InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ YinYang ❯ Acceptance ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: And the third part of my re-vamped story. Enjoy!

 

Reminder: Little green men from Jupiter came down and gave me Inuyasha as a reward for good behavior.

 

Remember: Review or e-mail me with comments or questions.

 

 

Chapter Three: Acceptance

 

“KAGOME!!!”

 

The two girls had just passed the edge of the village when a small ball of russet fuzz barreled into Kagome's chest, earning a grunt from the poor girl as she crashed back into Iza.

 

“Unh. Hello Shippou-chan. Have you been good while I've been gone?”

 

“Of course,” the little kitsune puffed himself up. “I've been protecting Sango from Miroku's `Wandering Hands'.”

 

Kagome just grinned at the kit, “In other words, you've been watching him get beaten up, right?”

 

“Right!” he chirped without any hint of remorse. Then Shippou noticed Iza. Hopping down from Kagome's arms, he peered up seriously at the new hanyou. After a moment's contemplation, he asked, “Who are you?”

 

Iza blinked. “I am Izayoi. Or Iza, if you prefer.”

 

Shippou crinkled up his nose. “You smell familiar, Iza.” He turned his head to regard her suspiciously. “In fact, you smell like Inuyasha.”

 

Her eyes flew wide. “Smell like-” Iza turned to Kagome. The miko noted the girl's uneasy expression. Deciding to defuse the situation, Kagome knelt down next to the kit, who was still scenting the air and examining the flustered hanyou.

 

“Hey, Shippou-chan?”

 

Not taking his eyes off Iza, Shippou replied, “Yeah?”

 

“Would you do me a favor and go to Kaede-bachan's place?”

 

The kit gave Kagome his full attention now, a sly gleam in his blue-green eyes. “Sure. But Miroku and Sango are there. I'm guessing you don't want me to say anything to them about Iza, huh?”

 

Kagome sighed in resignation. The sneaky little brat was trying for more lollipops. She wasn't surprised really, considering one of Shippou's main influences was Miroku. “How many?”

 

Shippou held up both hands, fingers splayed. “Ten.”

 

The miko scoffed. “I don't think so. They'll meet her soon enough. One.”

 

“Nine.”

 

“Two.”

 

“Eight.”

 

“Three, final offer.”

 

“Seven.”

 

“Going once.”

 

“But Kagome, -”

 

“Going twice.”

 

“Oh all right! Three.”

 

Kagome beamed at the sulking kit, pulling three suckers from her pocket. “I don't know why you're upset. You still get the candy and can hold the information over Miroku-sama's head.”

 

Shippou brightened at this. “Yeah, I'll know something he doesn't. Can I taunt him about it?” He looked up hopefully at Kagome, who laughed and nodded. With a loud whoop, Shippou was off and running towards Kaede's hut to torment the monk. The miko straightened up, wiping off her hands.

 

“Um-” Kagome turned to the bemused Iza.

 

“Sorry about that.” She crossed to Iza, linked their arms together, and started following Shippou. “Now, would you care to explain why you hesitated back there?”

 

Iza sagged. “I'm sorry. I'm just really paranoid about meeting all these new people.” At Kagome's questioning expression, she sighed. “I'll explain later, but not until I talk to Inuyasha.”

 

It was Kagome's turn to sigh. This was becoming frustrating. The miko's immense curiosity was beginning to fester with the building intrigue and lack of explanations. `I just hope Inuyasha finishes his thinking soon. I'm about to explode here.' Her slight exasperation began to cloud her mind, so that when they reached the old miko's house, Kagome jumped two feet in the air when her name was called.

 

“Kagome-sama. You have returned.” A handsome young man in black and purple robes had emerged through the doorway and was approaching the two girls.

 

“O-oh, Miroku-sama,” Kagome stammered, suddenly aware of her arm linked with a complete stranger (to Miroku at any rate). “This is Iza-chan. She is Inuyasha's--” A quick nudge from Iza halted any further slip-ups and Kagome clapped a hand to her mouth.

 

“She is Inuyasha's what, Kagome-chan?” Sango appeared behind the monk, dressed in her everyday kimono, black hair pulled back and low. Shippou was riding on her shoulder, suppressing his laughter as best he could around a mouth full of candy.

 

Kagome hesitated, but a fleeting look showed Iza shaking her head `no'. Removing her hand and pulling away from the other girl, Kagome tried to improvise. “Sango-chan. What I mean is, she …er …was …in …Inuyasha's Forest. Yeah, that'll work. And Inuyasha wanted me to bring her to Kaede-bachan while he went on patrol.”

 

Sango and Miroku shared a look with each other. Kagome was a bad liar. She was obviously hiding something, but what, remained to be seen. Ah, well, they could always pry it out of her later. Kagome continued rattling on without having seen the knowing look that passed between her friends, “So what's going on here? Anything new or exciting?”

 

Sango sighed and humored the teen. “Well… “

 

During this whole little scene, no one noticed the little firecat, Kirara, stroll up to Iza and demand attention. Iza raised an eyebrow at the cat, glanced at the others, who were now discussing the goings-on in the village, then back at the cat. Shrugging her shoulders, Iza bent down and extended her hand for the cat to smell. After sniffing gingerly for a couple of seconds, the cat presented her head to be scratched. Iza obliged by lightly scraping her claws on the cat's scalp. Not content with only that, Kirara took matters into her own paws and scampered up Iza's haori with no trouble. “Well, hello to you, too” Iza remarked as Kirara butted her head against a firm jawbone. “Aren't you just a friendly little thing?”

 

“Hey! Look at Kirara!”

 

Shippou's piping voice turned the three adults attention towards Iza. Iza searched around behind herself, and upon finding no one there, decided that Shippou must've meant the firecat, who was now placidly purring in her ear.

 

“You mean her? She climbed up here all on her own.”

 

Sango exchanged glances with Kagome and Miroku, before turning back to Iza. She smiled a genuine smile, strode toward the girl, and embraced her. Pulling back to face the, once again, very confused girl, Sango merely stated, “Welcome to the group.” She backed up a step and held out her arms, at which Kirara stood, licked Iza's cheek once, and leapt to her mistress's shoulder, causing Shippou to tumble to the ground. Then Sango simply turned and walked back into the hut without another word.

 

“Hmm. It seems like you are the newest member to our troupe,” Miroku grinned. “Don't get into too much trouble now, Iza-sama.” He then followed the demon slayer through the doorway and out of sight, the fox kit scampering after him.

 

Shocked to a standstill, Iza could only stare at the door with her mouth hanging open. Kagome sidled up to her and very gently closed her jaws. Iza was brought back to her senses with that little movement and turned confused eyes to Kagome. “Um …what just happened?”

 

Kagome giggled, “Well, it's simple really. Kirara is a firecat youkai. She has always been able to sense who intends us harm or whom we can trust. If she just walked up to you without a hiss or anything, climbed to your shoulder, and began to purr, we can all safely bet that you can be trusted. As for the others, Sango-chan trusts Kirara's instincts, Miroku-sama trusts Sango-chan's trust in Kirara, and Shippou-chan is just glad to have someone else to play pranks on and to pamper him. See, simple.”

 

“It's really that easy?” Disbelief was rampant in Iza's question.

 

Kagome just nodded. “Yup. It really is that easy.”

 

Iza looked back at the door that led to the interior of the hut. She huffed a “Huh,” and walked inside, with a laughing Kagome trailing after her.

 

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