Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Romp Through Time ❯ The Wish ( Chapter 1 )

 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They are all the property of Rumiko Takahashi who is to be thanked for letting them come out to romp around with us all.

 

 

The Wish

 

 

A quiet evening did not await InuYasha and company at the bottom of the steps. Only an hour after the final battle at the Shrine, Kaede's hut almost burst, full of villagers bringing every manner of root and dead beast as offerings of thanks for the victory over Naraku. Shippou hopped over all the gifts, sniffing them and declaring which pile they should go into.

 

“Put that gourd in the `eat now' pile!” Shippou instructed Kohaku, who looked at Kaede, hovering over the little kit's head. Sango's little brother followed the old miko's pointy finger to the `don't eat with a ten foot pole' pile, and tossed the gourd in, ignoring Shippou's look of indignation.

 

“Hey!” Shippou was pissed and squeaked accordingly. “I said over there!” Kohaku ignored him again.

 

InuYasha found himself pressed into the corner under the fawning thanks of the village headman and council who, he knew, had not long ago wished him still pinned to the tree. Kagome, standing a few feet away, and herself trapped by a gaggle of village women babbling on about their newest miko, couldn't help but giggle as she watched InuYasha's blush spread more deeply with every low bow the men gave him. His eyes met hers over the heads of the people who meant so well and were so in the way, and they just smiled at each other. InuYasha gave her wink as if to say, Later. You and me. In the bushes. Kagome thought for a moment that she felt the soft touch of his Demon Moon against her cheek, but then they both became distracted by the crowd and it was gone.

 

In another corner, Sango watched as Miroku tried unsuccessfully to push his way through a group of beautiful young village girls, virtually throwing themselves at her monk. He caught her eye and looked for all the world as though he were pleading with her to save him… until she noticed his hand wander towards the butt of a particularly lovely maiden to his left. She frowned at him and he blanched, pulling his hand back up to pull at his ear and give her an adorable little smile. It occurred to her that she should take him up on his unspoken offer to save him.

 

“Alright, ladies,” Sango said sternly as she waded into the seething mass of female flesh, “the monk's busy tonight.” She snagged his arm and looked directly into his eyes. “Right?”

 

“Oh, yes!” Miroku nodded frantically. “Very busy!” He took her hand and let her pull him free. “Thank you, Sango.” He was breathing heavily as he followed her out the door. As they left, his hand wandered onto her butt and he whispered, “I think InuYasha and Kagome have started a new trend, don't you?”

 

Sango didn't answer him, but Kagome noticed the decided absence of a slap or exclamation from outside the hut. She smiled to herself and made a note to compare stories with Sango in the morning.

 

After some time, the mass of people began to abate and the group, Miroku and Sango having rejoined them with large smiles on their faces and their hair mussed, began picking through their spoils.

 

“What the hell are we gonna do with all this?” InuYasha said, trying to step around a large dead pig taking up an entire corner of the hut in the `eat now' pile.

 

“Well, duh!” a familiar voice bellowed from outside and Kouga poked his head through the curtain, “we're gonna eat it, dumb-mutt.” The wolf demon brought the rest of his body, clad in its usual, muscularly revealing fur pelts into the hut. His tail flicked, following the sweep of his long black pony-tail and he licked his fangs, surveying the piles of food.

 

“We?!” InuYasha's growl was instinctive when he confronted his romantic rival and the demon energy from the dog and wolf met and crackled in the small space of the hut, making every human present feel their hair stand on end. InuYasha was happy to let it sizzle as he growled low in his throat. “As usual, you're late to the party; how do you figure you deserve a piece of this?”

 

“Come on, InuYasha,” Kagome's voice was soothing. “The party hasn't really started and you know we can't eat it all ourselves. Kouga helped us fight Naraku as long as he could.” She managed to negotiate her way through the piles to slip under his arm and wrap herself around the half demon's waist, a move that was not lost on Kouga, whose eyebrows rose in an I see movement. InuYasha noticed his irritation and a satisfied smile spread across his face as he clenched Kagome's shoulder in a possessive grip. Before Kouga could respond, Ginta and Hakkaku, Kouga's sycophantic companions came puffing in the door behind their leader and would have doubled over on the ground if there had been room.

 

“How is it he still runs so fast even without his shards?” Ginta asked Hakkaku, who just stared at everyone, apparently noticing their audience for the first time.

 

“Alright!” Kaede clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. “You boys, there,” she said, pointing at Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku, Kohaku and Shippou, “you take these piles here to the storehouse.”

 

InuYasha snickered under his breath, “Flea-bag! Serves him right.” Kouga growled at him.

 

“I resent that remark!” Myoga the flea demon promptly attached himself to InuYasah's nose and let out a loud suck. InuYasha promptly squashed him. “Oooouuuuccchhh…” the flea wailed too high for any but the dog and the wolf to hear.

 

“At least I don't have my own personal flea-valet like you do, mutt-face,” Kouga laughed, scratching behind his ear.

 

“At least I don't have to do any manual labor, loser.” InuYasha crossed his arms over his chest and Kouga was about to ask him what the hell he meant by that comment, when Kaede interrupted.

 

“You two,” Kaede pointed at InuYasha and Miroku, “build us a big fire to roast this pig on.” InuYasha scowled as Kouga took his turn at the snicker.

 

“Girls…” Kaede continued directing until everyone was bustling, chattering and laughing. No one noticed the extra darkness that hung between the trees next to the storehouse, and the fresh smells of the gifts masked a slightly familiar scent from more sensitive noses.

 

++++++++++++

 

It was late; the villagers had all come and gone to claim their piece of the celebratory feast and the victorious sat around the fire, enjoying the starlit evening and the happy mood.

 

“So, Kagome,” Kaede asked as she poked at the fire, “have you thought about what you're going to do with the jewel?”

 

InuYasha's eyebrow rose as he noted that she hadn't inquired about his desires with her question. He looked at Kagome who looked back at him. Naraku's demise and their claim of the jewel had happened so suddenly that they hadn't had a chance to discuss the opportunities that lay ahead of them now that it was in their possession.

 

“I don't know,” Kagome sounded uncomfortable. “I - I mean, we-“ she looked first at InuYasha and then at Sango and Miroku “haven't had time to talk about it.” They were all silent as the weighty subject remained unaddressed. The tenor of the conversation had definitely taken a sober turn and no one seemed to want to follow the conversation into such serious territory. Kaede poked at the fire again and sparks rose into the black night.

 

“I received a very special gift tonight I'd like to share with everyone,” Miroku said, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

 

“Oh?” Sango looked surprised. “Am I going to have to slap you for keeping it a secret?” She looked at him with an expression that indicated to all present, including him, that slapping him was the last thing on her mind.

 

“Oh, I hope so,” Miroku's eyes twinkled in the darkness. “I hope you slap me all around when we're done.” Laughter erupted as Sango blushed orange in the firelight, pushing him playfully away as he got up to disappear into the hut.

 

In a moment he was back, pulling his hand from inside the sleeve of his voluminous robes to reveal a large bottle of roughly hewn pottery.

 

“Ah! Tomuki's best sake!” Kaede clapped her hands again and headed into the hut. All the humans made happy sounds and the demons, except for InuYasha, looked puzzled.

 

“What's sake?” Kouga asked suspiciously.

 

“Trouble.” InuYasha said sourly, thinking back on drunken humans he'd avoided as a child.

 

“No it's not, InuYasha.” Miroku smiled as Kaede produced small cups and he began pouring the clear liquid into them. “At the right times,” he cocked his head knowingly to the side, “in the right quantities - sake is one of the best inventions of mankind.” He handed the half-demon a cup. The monk had to bump the half-demon's clawed fingers until InuYasha took it. “Lucky for us, we only have one bottle, so we don't have to worry about the wrong quantities tonight.”

 

InuYasha looked at the liquid carefully, taking a tentative little sniff and wrinkling his nose. Kouga, sitting next to him and watching this display closely, leaned over InuYasha's arm to sniff it carefully. He furrowed his brow and the humans all enjoyed watching the two canines look as though they'd just seen a fearsome opponent.

 

“You ever had this stuff, Kagome?” InuYasha asked, looking in her cup as though he expected to find something brown and sticky in there.

 

“No, but I'm of age this year, so here goes nothing.” She took a sip, her nose crinkled and she let out a delicate little cough. “It's okay,” she wheezed and Kaede, Miroku and Sango laughed.

 

Kouga watched her as though waiting for something terrible to happen, and when she didn't burst into flames, he decided it couldn't be all bad. Throwing his head back,, he downed his entire cup all at once. This bravado was quickly followed by a choking sound as he lurched himself forward again to cough and sputter. InuYasha laughed at this.

 

“You try it, shit-for-brains,” Kouga gasped as he sat back up again, red in the face and scowling at InuYasha.

 

“No!” Myoga squeaked, apparently awaking from his perch at the base of InuYasha's ear.

 

“Fine.” InuYasha said bravely, chugging the small cup and keeping his face impassive for almost five seconds before emitting a barking cough which quickly put Kouga in stitches. InuYasha's ears drooped and he shook out his mane of long white hair in a reflexive shudder when the fiery substance burned down his throat. Myoga hung on for dear life.

 

“Oh no.” Myoga shook his head. “His father couldn't hold his alcohol either.”

 

The sake flowed freely after that until it was almost gone and everyone was glowing.

 

“So, are you sherious?” Kouga had become quickly inebriated, to InuYasha's delight.

 

“What the hell are you talking about?” InuYasha was pretty toasted himself, but he was proud that he was doing a better job at hiding it than his mangy friend - at least he thought he was. “Sherious about what?”

 

“Sherious that Narku just disappeared?” Kouga blinked a few times.

 

“You mean Nar-A-ku?” Shippou had jumped onto InuYasha's knee and was enjoying correcting grammar and pronunciation this evening.

 

“Yeah.” Kouga agreed, looking at Shippou seriously, not comprehending the little kit's jibe. “Him.”

 

“Yep - gone.” Miroku waved his hand and kept his head tilted up, suddenly fascinated as the smoke from the fire swirled around the stars.

 

“No trace of him,” Sango agreed, leaning into Miroku's shoulder and closing her eyes before she got dizzy.

 

“Thash jush weird.” Kouga said. They all stared for a moment at the smoke swirling around over Miroku's head.

 

“The world is full of weird shit,” InuYasha said thoughtfully as the smoke began to drift over Kaede. “I saw a guy turn into a girl once, just `cuz he got splashed with cole water.”

 

“Ptttthhhhh!” Sake-laced saliva spewed from Kouga's lips, landing in the fire and causing the flames to prance high into the sky as Kouga wiped at his incredulous face with fur-cuffed wrists.

 

“ColD water, you mean?” Shippou piped in, but InuYasha ignored him.

 

“Took just a secun.” InuYasha seemed to enjoy being the center of attention, which was very unlike him, except that he was drunk and everything was a little unusual all of a sudden. “A few rain drops hit him, he shrinked down and - well, he's a girl.”

 

“Shrunk.” Shippou corrected and received a bop on the head this time, having pushed his luck a bit too far with the newly tipsy half-demon.

 

“Maybe you didun see it right,” Kouga's face comically combined frowning disbelief and amazement. “No way that hap'd.”

 

“Happened?” Shippou couldn't help himself and managed to dodge Kouga's paw, skittering back behind Kagome who ignored him.

 

“Oh, I saw it right,” InuYasha laughed and felt his Demon Moon, which was also getting a little drunk and had started trying to nuzzle Kagome at his side, become slightly aroused at the memory of a buck-naked Ranma turning into a buck-naked, red-headed and very well-endowed girl. “And the funniest part was when she got boiling water dumped on her and turned back into a guy.” Suddenly, he couldn't stop himself and doubled over in laughter, to everyone's amazement. No one had ever seen InuYasha laugh so hard.

 

“You're lying.” Kouga couldn't believe the half-demon's story, but he was even more annoyed to sense his rival's Demon Moon beginning to become active. The wolf fixed the half-dog with a suspicious stare, which went completely unnoticed as Kagome leaned into InuYasha's red-clad embrace. “Stop telling us all shtupid stories!”

 

Kaede tried to say something, but couldn't get a word in edgewise.

 

“He's not making it up,” Kagome interjected. “I saw it too.” They all looked at her and InuYasha pulled her even closer, vindicated by his woman. “It was pretty funny because they thought InuYasha had been dunked in the same cursed springs that turned the guy into a girl.” She laughed and tweaked InuYasha's ears. “Except they thought he fell into the `Spring of the White Wolf'!” Now she was doubled over.

 

Kouga frowned again. “How the hell could they think dog-turd here is a wolf!?”

 

“Apparently,” InuYasha stuck his nose a little higher in the air, “there are a bunch of different cursed springs and they jush got confused. Don't worry, scruff-butt, I put them shtraight on who's the higher canine.”

 

Shippou opened his mouth to set InuYasha `straight,' and backed down at the half-demon's golden glare.

 

“I jush bet you did,” Kouga had a little growl in his voice, “where did you meet these weirdos?”

 

“In Tokyo.” Kagome blushed and glanced furtively at her companion, who glinted a fang back at her. “In a park.” InuYasha squeezed her to him again and gave the inside of her thigh a little stroke with his Demon Moon, which made her blush fiercely at the memory of their afternoon in the park. It also pissed off Kouga royally.

 

Thanks to the sake and Kagome's warm body snuggled into him. InuYasha was finding it more and more difficult to keep his Demon Moon under control, and he really didn't want to think about what might happen if it got loose with all these people around. He'd been waiting all night for Kouga to challenge him over his attentions to Kagome, but the wolf hadn't done anything but look annoyed, and maybe even confused. Maybe Kouga had been serious when he'd left the group after losing his shards, essentially giving up his claim on her.

 

Kouga's Demon Moon was also getting a little drunk and this was not a good thing since it constantly seemed to want to get away from him and sneak around behind InuYasha to pinch Kagome's rear end. The wolf demon knew that would be disastrous, causing a huge dog-fight in the middle of such joviality, so he took a deep breath and did his best to rein it back in. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to do this before Kagome felt the tickle of a second unseen touch, this one on her rear.

 

“Oh!” she said, surprised.

 

“What?” InuYasha looked concerned, turning to look at her and luckily missing Kouga's embarrassed blush. All the humans except Kagome seemed oblivious to this little display.

 

“Nothing,” Kagome scooted into InuYasha's shoulder and thought it must have been the sake.

 

“What's a Toykio?” Kouga scratched his head, now pretty much back in charge of his Demon Moon and trying to draw their attention back to the conversation.

 

“It's the biggest friggin' village you've ever sheen - where Kagome's from,” InuYasha had a cruel smile on his face as he looked at the wolf. “It would shcare the hell outta you, wimp.”

 

“Villages don't scare me,” Kouga looked annoyed and downed his last swig of sake, perhaps too drunk now to be angry. “If it's so awesome big, how come I never heard of it?”

 

InuYasha looked surprised. “Kagome never tole you?” He smiled again, anticipating the effect the truth would have on his back woods friend. “She's from the future.” Kouga's jaw fell open, mirroring Ginta's and Hakkaku's at his side. “Amazing shit happens in the future, fuzz-butt.” InuYasha spread his arms out. “You wouldn't even recognize this place five hundred years from now. The whole foresht is gone and everything's covered in huts, `cept they're not really huts. They're like big, square rocks and mountains that people live in.” He wrapped his arm around Kagome's shoulders again and shook his head. “It's fuckin' weird.” Kagome laughed.

 

“Doesn't sound so shcary to me,” Kouga mumbled as he finished his last drop of sake, lapping his tongue into the cup to wipe it clean.

 

“I wish I could see it,” lamented Shippou, who always became sad when Kagome had to go home.

 

Kagome had been feeling warm inside, leaning into InuYasha and enjoying the little flicks of his Demon Moon as the sake had its affect on them both. She was happy to be surrounded by her friends, but she was also missing her family, wishing they could share the celebration.

 

“I wish you could too, Shippou,” she said as she patted his head. Suddenly, she felt love for everyone present and for her absent family. “I wish you all could come see where I'm from. We could have a big party there, and mom would make a ton of food and the whole Shrine would be lit up like it is at festival time.” Her eyes shone as she imagined the happiness and joy they would all share.

 

To everyone's surprise, a bright light glowed around Kagome's neck and she gasped as the jewel beamed purple and pink beneath her shirt. They all had to shield their eyes from the intense shine until it doused itself with a small popping sound. Kagome's eyes were wide and she brought her hand to her heart where the explosion of light had been only a moment before patting herself and looking worried.

 

“Kagome!” InuYasha grabbed her shoulders and turned her to him. “Are you all right?”

 

She raised her eyes to his, beginning to look guilty. “It's gone.”

 

“What?! InuYasha's voice was almost squeaky and everyone mimicked his panicked noises, making her feel really bad.

 

“It's gone,” she said again sheepishly as Kaede dropped her head into her hands and let out a small moan.

 

“Tell me you didn't just make our wish…” the truth was beginning to dawn on InuYasha.

 

“Uh…” Kagome stuttered as InuYasha began to scowl and her warm glow washed away in an icy bath of dismay. “I'm sorry, InuYasha. I think I did it again…”

 

She winced as InuYasha stood and grabbed Shippou by the tail, jumping into the woods with the little kitsune yowling in his grasp.

 

“Put me down, you moron,” Shippou yelled. “I didn't do anything!”

 

“Shut up!” they all heard InuYasha growl from the darkness and entire group scrambled to follow his voice.

 

When they broke through the trees into the clearing by the well, Miroku's torch revealed InuYasha's back just as he tossed Shippou's squirming body into the well. Everyone held their breath and watched as the little fox became engulfed by a blue glow, his indignant noises abruptly cutting off as the light disappeared.

 

“Shit.” InuYasha said to no one in particular.

 

Everyone was too distracted to notice a rustle of the black leaves and the way a darkened shadow became darker at the perimeter of the trees.

 

To be continued…