko turned back around reluctantly. "Kagome, this is...Daisaku--he's our neighborhood stalker" she said, glaring at him.

Giggling at the expression on Ryoko's face, Kagome held out a hand to the photographing young man. "Nice to meet you--I think it's adorable that Ryoko's got a fan following--just how good ARE you with that bokken, Ryoko? And...that reminds me...what exactly is a K-Fight? I remember you and that...huge guy mentioning it yesterday..." Trailing off, she smiled sheepishly at the bedazzled Daisaku.

Grabbing Kagome's arm, Ryoko grumbled slightly under her breath as she dragged the other girl off to their first class. After school, Kagome turned to look at the tall redhead as they were leaving class. "Alright, guess we go straight back to your place and get started on YOUR training then, right?" she asked, smiling slightly at the thought.

"Not quite, Kagome...first, we have kendo practice" Ryoko replied, smiling hugely.

"What do you mean, WE?" Kagome retorted laughingly.

"Well, since I'm training you how to fight, you did agree to follow my judgement as to what you needed to be doing to get yourself in proper fighting condition...and kendo training is one of the most important parts of training if you want to learn how to fight with a bokken properly..." Ryoko trailed off, tilting her head slightly to the side as she realized something. "But first...we need to look into getting you a bokken of your own--in the meantime, you'll have to borrow my extra one."

That night, after having survived kendo practice and started explaining to Ryoko how to control her miko energy when she used it, Kagome lay soaking in the tub, and found her thoughts drifting to a disrespectful hanyou that she'd left behind. Damnit, why do I keep thinking about him? He's made it more than clear that he could care less what I do, as long as I help him find the Shikon shards...She let herself sink down into the foamy water, glad for the relief the hot liquid lent her battered, exhausted body.

Thankfully, she'd arrived on a Thursday--which meant that the following day was a weekend. Groaning, Kagome rubbed her eyes wearily as she went to crawl out of bed, only to be brought up short by the painful throbbing of her sore, overworked muscles. Damn, how did I get to be so out of shape? You'd think all that traipsing around I did back in the Sengoku Jidai would have made me more fit than THIS...Sighing, she forced her wayward muscles to cooperate. Climbing slowly out of bed, she stumbled into the bathroom to take a long soak before Ryoko decided she needed more "training".

Some time later, she wandered into the kitchen, expecting to see a bright-eyed Ryoko already up and ready for action. Instead, she was greeted with the sight of the usually animated redhead staring dully back at her over the kitchen counter, dark circles prominent upon her pale face.

"Ryoko...are you ok?" She asked hesitantly.

"I was practicing those techniques you taught me last night--you know, where you summon up your power and then...let it dissipate? But I guess I'm not doing it right, because this morning...I feel like I'm moving in slow motion..."

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the other girl's expression of misery. "No, if you feel like that, then you're doing it right--I'd forgotten how wearing it is when you're first learning how to control it. In a few days, you'll stop feeling like you're brain's been put through a blender..." She finished, cheered to realize that she wasn't the only one having a tough time with this "training" they were providing each other with. "I always found that getting more sleep than usual helped tremendously--so why don't you head back up to bed for a few more hours, and I'll get breakfast ready...then, when you wake back up, we can start our day on the right foot, ok?"

Yawning blearily, Ryoko nodded slightly, somehow managing to stumble off in the direction of her room, collapsing exhaustedly onto her bed.

Shaking her head slightly, Kagome decided to take a nice walk to get to know this part of town better. After all, it sure looks like I'm going to be here for awhile! She couldn't help but think, even as she pushed away any thoughts that she might never get to see Sota or Inu-Yasha again.

"Hey, how've you been doing?" A slightly familiar voice beckoned from somewhere behind her. Drawing to an abrupt halt, she turned around, and, seeing the tall, blue-haired boy who'd taken her and Ryoko to his place the day they'd collapsed on the street, she smiled slightly.

"Things have definitely gotten better after that first day" she said lightly, starting to walk again as he fell into step beside her.

"That's good...no more fainting spells for you and the Sasquatch, I take it?" He asked, a teasing tone entering his voice.

"No," She said, laughing slightly. "But...you know, Ryoko really doesn't like being called a Sasquatch--I mean, what girl would?" She couldn't help but point out.

"I know. But, if I didn't do stuff like that, she'd ignore me--and having Ryoko irritated with me's far better than having her ignore me," Shizuma replied softly, taking her aback with his honesty and forthrightness.

"Hmm...so that's the way the wind blows, is it?" She asked, already forming a plan in her head. I know Ryoko likes him as much as he seems to like her--however, both of 'em are too hardheaded to admit it--and neither of them is willing to give the other control by admitting their feelings...

Smiling at the new girl, Shizuma stopped walking and turned to look at her directly. "Ryoko's belonged to me since the very first day we met, when she saved me from starvation with a lunch at Mac's," He stated firmly, looking her in the eyes. "And, one day soon, she'll figure that out." At that, he nodded his head and turned on his heel, walking away briskly.

Turning around, Kagome headed back the way she'd come. Guess I oughta get back to Ryoko's and start breakfast, she couldn't help but think, even as she thought about what she'd just learned. Hmmm...Ryoko's too proud to just admit she's attracted to Shizuma--even though it's so obvious to me, despite the fact that I've only known her for a few days--after all, how many other men can she know who're strong enough to stand up to her without her having to be afraid of seriously hurting him? At that, Kagome couldn't fight the grin that wanted to creep across her face any longer. And besides, I'd like to see Ryoko happy--I get the feeling that she's striving to feel complete, but that she's not quite there yet--and, if my guess hits close to home, Shizuma ought to be able to help her out with that--he seems like he'd be enough of a man to let her be herself without his feeling threatened by her strenghth...She was jolted out of her reverie as she realized she was already in Ryoko's aunt's kitchen. Guess I was more lost in thought than I realized, she thought ruefully as she set about preparing breakfast. Hope Ryoko likes omelettes...

Back in the Sengoku Jidai...

He finally admitted to himself that he wasn't just worried, he was frantic. Damnit, when I find that stupid girl, I'm going to make sure she understands that she's my bitch, and that, as such, there are certain things that she is just not allowed to do...Growling under his breath, he reached a decision. OK, according to Kaede, if I gather the remaining jewel shards, I MAY be able to use them to get to Kagome--something about them being attracted to the others or something...which means I really need to find and kill Naraku, once and for all...He smiled toothily, a look that would have terrified even Kagome at her most fearless--a look that would have also earned him a hundred or so "sits", had Kagome been around TO see it...