InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Transformations ❯ News Is Out ( Chapter 3 )

In a moment's time, she realized that she heard it before she smelt it, and now she knew exactly who it was.

"Inuyasha!" she said, catching his attention. "It's Kikyo!"

*Low whistle* Wowee. Kagome knows her nose, doesn't she? Makes you kind of wonder how long she knew Kikyo's scent, or if she was more than just a miko.

***Chapter Three***

"What do you mean, it's Kikyo?" Inuyasha snapped, still not quite over his anger towards Kouga. "How can you tell the difference?"

"Because I think that she'd be the only one who smells like me and dirt! Why don't you go and make her shoo or something? You're the only one she listens to." Kagome went over to where Shippo had ran at the sound of Kikyo, and picked him up, nuzzling his cheek to try to comfort him.

Inuyasha growled, narrowed his eyes, and then stuck his nose in the air. He took two big sniffs, then sighed. Defeatedly. "You're right, though how you could know something like that so soon eludes me." Ignoring whatever insult may be thrown his way, he followed the scent to the edge of the forest, but did not enter. "Kikyo," he said, crossing his arms, "come out. You've been uncovered."

One of those little spirit helper thingies of hers came out instead, carrying something. It dropped it on Kagome's head, and then disappeared into the sky.

Everyone noticed how Kagome snarled when it hit her, and reached down to pick it up, not even caring if she was more flexible now. Usually her knees had to bend in order for her to touch the ground, but not anymore. It makes sense - how could a half-demon fight if it couldn't move?

Turned out to be a rock, but with parchment wrapped around it held down by a string. She shifted Shippo to onto her shoulder and pulled off the string, being careful to not shred it with her new nails.

Inuyasha was in front of her, constantly pushing back Kouga who was trying to get closer, too. And he was looking like he wanted to rip Inuyasha to shreds.

Sango was behind her, looking over her shoulder - which, Sango noticed, was harder because Kagome was now almost as tall as Inuyasha. (How could all this happen from just a bite?)

Miroku was up now, rubbing his head and wondering what was going on. Since everyone was gathered around Kagome, he tried to act like he knew what was going on and joined the crowd.

"For you, Kagome," said person read. "I know what has happened to you, my reincarnation. But I did nothing; please do not suspect me. I chose to speak this way for one reason: I have elsewhere to be. And do not worry, my Inuyasha - " Kagome paused to restrain a growl - "I have not forgotten about you. I will be back in a week or so, and just so you're not surprised, I plan on getting rid of my reincarnation. She has no place in our world anyway, does she?"

Kagome shook her head, refusing to read any more. "For one who says this is for me she sure got off the track." She lifted it to Inuyasha, whom it seemed to be really written for. "Here. It seems to be more for you than me, anyway."

She turned after Inuyasha grabbed it, walking away with her pup on her shoulder still. Shippo didn't let go or look back, but stayed right there. Where he knew it was still safe.

Kagome heard Inuyasha's voice as he finished reading, be didn't concentrate on words. If there was anything more threatening than what was already written, he would tell her.

Kagome found herself at a stream about an hour later, Shippo now asleep wrapped in the fur of her tail. She knelt in front of it, placing her hands in the water, and watching it ripple her reflection.

She sighed, bowing her head, but still looking at the new her. It was true that she didn't recognize her own reflection anymore, but it was also true that this new her didn't feel wrong, like it was meant to be. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice another reflection showing up to the right of hers.

Not until the figure made itself known.

"Who are you?"

Kagome's reactions to being startled changed as well. Instead of jumping and shrieking, she spun and took a step back, further muddling her reflection.

She was staring into golden eyes, narrowed beneath silvery hair. A second later she spoke back, not afraid at all.

"You don't recognize me, do you? Sesshomaru?"

He looked her up and down, and Kagome noticed his arm had finally regrown. Took about six months.

"Spring. . ." he said, as though figuring something out for himself and talking aloud helped. "Flowers, sunlight, freshness. . . You smell like Inuyasha's wench. But you look different."

Kagome jerked up her chin, like he Americans did on TV. "I am not a wench, but yes, I'm his companion."

Ses raised a brow at her, taking a step back. "But you're not a demon."

"You're right, I'm not. Never was."

"Why do you look like a half-breed, then?"

"Why don't you ask Inuyasha himself? He knows all the answers."

Now Sesshomaru looked surprised, probably because of the way she was speaking to him. "You've never had this type of foolish courage, speaking to me in a way that could get you killed."

"If you think you're so good then why haven't you already killed me?"

"Needless to say, wench, but you appear different. I intend to know every single demon, demoness and hanyou in this area."

"Why?" Kagome asked, taking another step back. She wasn't afraid, but Shippo was still asleep. "So you can plot their murders?"

Ses tilted his head to the side slightly, like he was trying to read her, and then smiled. [DL: And we ALL know what that means, don't we? No, he's NOT developing a crush. When he smiles someone dies. Hentais.]

"Clever girl, you're quick tongue is going to get you killed. You should learn to shut your mouth."

With a swift, fluid movement, he leapt back, his right arm swinging out and a long, yellow whip following the movement.

Kagome jumped, dodging the attack, and, for some reason she didn't know, she howled.

For whatever reason, she knew that this was the quickest way to get Inuyasha and the rest here, but she did not let down her guard. Sesshomaru hit her twice with the whip with a flick of his wrist, and Shippo awoke screaming.

Kagome hit the stream, which was only inches deep, facedown. Shippo popped out of her tail and saw Sesshomaru, then started throwing things at him, trying to keep him at bay.

Shippo cried out suddenly, and when Kagome looked, she saw Ses's whip wrapped around him, whacking him into the ground and trees, etc.

Kagome howled again, hearing a return from what could only be Kouga. Her ears deciphered the howl, telling her he and the rest were nearly there.

She leapt up, charging at Sesshomaru, getting right up against him and breaking the whip - which disappeared - and hitting his jaw at the same time. He used his speed after that, running to behind her and driving his left hand into her back.

Kagome cried out in pain, feeling Sesshomaru's poison enter her bloodstream.

"I never hated you, wench," he said in her ear as she fell. "But I don't particularly like you. You were always in the way, but no more."

He hadn't pulled back, and Kagome took the chance, ignoring pain and poison and spinning to kick him in the chest, making him short of breath.

"Bastard!!" Okay that had to be Inuyasha. He fell from the sky, like an angel come to protect his charge.

He had Tetsusaiga already drawn, and he swung at Sesshomaru, who only barely dodged, losing a thick strand of hair in the process.

Kagome fell back, panting, and felt someone help her sit up, hearing Shippo start wailing.

Sango was the one pulling her up, wary of the wound on her back, and Miroku was trying hard to keep Shippo calm. With once glance at her, Kouga leapt into the fight as well, and anyone could tell you two demons were harder to beat than one. Especially the ones that were fighting for the same reason.

Together they managed to drive Sesshomaru to the other side of the twelve-foot-wide stream, and he just ran off at that point, after saying, "I have no reason to fight you now. You'll just have to wait to die."

Both of her warriors looked like they wanted to follow him, no matter how fast he was, but obviously Kagome came first, mostly now, when the poison started eating away at her, which was not as painful as she thought . . .

~*~ Kaede's~*~

"What has happened to Kagome?" Kaede asked. [DL: I think that's how you spell her name]

Inuyasha set her down, carefully, on her stomach, so Kaede could treat the wound Sesshomaru left. And he told her as much, from the first howl to when Sesshomaru ran off and everything said.

Kaede nodded. "So this is Sesshomaru's poison? . . . . I may not have the right herbs. Would ye go to find more?" she asked, turning back to Inuyasha, and the group gathered behind him. [DL: I don't know how the Japanese stuff works, but in the American, Kaede speaks like this. So there.]

Inuyasha nodded and turned, getting a list from Kaede of things she might need. Thus far no one had noticed Kouga was gone, and no one paid and attention to the howling wolves that sounded like crying.

Inuyasha had Sango make copies of the list, then sent everyone in different directions to get what was needed. There were a few items Inuyasha hadn't heard of before, but thanks to drawn pictures of the plant - which Sango reproduced nicely - he could find all but one item. Vervain. He didn't even recognize the drawing of it.

Shippo was following him, either for protection of thinking he could help Inuyasha the most, he didn't know. But, since the rat was here, Inu decided he ought to help out.

"Recognize this?" Inu asked, kneeling down and pointing to the picture.

Shippo looked at it a long moment, not bothered by the herbs he carried or paying any attention to how much less Inuyasha was carrying. "Yeah! I do!" He turned and started scampering away, yelling for Inuyasha to follow him.

~*~ Sango ~*~

She sighed, stopping in her search. She had a little of everything on the list, but had a feeling she needed more, so she hadn't stopped walking yet. After all, if her instincts told her Kagome might need more, she was going to get more.

She thought about what happened thus far, and in only half a day. From what Kagome told her, she went to think in the middle of the night. Inuyasha saw her and followed. A Demon attacked - presumably a wolf, if not dog. Inuyasha killed it. It bit Kagome. Kagome changed throughout the night. Now she was taken as a half-demon - a hanyou. Kikyo knew what happened, sent a letter, but claimed she had nothing to do with it. Kagome left with Shippo. Sesshomaru found her. They argued. Sesshomaru attacked. Kagome called them over. They found her, with his claws in her back. Inuyasha and Kouga attacked. Sesshomaru said he had no reason to fight them then and left. Shippo freaked. Kagome passed out. Now she was dying.

Sango paused, looking down at her feet. Why was it that every person she found she loved had to die? It wasn't fair!

Thinking back, Sango knew this wasn't true. Not entirely. She knew for a fact she loved every other member of their group, down to Myouga. Or at least she cared deeply for them. The only one that still confused her, feeling wise, was Miroku.

Every now and then he was incredibly sensitive, knowing just what to say to lighten the mood. But he usually spoiled that by acting like a lecher again. And most of the time that's all that he was - a lecher.

And Shippo. He was just too cute, the things he does, the words he uses. It's obvious he thinks of Kagome as his new mother. He's said it. He opposes everyone that insults Kagome, like the eldest son always would. He's fought Inuyasha before, though it did no good.

Inuyasha himself was the most confusing of the 'gang'. He had more mood swings than a pregnant woman. At one point he could be content, the next angry, then switch to romantic, and lastly bored without blinking. How does he do that?

Sango sat down, picking a few flowers and adding them to the basket on her back. Again she sighed, and found herself praying to the Gods that Kagome could get through this. If she died, a very valuable part of their team would be lost, and there was no telling if they could kill Naraku without her.

"Why does everything bad have to happen to us?" she said, loudly, glaring at the sky. "It's not FAIR!!"

An echo sounded, repeating her word as though the forest itself was trying to pass it along.

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I like the ending. Nice and touching. *Sigh* Poor Kagome. I'm continually messing with her, aren't I? Well, don't worry. I have a reason for this. Though I don't know which chapter that will be. A long time from now, I'm sure.