InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Wild West and the Gang of Four Souls ❯ Early Start ( Chapter 9 )

Sorry for the length of time it took to update compared to my last chapters. My next chapter should be faster, and I'm planning on posting that next Sunday.

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It was very early still, about an hour before sunrise, but Inuyasha had already been up for hours. It was almost pitch black outside, only the faint light already tinting the horizon gave guidance to anyone up. Inuyasha didn't need guidance, however. He paid no heed to his limited sight; the only thing on his mind was revenge.

He was going to get Kagome back for the stunt she had pulled earlier, if it was the last thing he would do. He wasn't sure he would ever get feeling back into his mouth, or ever be able to taste food again. Inuyasha had left the pay back for Sango up to Miroku but Kagome was all his, and he was definitely not going to be bested by Kagome in terms of pranks; he would make sure of that.

Inuyasha stood outside her door and took a deep breath. All he had to do was, sneak into the room, find where she kept her shampoo, and slip some of the skunk smell into it. He would be out it no time.

Inuyasha had amazing talent for silence and stealth, but even he knew how alert Kagome was when he was doing something wrong.

Carefully he made his way through the room and did what needed to be done. Won't she be surprised when she takes a bath? Hahaha Kagome's going down.

As soon as he finished, Inuyasha bolted for the door and slipped through just in time as the sleeping woman began to stir.

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Kagome sat straight up in bed and looked around. She could have sworn someone had just been in the room, but after looking around a little and seeing that her feeling was probably ill-founded she sighed. That's what I get for being paranoid.

Sliding herself out of bed Kagome looked out her window at the now glowing horizon. "I guess I should start getting ready. I still need to pack all the food and make at least some breakfast."

Kagome, despite her somewhat sluggish start, was ecstatic about the trip. Yes, she knew it was because someone was after her, and yes, she knew that she had to act like she didn't know what the hell was going on, but Kagome couldn't help but be happy to get out of Mercy and have a little change of scenery. That, and the fact that for the first time in her life it was her that was going to strike back at the Spiders, made her fully awake even at such an early hour.

Kagome quickly got dressed in her traveling clothes, grabbed her saddle bag with her stuff in it from the corner, and took one last look at her room. It had been her sanctuary and her home for many months now, but it was time to move on, and with one last deep breath Kagome shut the door behind her.

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Sango woke up as a haze started to lighten the horizon outside her room.

She could tell people were awake and moving about. It was a second sense she had developed from a life of constant watch and alertness, and it was what had awaken her.

She hopped out of bed, walked over to the dresser in the room and took out the few items she stored in there. After changing into her normal ranger attire, which she always wore for riding and traveling, and attaching the normal weapons she always carried, a dagger and a revolver, she threw the rest of her belongings into a saddle bag.

When she was done dressing and packing, Sango took out the maps she had of the general area. She wanted to be prepared for wherever they were going; Sango hated the feeling of being blindly led without any idea of where she was going or anyplace she could use for hiding out near by.

She already knew enough about The Dog Demon Bandit to know his former hide out was somewhere near the Diablo Mountains in the North. The terrain in the area was accurately described by its name, hell. Between the unpredictable weather and the difficult terrain, it was a place few ever ventured willingly.

The area was filled with steep and craggy mountains and valleys that wound throughout the mountains; if you got lost there you were often never found. It was a bandit's paradise and a lawman's nightmare. This was the reason Inuyasha chose a valley in the mountains for his hide out, and the reason no ranger or law person had ever been able to pin a crime on Inuyasha. By the time you tracked him to the mountains he always disappeared, and when he turned up elsewhere later, what proof did you have linking him to the former crime.

It had been at least a year since The Dog Demon Bandit supposedly given up his life of crime and taken up permanent residence in Mercy, but Sango doubted he had let his prime hideout go to ruin. Inuyasha's valley was her best guess as to where they were going.

The only known path to the mountains followed the river and wound back and forth many times mirroring the water's way. It eventually ended at the town of Perdition, which sat in the river's valley just inside the foothills. At good speed they could make it there in two days maybe three days, but if there was a more direct path that led there the journey could probably be made in one day. It would be one hell of a journey.

Sango, at hearing Kagome's door open, slowing folded the maps back up and slid them back into her saddle bag. She needed to get a few things from a source just outside of town before she could join Kagome in the kitchen, and she didn't want the boys to find out about it. The only thing Sango hoped as she walked quietly down the stairs and out of the Shrine Inn was that Kagome would like her gifts.

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By the time the sun rose over the horizon the boys were finishing saddling their horses, Wind Tunnel and Soul Stealer, Kagome was packing up provisions and Sango, who just got back from no one knew where, was saddling Kirara and a horse she had brought back with her when she had returned.

The extra horse was a beautiful mare that had obviously been impeccably bred and trained. She was not the type to of horse you would buy merely to tote around provision, which was what she told Miroku and Inuyasha she was for. Both of the boys didn't seem to notice anything about how odd it was to get such a nice animal for carrying inanimate objects, and if they did, they didn't say anything. It was Sango's horse, her business, her money, and her responsibility. Kagome had yet to see the horse, and that is who Sango really wanted to notice it.

After finishing the loading of the two horses Sango returned to the kitchen hoping to talk to Kagome a while before the boys could interrupt.

When she walked in, Kagome was moving about quickly, dashing back and forth around the kitchen, throwing more stuff in the bag on the table every time she passed it.

Sango stopped and watched for a second, wary of the packing-zone Kagome seemed to be in, she seemed so driven. It was kind of scary.

Kagome noticed Sango eventually, and stopped her mad craze long enough to talk to her friend.

"Where were you?" It had not slipped by Kagome's notice the excursion her friend had made before the sun had even risen, and now she wanted answers.

"Actually, I'm happy you asked. It has something to do with you."

Kagome froze, she really didn't like people getting into her business and messing with her life for her. She was worried Sango was going out and putting herself in danger just to help her, and that was the last thing Kagome wanted.

Sango almost laughed at seeing the look on Kagome's face that was somewhere between nervous and panicked.

"Don't worry it's just a gift for you. I haven't been digging up more of your past or anything, so you don't have to worry."

Sango brought out the hand she had been hiding behind her back, and held out the silver plated, six shot, revolver that she had been hiding there. "I thought this might belong to you."

Kagome's mouth opened, and then closed again as if she was trying to make words but not quite succeeding. She recognized the gun, well at least the type if not the specific gun. Her mother had one just like it, and Kagome used to "borrow" it sometimes when she wanted to practice. It was beautiful, and made to fit a woman's hand rather than a man's. Her grandfather had seen how much she had loved it, and promised her one on her 16th birthday, which obviously was never a fulfilled promised.

"How?" Was the only word Kagome managed to get out as she reached for the handle of the gun.

"I found it the day we investigated your ranch. I knew we weren't supposed to take souvenirs, but I was young and ignored it. I have felt guilty about it ever since, keeping it always but never using it. I guess it was fate I took it with me. I take it the gun belonged to you?"

Kagome shook her head, still opened mouthed and gapping at the revolver in her hands, "When I was younger I always wished it did, but no it was my mother's. You don't understand how much this means to me Sango, I could never repay you."

Sango smiled and hugged her friend, "You already have Kagome. Take this as a thank you for everything you have done for me in these last weeks. There is something else too."

Sango led Kagome by the arm over to the window, and pointed at the mare standing next to Kirara.

Kagome gasped at sight, "Sango you can't mean that horse. I couldn't possibly except a gift like that. She is beautiful. She must be worth a fortune."

Sango laughed a little, "You have to except her, Kagome. What would I do with two horses? If it is the price you are worried about, you shouldn't. I had a few favors to call in with a breeder near here. He gave him a beautiful colt to raise once; all he did was returned her to me. She is Kirara's half sister, actually."

"My God Sango, I don't know what to say. What is her name? When will I ever get to ride her? I want to right now, but I can't let Inuyasha see me on a horse, it would ruin my cover."

"O we'll find a way. I'm giving her to you because if we get attacked I don't want you to be with out a way to escape. Her name is Flecha. I want to bring her just in case. I also packed one other thing you might like. It's a …."

Kagome, seeing the guys enter the kitchen, interrupted Sango before they could hear anything that she and Sango would rather not have them not hear. "So how much, ummm, Ramen should we take on the trip, ya."

If Inuyasha had been a dog his ears would have perked up at his favorite word, but as it was he just started drooling. "You mean we are bringing food besides Ramen? Why the hell would we do that?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and laughed at Inuyasha's reaction, "Of course we are bringing other food, some of us have normal diets, but I guess I'll pack a lot of ramen then."

After a few minutes of watching Kagome finish up with the food, Inuyasha started getting impatient. As soon as all the ramen made it safety into the bag, he decided they didn't need anything else.

"Let's go then. All of you are so slow. We aren't going to make it at the rate we are going. Are any of you even listening to me? Hello?" By that time everyone was walking away from him, off to get the last of their supplies, some of which were earplugs. This was going to be an interesting trip.

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"Oh my darling, oh my darling, Oh my darling Clementine,"

The sun had quickly eliminated any coldness caused by the night, and the day soon became as hot as its many predecessors. The group of wary travelers trudged on through the heat; people and horses alike were already feeling the effects of it.

They had been traveling for hours, stopping once briefly for a little food and to give the horses something to drink. The time they were making was a lot better than Sango had thought they would make. The path they took was not the one that follows the river, which was something that was knocking a lot of time off of Sango's original time estimation.

The trail they took headed straight to the Diablo Mountains and then turned to run along at the base of the foothills.

It was rocky and almost imperceptible at points, the trail was obviously an old outlaw route in seldom use now. The only regular travelers on it in recent years were probably the two men in their company.

As the hours slowly slipped by each member of the little party did different things to pass the time. Inuyasha was kept busy by planning the perfect trap for the Black Spiders, and Kagome was contentedly half asleep against his back. Miroku was busy passing the time in a more vocal manner, by singing every song that could possibly ever come to mind, and as for Sango, she was contemplating 1st degree murder of the musician.

"You are lost and gone forever, Dreadful sorry, Clementine." Miroku droned on in a forlorn voice.

Sango, who was directly behind him, was obviously not feeling the great emotions of the song.

"Miroku," She asked, "do you even know what you are singing about?"

"Of course, my fair lady," the singer replied, "I am singing of tragic lost love, and the pain of such a loss."

"Loss my ass, you really don't know what you are singing do you? That song is about a man marrying and then killing his `darlin' for her money." Sango never was one to keep someone blissfully ignorant of their false beliefs.

Miroku paused his singing for a second to run over a few of the verses, "Lets see, Drove she ducklings to the water

Ev'ry morning just at nine,
Hit her foot against a splinter,
Fell into the foaming brine.

Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles soft and fine,
But alas, I was no swimmer,
Neither was my Clementine.

"I guess you could take that the wrong way. O well, on to the next song. HOME, HOME ON THE RANGE, where the deer and the antelope play." And so the singing continued.

Sango groaned, "Miroku have you ever even seen deer and antelope playing out here?"

"I have," came Inuyasha's voice behind her, "Right before I shot them."

"Well that's morbid" murmured Kagome's half awake voice from Inuyasha's back.

"Where seldom is heard a…..um." Miroku abruptly stopped his singing and took a deep breath.

"Ummm Inuyasha, by any chance are you expecting a family reunion?"

Inuyasha snorted at that one, "FUCK NO, are you sampling local herbs again? Where the hell did you get an ide….O" By that time Inuyasha spotted what Miroku was looking at. Shit, Sesshomaru.

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A few words I used aren't English if you noticed. Since I'm doing a western, and half the things in the West go by Spanish names, I used a few Spanish names in this chapter.-

Diablo- Devil

Flecha- Arrow

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!

Thank you- Mika, Ana-sama, lilian, queenliz, inu/kag lover 4 eva, and nikko for their reviews. You guys kept me from taking to long of a break from the story. It's nice to know people are following it.

Aurora_thorn- YES, there is hope for reviewers. I love your reviews and how often you do them. It's so nice to have a friend in fanfiction.

Y- You read my mind about revenge of the boys. Kagome's reaction will be priceless and what Miroku is going to do about Sango is still my secret. Thanks for the luck with the tournament; we went 4-3-1 if you want to know.

Cindyvel13- Thanks for a review that is long and says something. I'm glad you think my characters aren't ooc, it means a lot.