InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Transcending Worlds ❯ The Quest and Unlikely Friendships ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2

 

The Quest and the Unlikely Friendships

 

 

The group of people around Kagome looked at one another. The dog man stared at her with an expressionless face, but the young woman and the fox boy looked confused. Only the staff man looked like he understood what Kagome was talking about. He knelt down beside her and looked at her.

 

"Kagome, are you the Elemental Goddess?" he asked.

 

"Umm, you know about that?" she asked.

 

He nodded. "This is the planet Earth," he told her. "You must've just come through a vortex and come to our world. Did the two Gods of your world send you here to fulfill your task?"

 

She looked up at him; relief filling her eyes when she realized someone understood what was happening to her. "Uh, yes, they have," she said, a little hurriedly.

 

"I see," he said, standing up slowly. He turned to look at the others. "I told you guys this might happen."

 

"Yeah, yeah, hooray for you," said the dog man. "Now what the hell are we going to do?"

 

"What are we going to do?" repeated the woman. "We're going to help her, that's what!" She knelt down by Kagome. "Don't be nervous, Kagome," she said. "My name is Sango, and this," here she pointed at the man with the staff, "is Miroku, that's Shippou," the fox boy smiled at her, "that's Kirara," the two-tailed cat meowed, and "that is Inuyasha."

 

The dog-eared boy scowled at the sound of his name to show who he was. Kagome stared at him for an instant longer than she had the others, her eyes focusing on the irresistible dog ears on his head. Then she looked away and focused her gaze on Sango again.

 

'That girl,' Inuyasha thought, his stomach clenching, 'she looks like that two-timing bitch Kikyou.'

 

His rage began to build again, threatening to burst out. He narrowed his eyes at the girl, watching her as she chatted with Sango and Miroku. Shippou looked at his friend in concern.

 

"Inuyasha, what's wrong?" he asked.

 

"Shut up," said Inuyasha, almost growling at the tiny demon. The others turned around and looked at him. "Is something wrong, Inuyasha?" asked Sango.

 

"I'm fine," he said. "Let's just ditch that stupid girl and get going."

 

Kagome visibly flinched in response to his harsh words. Sango and Miroku glared at Inuyasha, and Sango shielded Kagome from his gaze.

 

"Inuyasha, what the hell is wrong with you?" asked Sango. "It's not her fault she ended up here like this. She needs help and we're going to give it to her."

 

Kagome felt close to tears. She was lost, cold, scared, and worst of all, people on Earth were already starting to hate her. she whispered to Sango, "Why does he hate me already? I haven't done anything to him, have I?"

 

As Sango tried to soothe the poor girl, Miroku looked from Inuyasha to Kagome and back again. His mind clicked.

 

"Inuyasha, you shouldn't hate her just because she looks like Kikyou," he said.

 

Everyone turned to look at Miroku and Inuyasha looked even angrier.

 

"Don't you ever mention that bitch in front of me again!" Inuyasha spat. "I hate that woman! She was a liar and a traitor!" He closed his eyes suddenly, his shoulders shaking as he fought against the strong urge to cry.

 

Kagome watched his obvious distress, wondering how the others could stand by and do nothing. She rose slowly and walked over to him.

 

"Kagome, no!" said Sango. "He might hurt you!"

 

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, not flinching even when he bared his teeth at her. She could tell he was afraid, though he wouldn't admit it. She reached up and began to scratch his ears.

 

Inuyasha froze. So did everyone else. They just stared as Kagome scratched the cute white triangles that sat on his head.

 

'What will he do?' she wondered. 'He might hurt me…but I think this will cheer us both up.'

 

Everyone stared at them, waiting for Inuyasha's reaction. He closed his eyes again…and growled. Not an angry, threatening growl, but a deep, content-sounding one. And that cheered Kagome up immensely. She smiled at him and stopped scratching his ears. His growling ceased and he stood there, his arms folded, his eyes still closed.

 

"Inuyasha?" asked Sango hesitantly.

 

He didn't move. He just stood there, tensed up. Then he relaxed slightly.

 

"Okay," he mumbled. "We'll help you."

 

* * *

 

Inuyasha sat up later that night, watching over his friends as they slept. His gaze lingered on Kagome.

 

'What was that earlier?' he thought. 'When she scratched my ears I felt…almost peaceful. Even though I barely know her. What happened?'

 

He sighed. 'But she looks so much like Kikyou. How can they look so much alike and yet be so different? Even Kikyou never made me feel that peaceful before. I haven't felt like that since before my mother died.'

 

"Inuyasha?"

 

He jerked out of his thoughts as a small voice said his name. He looked up and saw that Kagome was watching him.

 

"Are you okay?" she asked.

 

He glanced off to the side. "I'm fine," he mumbled. "I'm sorry I was so rude to you earlier."

 

She nodded in understanding. "It's okay," she said. "No big deal."

 

He felt relieved that she forgave him, but he didn't show it. "Thanks," he grunted. "Now get back to sleep. You have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow."

 

"Okay," she replied. Then she lay down and went back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

"Now, Kagome, please tell us what exactly you are supposed to be doing."

 

Kagome knelt down onto her knees, tucking her legs under her neatly. "Well," she began, "Yesterday, when I went to the shrine, the God of Fire and the Goddess of Water showed up. They told me that they would send me here to Earth to find the two shrines of Earth and Wind. I must free the two gods from their shrines so they can tell me what the rest of my task is supposed to be."

 

"Oh," said Sango.

 

"I see," said Miroku. He looked over at Inuyasha, who was sitting under a tree Indian-style, holding his sword in the nook of his arm. Inuyasha didn't say anything, he just kept right on staring at Kagome.

 

"Miroku, didn't you say that you had visited the shrine of Earth before?" Shippou asked.

 

"Yes, Shippou, I have," he replied. "And Sango's told me that she has been to the Wind shrine before as well." He glanced over at Sango.

 

She nodded. "It wasn't too far from my village," she said. "Kohaku, my father, and myself used to go there to offer the God of Wind parts of demons we had slain."

 

"Well, if you could just point me in the right direction…"

 

"No."

 

Everyone turned to look at Inuyasha. He hadn't moved, hadn't so much as twitched an ear. But he spoke.

 

"We can't just tell you the way to go," he said, still not looking up. "It's not as easy as that." Finally he glanced up at Kagome. "We're going to have to show you."

 

Sango and Shippou stared at Inuyasha in amazement. Even Miroku looked surprised.

 

"We'll help you find these shrines, and finish whatever the rest of the task is," he said. "It's too dangerous to travel alone during these times. Demons, bandits, and assassins haunt these parts. The two worlds can't afford to lose you. We'll have to protect you."

 

"Inuyasha is absolutely right."

 

The group turned at the sound of a new voice, one none of them had ever heard before. They saw an old priestess with an eyepatch approaching them.

 

"Who are you?" asked Miroku.

 

"My name is Kaede," said the old woman. "I am the priestess of this village. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, and I think that Inuyasha is correct in his decision to protect Kagome."

 

"He wants to protect her?" asked Shippou, looking up at his friend.

 

WHAP!

 

Inuyasha landed a punch right in the middle of the back of Shippou's head. Shippou immediately began to cry.

 

"Inuyasha!" said Kagome angrily. She picked up Shippou, gently rocking him. "There, there, Shippou, it's alright. We'll get him for that later."

 

"Hey!" said Inuyasha. "I just said I'd help protect you and you're already planning to get me? Looks like I'm not appreciated around here."

 

"I'm grateful for your offer to travel with me, Inuyasha," she replied. "But hitting little kids isn't fair. You shouldn't bully them around just because you're older and stronger then they are. That's just mean."

 

"Humph. Yeah, whatever," said Inuyasha, scowling.

 

Kagome's face took on a determined look. She put Shippou down and walked over to Kaede. The two of them began whispering so quietly to each other that even Inuyasha's sharp hearing couldn't catch a word. Then the two of them faced the rest of the group, Kagome sporting a creepy smile on her face.

 

"We'll be right back," she said cheerfully, then followed Kaede to her house at the edge of the village.

 

"What the hell are they doing?" Inuyasha asked no one in particular. The others shrugged.

 

About ten minutes later, they spotted the two women coming back, Kagome holding something behind her back. She knelt down in front of Inuyasha, smiling the whole time.

 

"Inuyasha, please close your eyes," she said.

 

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

 

"Because I want to give you a surprise, that's why," she said. "Now close them."

 

He sighed and closed his eyes. He felt something being placed around his neck, something that felt like a band of large beads.

 

"Okay, you can open them now," she said.

 

He opened his eyes and looked down. He saw that she had placed a purple rosary around his neck. He looked at her, confused.

 

"And just what the hell are these for?" he asked.

 

She stood and turned around. "Now, what was that word we chose again?" she asked herself, sounding dreamy.

 

"Uh-oh," said Miroku, suddenly recognizing the beads and their purpose. He motioned the others to stand clear.

 

"Oh, yes, I remember now!" said Kagome cheerfully. She turned around and looked at Inuyasha.

 

"Inuyasha?"

 

"What?"

 

"SIT!"

 

The beads glowed for an instant, and then Inuyasha was pummeled face-first into the ground, making a hole in the ground the exact shape of his body.

 

"Hey, cool!" said Shippou, looking down at Inuyasha. "Are you alright, Inuyasha?"

 

He leapt up and grabbed the rosary, trying to yank it off. "What the hell is this thing?" he yelled as it refused to come off.

 

"Sorry Inuyasha," said Kagome. "I'm the only one who can remove it. And I won't remove it until you learn to not hurt Shippou."

 

Miroku and Sango didn't say anything, for the simple reason that they couldn't say anything. They were laughing so hard they were holding their sides in pain.

 

Inuyasha snorted. "I can't believe this. This is all your fault for showing up, you old hag!" he shouted at Kaede.

 

"Not to mention until you learn to respect elders as well," said Kagome sharply. "Sit!"

 

Inuyasha was plunged once again into the ground, deepening the first hole. He growled but didn't say anything, afraid of what would happen if he did give that girl a piece of his mind. So he simply sat back, grumbling under his breath. The others sat down around him and resumed their earlier conversation.

 

"As I was saying," said Kaede, "Inuyasha is correct in his decision to aid ye, Kagome. And I will help as well, if ye will let me."

 

"We'll need all the help we can get, Kaede," said Kagome, bowing her head in respect. "Thank you."

 

They all rose and turned toward Kaede's house. They walked over to it and entered.

 

"First, Kagome, ye will have to change out of those clothes," said Kaede. "They are far too valuable to travel around in. Ye must wear something more travel fit."

 

"Umm, and we will also need to cut holes in the back of them," said Kagome awkwardly. She fluttered her wings a little. "These kinda get in the way otherwise."

 

"Yes, of course," said Kaede. She walked over to a small chest and opened it. She drew out a short, light blue-green kimono and carried it over to Inuyasha.

 

"Inuyasha, will ye use your claws to cut the back of the kimono?" she asked.

 

Inuyasha glanced wearily at Kagome. "I have no choice, I guess," he said. He carefully shredded part of the back of the kimono. Then Kaede gave the kimono to Kagome, who stepped behind the dressing screen to change.

 

"Second, ye will need herbs for ailments," said Kaede. She snapped at Miroku, who was watching Kagome's figure behind the dressing screen. "Will ye help me gather herbs, monk?" she asked.

 

Miroku blushed at having been caught and followed Kaede out of the house. Sango sat down and began to polish Hiraikotsu, and Shippou went behind the screen to help Kagome.

 

"Shippou, get back here!" said Inuyasha. He turned slightly red as he added, "You aren't supposed to look at naked girls!"

 

"I always bathed with my mom," said Shippou, "what's the big deal?"

 

Sango shook her head. "So innocent," she sighed.

 

"And so naïve," said Inuyasha. He turned around to stare at the wall, not wanting to risk getting a sit.

 

"There," said Kagome as Shippou helped her tie her wrap. She stepped out from behind the screen.

 

Inuyasha turned around and almost gasped. Kagome looked beautiful in the sea-green kimono. It extended to just above the knees so she could run and jump and stuff, but had the long, droopy sleeves that all kimonos sported. The green and blue wrap around her waist gave away the soft curves of her body, and Inuyasha had to look away from her as she stretched. Except for the wings, she looked almost exactly like Kikyou now. He could barely stand it.

 

"You look so pretty Kagome!" said Shippou.

 

"He's right, Kagome, that looks good on you," said Sango, standing up.

 

"Thanks," said Kagome shyly. She didn't expect Inuyasha to say anything, but to everyone's surprise, he did.

 

"Yeah, it does look pretty good on you," he said. Then he mumbled to himself so they wouldn't hear him, "Maybe a little too good."

 

"Um, thank you, Inuyasha," she said, taken aback that he would give her a compliment. The house was silent for a few moments, but then Miroku and Kaede entered. Miroku took one look at Kagome and knelt down, taking her hand in his.

 

"Kagome, would you kindly consider bearing my child?" he asked without preamble.

 

Inuyasha and Sango looked outraged. Inuyasha immediately pulled Kagome away from Miroku into his arms and Sango smacked Miroku in the head.

 

"Miroku, don't you ever lay off?" Inuyasha asked. "Why don't you just leave the poor girl alone for once?"

 

"Why don't you leave all the poor girls alone for once," Sango added.

 

Miroku looked a little sheepish. "I couldn't help myself," he said lamely. "She just looked so pretty I had to ask it."

 

Kagome didn't say anything. She was very aware of the fact that Inuyasha was holding her very tightly. She didn't want to say anything, for fear he would let go or curse at her. For some reason, she felt comfortable in his embrace.

 

'Wait, what am I thinking?' she thought to herself. 'It must be the shock of this new world. I wouldn't normally think thing like that. And yet…'

 

"Hey, Kagome?"

 

Kagome looked up, breaking off her train of thoughts. "Yes, Shippou?"

 

"Would you tell me more about your world?" he asked.

 

She smiled kindly at him. "Sure. Later, though, we'll need something to discuss when we get going."

 

"Okay!" said Shippou happily.

 

"Might as well start telling him now, Kagome," said Miroku. "I think we're ready to get going. We have all our herbs that we will need, you're dressed, and we're all rested. No time like the present."

 

"Alright, then, let's go," said Kagome, deliberately breaking out of Inuyasha's arms to join the others. Inuyasha watched as she picked up Shippou. "You see, Shippou, my planet was a lot like this one. But there were also huge differences. For example…"

 

Inuyasha watched her walk out the door, and watched the others follow her. Kaede looked at him curiously.

 

"What ails ye, Inuyasha?" she asked.

 

"Nothing," said Inuyasha quietly. He followed his friends and kept in the back, listening to their conversations, but not participating.

 

'Why did I move so quickly to get her away from Miroku?' he asked himself. 'And why did it feel so right to hold her like that? I've never felt so at ease while holding someone like that before. Who is she, exactly?'

 

Kagome, aware of the fact that Inuyasha was being very quiet, turned to look at him and waited for him so she fell into step beside him.

 

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" she asked.

 

"I'm fine, Kagome, don't worry," he mumbled almost mechanically.

 

She gazed at him, wishing she could hear his thoughts. He looked so miserable, and lonely. Kagome was very sensitive to the feelings of her friends and companions, and this time was no different.

 

"Inuyasha, I just want to tell you that if you ever need someone to talk to, you can talk to me, okay?" she said suddenly.

 

Inuyasha glanced at her, surprised at the gentleness in her voice. His ears twitched in response, and he managed a small smile. It was the first sincere one he had given her since they had met.

 

"Thanks, Kagome," he said.

 

She smiled back at him, then walked ahead to talk with Sango, who she felt most comfortable with. The two women began to talk with each other like old friends, and Inuyasha watched them, seeing how happy Kagome seemed. He longed to ask her the question that burned in his mind.

 

'But can I trust you?'

 

 

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Thanks for the reviews and comments, guys!

Ok, sorry to those of you who like Kikyou, but she's a bad person in this one. It's mostly a Kagome/Inuyasha story. In chapter 3 you will find out exactly why Inuyasha hates Kikyou.

Again, thanks for reading my story!