InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unattainable ❯ Shikon no Tama ( Chapter 4 )

Sorry everyone! I know, it took a while for me to get along with this next chapter. I was wrapping up another story… As of now, the unedited draft of "Haunted" is now one chapter short of complete! Just gotta fix the spelling mistakes and fix up some bad parts…

 

Zoderella: Thanks! Glad it's going well so far!

 

Aeika: I know the feeling completely… I guess everyone's on vacation and stuff. It makes me sad. XD Those people with lives!

 

Angel_4_life: Thanks! Took my quite a while to get the whole chapter figured out in my head, actually, so I'm glad that it turned out well. Yes; your vocabulary is incredibly extensive. ^_^

 

lunabasketcase: Thank you! Glad ya like it!

 

InvictusCanisDeus: Thanks!

 

NewSalemWitch: You're very close; originally Miroku gets saved -because I think Sango would fight rather than run from the mob, being that she's a warrior type, she'd probably take 'em all out, too- but then I thought that while Miroku was more likely to run -much more likely- it might make parts of the rest of the story confusing, depending what I do with it. I've got plans for Miroku… So to play it safe, I made it this random middle-aged man. XD. To be honest, though, after I wrote it, I didn't think that Mrs. Higurashi would endanger her son and father like that. Thanks!

 

DaisyLee1239: Hope you didn't wait too long for an update! You've got an interesting idea, and yes, Kagome and Shippo are going to make it over the border, but it's gonna take a while… You're pretty close to what I have in mind- and yours is a great idea. So really, it's gonna be kinda similar, but with lotsa twists and stuff. (Yay! Twists!)

 

Hanyouluverr: Thanks! (to be honest, the last chapter wasn't quite as long as the others… perhaps about a page less?) But I'm glad they're long enough for ya!

 

Chi: I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! Sorry about the shortened chapters; I think that when I made 'em longer, the story tended to drag a bit because I was trying to fill space rather than come up with good story material. Hope it wasn't too long of a wait!

 

ama_tori: that is a very good question. Apparently -I haven't seen this book myself- but the source where I found the ages says that there's a notation about Inuyasha's age being judged by how he acts, or something like that. That's quite a paradox though, isn't it? I mean, I already said he was fifteen, and if human/demon age is like a ratio, then he'd probably be an infant if he was fifteen. And since you say he's 1500, counting the whole pinned-to the tree thing (which I don't think would count), then the youkai to human ratio is about 150:15, or 10: 1… Hm. That makes sense, though. I'll keep that in mind, and thanks for pointing it out! You've given me quite a lot to think about.

 

kairo: No sweat, Sango 'n Miroku will pop up sometime soon… That is to say, they will be in the story. I don't honestly know how soon, though I'm predicting three to five chapters, six on the very outside. They will have pretty large parts, needless to say.

 

inuyasha's hun: Yup; Inuyasha's feeling sooo happy and joyful and stuff. I mean, who wouldn't want to trek through lots of dangerous beasts and across rugged terrain for a series of weeks to go to a place where everyone scorns him, with a girl that is very camping incapable, and a little kid who insults you every chance he gets? Sounds like lotsa fun, if ya ask me…. XD. (I feel kinda bad for him.)

 

rin_sama1989: Heh… I'm not quite sure what possessed me with the whole sock-thingy. Kinda went off on a whim, there…. Hope you weren't waiting too long!

 

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Disclaimer: Not mine.

 

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Unattainable

 

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Chapter Four: Shikon no Tama

 

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"Well, it's the most sure-fire plan I could come up with." Tanaka shook her greyed head wearily and glanced at Kagome. "I'd offer you more assistance, but as I've told you, I'm under watch. So I'm going to give you some camping supplies. I'll put it on your tab, Inuyasha."

 

"Tab?" the hanyou echoed incredulously. "I don't owe you anything!"

 

"You've required my expertise more than once," the elderly woman retorted. "Or have you forgotten that without me, you'd probably be locked up in some prison?" She continued; "And at great expense for myself. I've had to change my name, run away from home, and now I'm stuck living here. Mind you, it's in better shape than over there."

 

Kagome glanced sharply at the old woman. "Did you help him escape from the Embassy?"

 

"Help him?" Tanaka shook her head. "No, I did it for him." She shot a sideways glance at the hanyou in question. "He was too… traumatized to be of any use, even for himself. I nearly had to drag him out."

 

"Shut it, Tanaka," Inuyasha snapped tersely.

 

"Whaddaya mean?" Shippo asked innocently, picking up from where Kagome left off.

 

"That's not for me to say." The elderly woman smiled sadly and shook her head. She nodded in Inuyasha's direction. The hanyou seemed preoccupied with tracing dusty patterns on the concrete floor. "That's his story to tell, not mine."

 

"So don't tell it," Inuyasha reprimanded, his voice harsh. "And let's get out of here. This dust is unbearable."

 

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Half an hour later, the three of them left the house, weighed down with gargantuan backpacks and full stomachs, both courtesy

 

They trudged down the alley, Inuyasha brooding and silent as Kagome's thoughts turned round and round in her mind. What was Tanaka's real name? Why did she help Inuyasha escape? And why was Inuyasha a fugitive?

 

It all came back to that one question. Why? She glanced at the hanyou thoughtfully. Obviously, it still bothered him, whatever it was. Ever since Tanaka -or whatever her name really was- brought it up, he had been acting very subdued. It was starting to make her nervous.

 

They turned a corner, and all of Kagome's concerns fled from her mind. "Baths!" She grinned delightedly.

 

"You're lucky that I happen to be on good terms with the owner," Inuyasha told her. His voice still had that dead tone to it.

 

Kagome frowned, the bath temporarily forgotten. "Hey, what's with you?" she demanded.

 

"Yeah," Shippo continued. "You're acting really weird. It's starting to scare me."

 

Inuyasha shrugged and walked up to the bath's front entrance. "Just thinking."

 

Shippo shuddered. "That's what I mean! Since when do you think?"

 

Though his fist was raised to knock on the door, Inuyasha had no qualms about swinging it down on Shippo's head. "I don't expect you to understand," he told the kitsune brusquely.

 

"What about me?" Kagome asked. She paused. "Does it have to do with being a fugitive?"

 

Inuyasha stiffened visibly. "Perhaps. Now shut up. I need to talk to the owner." He raised his fist again and banged his fist against the door. "Hey! Mushin!" He paused, eyebrows lowered in an irritated frown. "Mushin!" he demanded again. "Open up, I know you're there!"

 

Heavy footsteps, muffled through the door, approached the entrance. The door swung open, revealing an elderly drunk. "Oh, Inuyasha." Mushin scratched his stomach. "Whaddaya want?"

 

"Baths. And beds." Amber eyes glinted warningly. "You do owe me, you know."

 

Mushin grumbled for a moment before grudgingly admitted them. "But three, Inuyasha?" He took a heavy gulp from a sake jug. "You're terrible for business."

 

"So're you," Inuyasha snorted. "You drink away all of your earnings. Now let us in."

 

Mushin complied, muttering something about "manners" under his rank breath. "Room's upstairs. Take eleven." He pointed a sausage-like finger at a rickety old staircase. "You know where the baths are, Inuyasha."

 

"Eleven and what room?" the hanyou asked pointedly.

 

"The kid can sleep with the two of you, can't he?" Mushin asked. "I do get customers, Inuyasha. And they pay, too!"

 

"Well, if it's one for the kid, too, then that'll make it three rooms, won't it?" Inuyasha glared furiously at the old man.

 

Kagome caught on as well. "Hey! Just who do you think I am, mister?" the irate schoolgirl demanded.

 

"You mean you two aren't-" He broke off when Inuyasha's growl rose in a furious crescendo.

 

"No, we're not, thank you!" he shouted. "You perverted old man!" He shook his head derisively and stalked out of the room. "Go take a bath, Kagome. And take Shippo with you. He stinks of something awful. I'll go find two rooms."

 

"I do not!" the kitsune hollered after his retreating back. Shippo paused and sniffed. "I do not!" he repeated loudly. "It's my sweatshirt!"

 

"We're lucky that Tanaka had some clothes that fit you," Kagome acknowledged as they rounded a corner and came upon the entrance to the baths.

 

"Yeah," Shippo admitted. "I wonder where she got them…"

 

Kagome shrugged, temporarily uninterested. "A bath!" she sighed happily. "I can't wait to get all this grime off of me." And -courtesy again of Tanaka- some clean clothes. Speaking of which… "That's a good question, Shippo. I mean, she lives alone, right? Why would she have boxes of clothes sitting around?"

 

She lowered herself into the steaming water with a contented sigh. "A nice, warm bath. Not a quick dip in some freezing stream, not splashing around in a tiny creek." Her contented smile widened into a grin. "And soap!"

 

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Mrs. Higurashi's little campaign was going well.

 

So far, she'd saved four people's lives -in such a short amount of time, which really said something about the violence and brutality in the mobs- and knew of twelve people she could trust.

 

The middle-aged woman turned her head, eyes critical as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Was that another grey hair? And did she have those creases at the corners of her eyes last time she checked?

 

Needless to say, this little game she was playing was incredibly dangerous, as well as very stressful. Lips pursed, she said to the mirror, "Which is why I had to send Souta and Dad somewhere safe." She paused, staring at her reflection, and sighed. But it was lonely, sitting all alone in her house with only the endless ticking of the clock on the mantle to keep her company.

 

A sudden rap on the door immediately pulled her out of her thoughts, and she froze, her hand inches above the hairbrush. Could it be the mob? At this time of day? Nervously, she checked her watch: four o'clock. But, they were getting bolder and bolder, no longer waiting for the sun to go down before searching the streets.

 

Mrs. Higurashi took a deep breath and willed her trembling nerves to calm. It was becoming a familiar sensation, fear. She was getting more and more paranoid. Deliberately, the middle-aged woman walked down the stairs, her hand gripping the worn wooden banister. Every knock at the door was a murderer, every phone call an accusation. She didn't know how much longer she could live like this.

 

The rap came again. To satisfy her nerves, Mrs. Higurashi peeked out through the curtains to see who was at the door. "Oh…" Her shoulders slumped in relief as she opened the door. "Hello, Eri. And how've you been doing, Ayumi? Is your father out of the hospital?" She smiled warmly at her daughter's friends.

 

"He got out three days ago," Ayumi replied with a small smile.

 

"Well," Eri began slowly, "we know it's kinda late, but…" She pulled a bouquet of flowers out from behind her back.

 

"We just came to say that we're sorry about Kagome." Ayumi was staring hard at the ground. "Really, really, sorry."

 

"Thank you, girls." Mrs. Higurashi's eyes were bright with unshed tears. "It's a very kind gesture." Suddenly remembering her duties as hostess, she stepped back from the doorway. "Please, come in."

 

Eri shook her head. "No thanks, Higurashi-san. I've got lots of homework. Ayumi and Yuka and me are going to study together at Yuka's."

 

"Oh, the entrance exams are coming up, aren't they?" With no teenage daughter of her own to remind her, Mrs. Higurashi had forgotten completely about high school.

 

"Yeah…" Ayumi sighed. "I wish schools would just let people in." Eri nodded fervently in agreement. There was an awkward pause as Mrs. Higurashi stared at the flowers.

 

"Well," the middle-aged woman concluded abruptly, "I don't want to keep you waiting. Thank you so much for the flowers."

 

"No problem, Higurashi-san!" Ayumi regained some of her normal cheerfulness.

 

"Good luck with the exam!" Mrs. Higurashi waved and closed the door, the flowers clutched tightly in one hand as she bit her lip.

 

The clock on the mantle ticked quietly, a steady rhythm that calmed her nerves as she blinked unshed tears away. It was best to come to terms, she knew that. But at the same time, if she stopped to really think about it, Mrs. Higurashi wasn't sure if she would be able to deal with the result. It was every parent's nightmare to outlive their children, and for Mrs. Higurashi, it was now a painfully real one.

 

Which was why she had to continue what she was doing, despite the high stakes.

 

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Kagome was humming happily to herself as she walked up the old, creaky staircase. Oh, to be truly clean again! She paused and looked down at her clothes. Well, they weren't quite what she'd been hoping for, but who could complain, when her school uniform was so dirty? Even after a thorough scrubbing, the thing was still looking worn and rumpled. Nothing some bleach and an iron wouldn't cure, if there was any…

 

She shrugged and stepped into the hallway. "You sure seem cheerful," Inuyasha observed from a moth-eaten sofa at the other end of the hall. His amber eyes were focused on the worn rug beneath his bare feet.

 

"Sure am. I'm clean!" Her grin disappeared. "You, on the other hand, don't look even remotely cheerful. Ever since we visited Tanaka."

 

"Whaddaya mean?" the hanyou demanded. "I always look like this." Amber eyes glared into calm brown for a moment before turning back to the floor.

 

"What's bugging you, anyway?" The couch wheezed a cloud of dust as she sat down next to him.

 

The hanyou turned away and stared at the wall. "I'm fine," he grumbled half-heartedly. "Here." He tossed her a key before she could protest. "Your room's over there. Number twelve. I'm eleven, and I wanna leave tomorrow morning before noon, so you better be ready."

 

Kagome sighed. It didn't seem like she was about to get any answers from Inuyasha today. And from the way things had gone so far, it wasn't likely that she ever was. "Thanks."

 

Inuyasha stood up and walked into his own room without replying.

 

"Jeez," Kagome grumbled. "And he says that nothing's bothering him."

 

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"So Inuyasha, how long is this journey going to take?" Shippo's green eyes stared avidly at the forest around them. Vivid red and orange leaves drifted from the barren limbs of towering trees to fall on the damp autumn earth below.

 

"Hopefully, less than a month," the hanyou replied calmly as he shouldered the larger of the two backpacks.

 

Kagome stopped abruptly. "What?"

 

"If it was just me, it'd take less than a week," Inuyasha grumbled. "But since there's you, Shippo, and two backpacks, we're not going to go quite that fast."

 

"Oh." Kagome heaved a sigh. "Well, let's get going, then." She grabbed the other backpack and headed off down the road, leaves crunching beneath her shoes.

 

"Kagome." The schoolgirl turned, a puzzled expression on her face.

 

"What?" She glanced down the trail. "This is the right way, isn't it?"

 

There was a strange emotion hidden in Inuyasha's eyes as he went on. "Do you remember what I said at Tanaka's?" Kagome nodded, still puzzled. "I wasn't exaggerating about this journey. Just wanted to warn ya that it's not gonna be easy." He shrugged uncomfortably. "Just for the record, if you die, it's not my fault."

 

The schoolgirl's eyebrows met with an almost audible click. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded hotly.

 

"Just what it sounds like," the hanyou retorted waspishly. He stomped ahead, muttering as he went by, "I don't know why I even try."

 

"He's right though, for once," Shippo admitted. "I remember when me and my parents left as part of the Embassy, there were lotsa guards and strict rules for staying with the camp, because outside there were really bad demons that didn't believe in the Embassy's work."

 

"You mean, they didn't want peace between humans and demons?" Kagome inquired curiously, having next to no knowledge concerning demons.

 

Shippo shook his head. "I think so. I'm not really sure, though. It was ten human years ago. It's kinda foggy."

 

"He's right. Most demons were opposed to the Embassy last time I was there, because of what happened with the Shikon no Tama." Inuyasha had finally come out of his sulk. "The only reason why there even was an Embassy was because the current rulers of the country- if you could call it a country- wanted to keep in touch."

 

"You mean when the Shikon no Tama disappeared?" Thoughtfully, she pulled the glittering pink sphere out of her pocket and rolled it around in her palm. "So this thing must be really important, then."

 

Inuyasha snorted. "Don't be stupid. Of course it's important! And that's not what I meant, when I said fifty years ago. What happened was, the Tama disappeared, and then a group of outraged demons went on a rampage."

 

Kagome's eyebrows shot up as they continued walking. "No wonder demon/human relations are so bad right now."

 

There was a dark expression to Inuyasha's eyes as he replied. "Better than then," he murmured.

 

Kagome frowned. "Wait, now I'm completely confused. You mean it was worse when demons and humans were on good terms?"

 

Inuyasha shook his head wearily. "Just forget I said anything." Amber eyes turned towards the small pink bauble still resting in Kagome's palm. "And put that away somewhere. No, not in your pocket!" he barked. "It's could fall out!" He shook his head in exasperation. "Here, put in here." He held out a small brown pouch. "And put it around your neck. That way you won't lose it."

 

"Quit treating me like a little kid," Kagome retorted. "I can take care of a simple little marble." But she took the small bag from him anyway and put it around her neck.

 

The hanyou snorted. "You can't take care of yourself out here, let alone the Tama."

 

Kagome pursed her lips, eyes burning. That stung. Fiercely, she wiped the back of her hand over her eyes and replied tartly, "It's not my fault that I ended up here. And it looks like I'll be here for a while, so you could at least try not to act like a complete jerk?"

 

"What?" The hanyou's jaw went slack with surprise for a moment. "You should be grateful! First, I saved your life and lead you to the nearest people, and now I'm using one month of my life at least to get you home!"

 

Kagome knew he was right, and that only made her angrier. "Well, you could be nicer about it!" She fell into silence, brown eyes glaring daggers at the ground, knuckles white as she gripped the straps of the large yellow backpack she was wearing.

 

"Man." Shippo rolled his eyes. "You guys are like those couples you see on TV. Always fighting!"

 

Inuyasha's only response was a swift rap on the kitsune's head. "Yes," the kitsune muttered mutinously, as soon as the hanyou was no longer paying any attention. "You'd be one of those abusive alcoholic fathers."

 

Kagome's mouth quirked in a small smile as the sulking hanyou's ear twitched. "Shut up."

 

"What, isn't it true?" Shippo goaded, delighted at finally being able to get Inuyasha back for the past week's pain and humiliation.

 

"You dumb brat. Can't you tell that we're being followed?" the white-haired teen reprimanded quietly, white ears flickering to catch small noises.

 

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked, brown eyes darting nervously from one side of the trail to the other.

 

"Trust me." Inuyasha fell back with the other two and handed Kagome his backpack.

 

The schoolgirl staggered under the added weight. "Well, this is great," she muttered under her breath. "Five minutes down the road and we're being stalked." She heaved the other backpack- "This thing is heavy!"- higher in her arms.

 

"This is stupid." She put down the backpack and turned to Inuyasha, brown eyes frank. "Why don't we just stop and wait for whatever it is to come out?"

 

The white-haired hanyou glowered at her. "Tell me, do you know what 'subtle' mea-"

 

There was no indication that anything had moved, and yet some by some instinct Inuyasha managed to turn around and rake his claws across their stalker's arm… if it was an arm, Kagome speculated numbly.

 

It was another demon, beady black eyes bulging as it let out a primordial bellow of pain and rage.

 

"Stand back!" Inuyasha hollered over the beast's noise to the other two. "You'll only get in the way!" He turned back to the demon. "Hey, get out of here! Go away!"

 

"Gee, thanks," Kagome grumbled, knowing he was right. She stood back and watched as Inuyasha made short work of the demon, claws biting into various points of demons body. And yet, the schoolgirl realized with wide eyes, the demon didn't seem focused on the hanyou at all.

 

The large beast kept aiming for her.

 

With one last howl, the large demon collapsed in the middle of the road, eyes filmed over in death. "Don't say I didn't warn ya." Without a backward glance, Inuyasha stepped over the corpse and wiped his bloody hands on a nearby bush.

 

"Come on, Kagome." He picked up his backpack and stomped off. "Great," he grumbled to himself. "Now I stink of blood."

 

"Inuyasha?" Kagome caught up to the hanyou. "That demon was going after me. Why?" Before he could open his mouth, she added, "And don't say that I was imagining it. I know what I saw."

 

The hanyou sighed heavily. "Why are you asking me? And maybe he was after Shippo, or something. I dunno."

 

Kagome stared at him intently. "You're lying," she concluded slowly.

 

He sighed again, this time in resignation. It couldn't hurt to tell her just a little, could it? He glanced at Kagome. And this time, it was her business. "Fine," he said sourly. "But I'm only telling you this much, because you're now involved. If you ask me any more questions, I'll strand you here, got it?"

 

"Yeah, whatever," the schoolgirl replied airily. "So, tell me."

 

"The Shikon no Tama." A white ear flicked agitatedly. "I told you that it's a symbol, right? Of unity between humans and demons, and the demons got upset when it disappeared and killed lotsa people. Well, the Shikon also grants power to demons. They sense the Jewel's power, and come after it. Or at least the really stupid ones do."

 

"What's stupid about that?" As if drawn to it, Kagome pulled out the pouch Inuyasha had given her just a few minutes ago and pulled out the bright pink sphere.

 

"There's something…. I dunno, there's just something wrong with it. And if all the demons went after it, then we wouldn't have gotten half as far as we have. Kappas aren't particularly powerful. How do you think one held onto it as long as he did? I swear, there's something wrong with that thing." He shook his head vehemently. "I don't know what it is, but I'm sure that something's not right."

 

Kagome's expression changed from curious to alarmed in an instant. "You mean it's radioactive or something? Should I get rid of it?"

 

Shippo snorted. "I lived in the Embassy for over twenty human years, and I know that Inuyasha's not right. Everyone at the Embassy would love to see the Jewel returned. Everyone wants it."

 

It was Inuyasha's turn to snort. "No, don't ask me." He shook his head at the other two's inquiring looks. "I'll just say this; that jewel is corrupt. And it's no wonder, after all the-" he broke off again. "Never mind."

 

Kagome thought that she would scream. "I'm so sick of all this secrecy," she told Shippo flatly.

 

The kitsune nodded in agreement. "Me too. I was at the Embassy when Inuyasha left, and I still have no idea what happened! The whole thing's one big secret."

 

"And it's gonna stay that way," Inuyasha called from up ahead.

 

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After a few more days traveling through the Border, Kagome was inclined to agree with Shippo in regards to the Shikon no Tama. They encountered several demons, enough so that the schoolgirl was starting to get acclimated to the gore and blood that always accompanied these encounters. It took a bit longer to get used to the sight of Inuyasha with his hands coated in the red liquid and clothing splattered with it.

 

In comparison the Kagome's first week in the Border, the days spent hauling around the large yellow backpack were definitely worth it. Kagome was surprised to find that Inuyasha didn't have a sleeping bag or clothing in his own pack.

 

"So what's in it, then?" Curiously, she poked dubiously at the large grey pack.

 

"Well, there's your tent, stuff for cooking -yes, that includes pots and pans, matches and some other stuff." He shrugged and unzipped one of the larger pockets. "Here." He handed her a small iron cooking pot.

 

"That's gotta be a lot of 'other stuff'," Kagome concluded, setting the pot down. "I mean, your bag's twice as heavy as mine!" She glanced at the yellow bag. "Hey, are we stopping here for the night?"

 

Inuyasha snorted. "No. We're going to keep going in the dark while demons come at us from all sides." He pulled the tent out of his backpack. "I don't know why Tanaka gave us all this stuff," he grumbled. "Don't need matches, I can catch food, we can find shelter…" The hanyou shook his head irritably.

 

"Tanaka wasn't kidding when she said that she preparing for everything." Shippo flopped down on the damp ground and stared up at the shifting leaves as they fluttered and danced in the wind. Little patches of dark blue sky and white clouds shone through the ever-shifting pattern.

 

With an exhausted sigh, Kagome sat down next to the kitsune. Brown eyes turned skyward. "Pretty, isn't it?" She yawned. It was funny, but somehow, despite all the work and unpleasantness of being out in the wilderness, there was something so right about it. People, she decided, weren't supposed to be cooped up in little buildings all their lives. From what she knew, it seemed to drive them insane.

 

"Dammit!"

 

With a resigned sigh, Kagome turned her gaze from the sky to Inuyasha. He seemed to be having trouble with the tent.

 

"Here." The hanyou tossed the stuff to Kagome, eyes narrowed in irritation. "You do it. I'm not the one who's gonna be sleeping in it."

 

"I told you that I don't know how already. I've never been camping before." She picked up one of the poles, bemused.

 

"It can't be that hard. Just put it together!" Inuyasha stood up and walked away.

 

"If it's not that hard, why don't you do it?" Kagome looked up. "Hey! Where are you going?"

 

"Getting food!" He hollered back.

 

"Great," the schoolgirl grumbled as she puzzled over the tent.

 

Shippo sat up and watched as Kagome twisted the material over on itself. "Can I try?" he offered.

 

"Be my guest." She shoved the heap towards the kitsune.

 

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"Miroku!" The brown-haired, brown-eyed young woman glared impatiently at her companion. Sango sighed and shook her head. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

 

"Of course I did!" the purple-eyed man said defensively as he shuffled one of the numerous stacks of paper on his messy desk.

 

"Then what did I say?" Sango demanded, hands on hips.

 

"You were just telling me that the people working in records are incompetent bunglers who should be flipping burgers rather than working in the Embassy," he said smoothly.

 

"Exactly." The brown haired woman looked surprised as she continued. "And now I'm stuck filing the work that those slackers should've done weeks ago! And in addition, I've got that attacks statistic report to finish editing -eight pages, did you know? And there's- quit staring at my chest!"

 

"Hm?" Miroku quickly busied himself with his work.

 

"Oh, forget it." Sango stomped off, a feat not too easy to accomplish in a crowded corridor.

 

Miroku shook his head ruefully, a small smile playing on his lips as he pulled a magazine out from underneath his half-finished report. "Fifteen down. Theme song." He frowned. "Theme song for what? A television show? A movie?" He tapped his pen on the magazine. "Anthem!" He scribbled the answer into the crossword.

 

"Working hard as ever, I see." Sango was back, and in a better mood. "Here're those reports." She dumped a large stack of papers on his desk. "Your department, you file 'em."

 

She sighed heavily as she walked down the hallway. Office work, she decided long ago, was not for her. "How did I get stuck in this?" she grumbled.

 

"Hello, Hatashi-kun!" a co-worker greeted, black eyes twinkling with good humor. Someone from the Records Department, Sango noticed. "Busy day?"

 

"Yup." She glanced at her wristwatch. "And I've got a meeting at five tonight, too."

 

"Sounds fun." The Records Department employee- she still couldn't remember his name- grinned and sauntered down the hallway, whistling.

 

"Well, someone's certainly in a good mood." Sango turned the corner and entered her own cubicle, a small cramped space filled with reports and paperwork.

 

She sighed as she stood in the entrance. "I hate this job…"

 

A small cat mewed at her from the desk. Sango stiffened for a moment, then relaxed and sat down at her desk.

 

"I don't know why I ever got involved, to be honest," she admitted to the little demon she'd been assigned to familiarize herself with. If only all demons were like Kirara; small and quiet and kind.

 

At first, Sango had distanced herself from the firecat. And who wouldn't with the events of fifty years past looming over their heads, as well as the amount of paranoia and propaganda flooding the media? But as time went by, she began to get used to the little demon's company, and ended up finding herself comforted by her companionship. And from the way Kirara followed her home at night, it seemed she felt the same way.

 

Kirara placed one tiny paw on a large stack of paperwork, crimson eyes focused on Sango. An obvious reminder of how much work she had to finish.

 

Sango smiled bitterly and fished a pen from a box on her desk.

 

Distantly, her ears registered the soft chime of the elevator. "…and the third floor is dedicated to paperwork, essentially." Another tour. They seemed to be happening more and more often these days. "The Embassy keeps records, files and reports here. The central library is located to the far right."

 

Someone in the tour shrieked. Sango dropped her pen in surprise, muttering unhappily under her breath as she groped for it beneath her desk. Kirara jumped from the desk and retrieved it for her.

 

"No need to worry. Every person in the Embassy has a demon co-worker who they work with, to improve human and demon relations. Practice what you preach, yes?" There was a faint chuckle in reply. "And I must say, it works very well. We pick demons to go with humans according to a personality test that we have all personnel -including demons- take."

 

"Sorry to have worried you, miss." It was Hachiemon, Miroku's assigned demon companion. It seemed to Sango that this test worked very well; Miroku and Hachi certainly got on well.

 

"Not at all." The woman's voice wavered slightly as she spoke, and the tour continued on, the guide still babbling about qualifications and tests.

 

"It's a good thing they didn't run into Tsubaki's friend," Sango told Kirara. "I think that snake has fun intimidating humans." Certainly Tsubaki herself did.

 

Kirara nodded stiffly, a habit that she'd recently picked up from her time with Sango, and nosed the brown-haired woman's watch.

 

Obediently, she looked down at the device. "What? Four-thirty already?" Frantically, Sango dug through a pile of paper. "Ah! Where's that report? I know I put it here…!" With a sigh of relief, she fished out a large packet. "Thanks Kirara!"

 

And with that, Sango hurried down the hallway.

 

(\ /)

(•. •)

(><)

 

"Oh, wow!" Kagome exclaimed breathlessly as she leaned precariously over the edge of an old observation platform. "I wish I had a camera!"

 

"Careful!" Inuyasha grabbed her by the back of her shirt and hauled her away from the edge. "The railing is ancient and it'll give way easily if you keep leaning on it like that, idiot!"

 

"But look at that!" Kagome gestured vaguely at the stunning view below them. "How can I not stare?" Intensely green hills rolled off into the distance, disappearing into fog near the ground. Towering trees that covered every inch of the next few miles gleamed in the orange glow of the setting sun, and the clouds were pale pink fading into purple.

 

"Well, stare from a distance," the hanyou retorted grumpily. "And hurry up, too. We're still at least two weeks away from the demon capitol, and if you keep stopping and gawking like a stupid tourist at everything, I can guarantee that it'll be a lot longer."

 

"Give it a break, Inuyasha." Shippo rolled his bright green eyes at him. "It's not like that capitol's going to run away."

 

"But you might if I told you what we'll hafta go through to get there," he retorted. "I can't believe that Tanaka stuck me with this…"

 

"Stuck you with us?" Kagome asked, her eyes now on the hanyou rather than the view. "I don't get it. If you really hated us, then wouldn't you've abandoned us by now? You keep complaining about how you've been forced into this. No one's making you stay now." Her voice was calm rather than angry, as Inuyasha had suspected it would be.

 

"Well, if I left, then you'd probably just follow me around, wouldn't you?" he said, arms crossed as a brisk breeze tugged on hair and clothing alike.

 

"You know what I mean." Kagome's voice rose in volume, insistent.

 

"You'd probably end up getting yourself killed by doing something incredibly stupid, and I don't want that on my conscience. It'd bug me. Happy?" White ears twitched with irritation.

 

Kagome shrugged.

 

"Then let's go." He shouldered the large grey backpack and returned to the path.

 

"Hey Inuyasha, what's between the us and the capitol that you're so worried about, anyway?" Shippo leapt onto the hanyou's shoulder.

 

"Lots of mountains, and things in the mountains, and then the guards of the city themselves, which only let you go in if you can fight past them. And then some."

 

"Whaddaya mean, 'and then some'?" Shippo demanded. "Are you trying to scare me?"

 

Inuyasha brought his fist down on Shippo's head. "No, but since I'm with you two, we'll hafta take a different path. There's probably gonna be some unforeseen difficulties."

 

"Um…" Kagome pointed ahead. "Does he count as an 'unforeseen difficulty'?"

 

"What?" Inuyasha looked up sharply. Amber eyes widened in alarm, and then narrowed in anger. "Well, if it isn't Sesshoumaru. What the hell are you doing here?"

 

The white-haired demon looked back coolly. "I could ask you the same thing. And in such strange company, too." His eyes flickered over Kagome and Shippo in turn.

 

Inuyasha dropped his backpack. "Kagome, get out of the way. You too, Shippo."

 

A small smile curled the corners of Sesshoumaru's mouth. "How flattering. However, I am in a hurry. I have to time to waste on filth such as you. Get out of the way, hanyou."

 

"You're one to talk, brother," Inuyasha spat back. "And I'm not going anywhere."

 

"'Brother'?" Shippo whispered to Kagome. "They're related?"

 

Kagome's eyes went between the two. "They do look kinda similar," she admitted. "White hair, gold eyes, claws… but no ears on that one." She pointed at Sesshoumaru.

 

"And he's full demon, too," Shippo added. "I can smell it. Whoa!"

 

Kagome's finger wobbled as she pointed to where Sesshoumaru had been standing mere seconds before. "H-he disappeared!"

 

"Bastard!" Inuyasha shouted after him, wiping blood from his lip. "Running away?"

 

"And he's back!" the schoolgirl exclaimed.

 

"No." Sesshoumaru's fist swung forward and hit the hanyou hard in the stomach. "I have nothing to fear from one as weak as you, hanyou."

 

"And gone again!" Kagome staggered back as a great gust of wind blew her to the side. "He's fast!" She turned to Inuyasha with alarm. "Are you alright?" She reached out to help him stand, but he pulled away and stood up.

 

"I'm fine." He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Next time, he's dead."

 

(\ /)

(0.0)

(><)

 

AN: SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG!!!

 

And I know that the meeting with Sesshoumaru seemed pretty half-hearted, but it's tie in someday soon…. I hope.

 

Questions, comments, complaints, ect all welcome.

 

Until next time!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Oh… And before I forget…

 

MY COMPUTER IS GETTING A CHECK-UP AS OF AUGUST 26TH. I DO NOT KNOW WHEN I'LL GET IT BACK.

 

It depends on what's wrong with it; it takes forever for it to start up, and the screen does strange things.

 

…In other words, don't expect me to update too quickly; school, soccer, piano, reffing, and NO COMPUTER FOR AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME!!!

 

I think I'm gonna die.