Kagome picked another herb and placed it into her woven basket. The warm summer breeze blew at her back. She was in her red and white Miko robes with her hair loose. She stopped and rested her hands on the small of her back. She stretched.
Snap.
Kagome froze and listened. Only the breeze blowing the leaves in the trees (I'm a rhymer!) was heard. She shrugged and went back to gathering herbs for Keade, the village priestess.
Crackle.
Kagome ignored the sound and went back to her herbs. When the basket was almost full, she began to rise.
"Kyah!"
Kagome reached out and grabbed the stick that was poised at her side. A small child was holding the other end and stared at her.
"What are you doing Hide?" Kagome asked the small boy. Hide let out a small laugh and dropped the stick.
"I was trying to be sneaky, like a ninja," Hide said.
"Well, it would have worked if you were quieter. You made too much noise. I'll show you how it's done," Kagome said.
Kagome led Hide into Inuyasha's Forest. They reached the edge of a clearing and Kagome put her finger on her lips. Hide copied her. She pointed up at a tall tree. Hide followed her finger. Inuyasha, in his red kimono, was resting up in the tree. He looked completely oblivious.
Kagome smiled at Hide and stood. The boy watched as she reached up into the trees and pulled herself up onto a branch. He watched in wonder as she moved from tree to tree, branch to branch, all the while keeping silent. Hide looked at Inuyasha. He looked fast asleep.
Hide looked around for Kagome, but couldn't find her. He looked back at Inuyasha. He saw his ear twitch and the hanyou awoke. Inuyasha stretched and yawned in his tree. Suddenly, a projectile flew towards the hanyou. He reacted quickly, barely missing it. Hide came out of the bushes and watched the hanyou.
"Did you do that?" Inuyasha asked. Hide shook his head "no" vigorously.
"Hi!" Kagome yelled as she j\hopped onto Inuyasha's back. She laughed as he scowled at her.
"That's just a wonderful way to wake up, Kagome," Inuyasha grumbled.
"I was just showing Hide how to be sneaky. You were just my test subject. I count sneaking up on you somewhat of an accomplishment," Kagome said and retrieved her basket. She then walked Hide back to the village. Inuyasha shook his head at her, but smiled anyway.
It was about three months after Naraku's death (August 20th). The Inutachi were taking up residence in Keade's village. Sango and Miroku had finally finalized their wedding. Sango was going to be a September Bride. Of course, Inuyasha had no idea what that meant, but Kagome was happy about it so it probably wasn't bad.
Kagome walked into Keade's hut alone. Only Keade and Sango were inside.
"Kagome!" Sango yelled.
"What!" Kagome yelled as she gave Keade the basket of herbs.
"My wedding is in two weeks! I'm freaking out, Kagome! Freaking out!" Sango yelled and passed her hand though her messy hair. Kagome sighed and got out her brush. She sat behind Sango and began to brush out her bird's nest.
"You need to calm down. You have everything planned out. Miroku wants to be with you for the rest of your lives. There's nothing wrong," Kagome said as she tugged on the knot in the hair.
"How do you know that! Did he tell you? Did you read about my weeding in the future! What did it say! Will I get food poisoning? Will you trip up and sprain your ankle! Will Inuyasha use the Wind Scar on the priest!" Sango panicked while shaking Kagome's shoulders. Kagome was turning a slight green shade.
"Calm down, child. Everything will be fine," Keade said, sipping her tea.
"How do you know that! My fiancée isn't even here! Where is he! If he's doing something I don't like, I swear I'll-" Sango ranted.
"What now?" Miroku asked. He and Inuyasha were walking into the hut. Sango glared at Miroku.
"Where were you?" Sango asked, folding her arms.
"Helping a man in the village with the charms around his hut. His wife is pregnant and he wants to make sure she's safe," Miroku explained and sat next to Sango.
"See?" Kagome whispered into her ear. Sango blushed and bowed her head. Kagome got up and walked over to Inuyasha. He moved over to make a seat for her.
"So, what goes on in ye children's lives?" Keade asked and pored tea for everyone, but Inuyasha.
"How come I can't have tea?" Inuyasha asked.
"Because you would have denied it or taken it and played with it," Keade said to him, narrowing her eye. Kagome giggled as Inuyasha gaped.
"Everything is going smoothly Keade-sama. By this time next month, I'll have a wife and a child on the way. I guarantee you that," Miroku said with a big smile. Kagome laughed at Sango's mortified face.
"Before you even think about children, you should be thinking about your wedding, Houshi," Inuyasha said.
"Yes! Where are you two going to honeymoon?" Kagome asked, getting into the conversation.
"Honeymoon?" Miroku asked.
"No honeymoon," Sango said, giving Kagome a glare.
"A honeymoon is a period of time spent alone together by a newly-married couple. Most couples go away from home for extra privacy," Kagome explained. Sango almost fainted at Miroku's elated laugh.
"I didn't know we could do that! Can we leave now instead, just to get a head start," Miroku said to Sango. Sango glared at him. Inuyasha tried to ignore them all. Kagome sighed.
Outside, hoof beats could be heard and loud villagers were shouting at each other.
"I need to see the village priestess!"
"Keade-sama!"
"Keade-sama!"
Before anyone could say anything, Keade was almost out the door. The others followed her. A man was coming off a horse and he approached Keade. His clothes were burnt and ruffled. He almost fell as he stopped in front of the old priestess.
"Miko-sama, my village is in dire need of your help! We have been constantly attacked by a demon! Every time it comes back it gets stronger and takes our villagers. I have already lost my daughter. Please, help," he said.
Keade looked at the man and nodded. "Kagome, can you-"
"Keade-sama!" another man yelled and ran up to the growing crowd.
"Kenshin-san, what ails ye?" Keade asked.
"My wife! She is in labor! The child is coming!" he yelled. Kagome watched Keade. Stay and help with the delivery or go slay a demon?
"Keade-baa-chan, I can go with him. You stay and help with the delivery," Kagome offered.
"Inuyasha, go with Kagome," Keade said with authority.
"Don't have to tell me twice," Inuyasha smirked.
"Sango come with me. Miroku boil some water and bring towels," Keade said. Kagome whistled and Mayu came running out of the woods.
Keade left with Sango and Miroku. Kagome ran back into the hut. She went into Keade's back room and searched through the boxes. She pulled out a long, slender box. Opening it up, she took out the sheathed sword. Kagome quickly changed into her slayer's outfit and exited the hut. Inuyasha was waiting for her.
"Let's go!" Kagome said and got onto Mayu's back. Inuyasha was frozen in place as Kagome flew off after the man on his horse. Snapping out of it, he followed after her.
"Finally, you showed up," Kagome said when he caught up.
"Shut up. I'm here aren't I?" Inuyasha snapped. Kagome laughed lightly.
"You should be careful. This demon's probably strong. The last thing anyone needs is you falling and breaking a rib," Inuyasha said.
"Excuse you! I'm not that clumsy. Besides, I can handle myself. How much trouble can this demon be?" Kagome shrugged.
Exactly half an hour later, Kagome was ready to scream. The demon just had to be a rabbit demon! Besides, their cute/rabid appearance, they were a real pain in the ass to exterminate. Even after you got rid of it, they probably had a whole colony in the woods waiting for revenge.
It just so happen that this rabbit was a huge one. It must have eaten a whole village before it came to this one. It was white, furry, red-eyed, and as tall as a medium-sized apartment building.
"Dammit!" Inuyasha cursed as he slid next to where Kagome was standing.
"Inuyasha, you're not going to get it that way. Keade sent both of us, so would you let me help?" Kagome asked.
"Kagome, just stay back."
"What? You're telling me to stay back? I can beat you in a fight! You need me!"
"Kagome," Inuyasha warned.
Kagome narrowed her eyes and notched an arrow. I'll show him…
She aimed for the rabbit's Achilles tendon. Inuyasha watched her critically. Kagome released the arrow. It hit its mark and the rabbit fell in a fluffy pile and began shrinking. It was about three feet tall now.
"You didn't purify it," Inuyasha said.
"You can't purify it until you shrink it first," Kagome said and got another arrow ready. Inuyasha watched as she purified the crying rabbit.
The villagers came from behind the huts and started cheering. Kagome whistled for Mayu and got on her back. Inuyasha stood and dusted off his clothes.
"How can we thank you for what you did?" the head villager asked.
"We don't need money. If you ever have problems, you know where to find us," Kagome said. She was off with Inuyasha on her heels.
"Why are we going this way?" he asked.
"Because, like all rabbits, that rabbit probably has it's colony with it. If we don't get rid of them, they'll go after the villagers," Kagome said.
"That's rabbits for you. They eat, sleep, and fuck their lives away," Inuyasha said carelessly. Kagome rolled her eyes.
They soon came up on a pit in the ground. A pit the was making cracking and snapping noises. Kagome got off Mayu's back and walked up to it. She almost threw up. Hundreds of little bunnies, mating in a hole. Newly born rabbits, were clawing their way to the top of the pit.
"What did I say?" Inuyasha asked and gestured to the pit. Kagome went back to Mayu's side.
"That's…" Kagome didn't finish.
"Nature?" Inuyasha asked. He unsheathed his sword and eradicated the growing population. Just their little hairless carcasses were left. Kagome peeked over the edge of the pit. Some of the bunnies were still…joined.
"Inuyasha! Couldn't you give them a better death than that!" Kagome complained.
"What! They're dead though! That's what we came to do!" he yelled back.
"But, look at how they're positioned. It's the principle of the thing," Kagome said.
"What ever Kagome. If you want to go down there and pull apart every pair of rabbits that were mating go ahead, but I'm going back to the village," Inuyasha said. Kagome sighed. She didn't want to leave them like that, but she wasn't about to walk around in bunny sperm and blood…
Later, in Keade's hut, Kagome and Inuyasha gave Keade, Sango, and Miroku a rundown of what happened.
"Rabbits?" Sango asked with disgust.
"They would have been cute if they weren't in the middle of reproducing and attacking people," Kagome said and ate her food. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"I wish I could have gone. It would have been nice. All we ever do is lay around the village," Sango said.
"That's the last thing you need. You can't get yourself injured before your wedding," Keade said. Sango sighed.
Sango looked at Kagome. She was arguing with Inuyasha about something. Sango had been shocked when they got back to the village. She thought Inuyasha and Kagome would have already been married/mated/with a child on the way. But, they were back in that phase. The want-to-be-more-than-friends-but-ex-girlfriends-still-have-their-dead-claws-sinked-into-him phase. When Naraku had been killed, Kikyou had disappeared. Sango though Inuyasha was going to look for her, but he stayed by Kagome's side. Yet, he still has yet to propose to the girl…
"I can so beat you in a fight!" Kagome yelled.
"Don't flatter yourself. If I stayed a week without sleep, fought Sesshoumaru, and then ran fifty miles, you still couldn't do me any damage," Inuyasha said with his nose in the air.
Even after a year of being with Kagome, he was still the same old immature hanyou he always was…
"Really? I seem to remember beating you twice and stealing your sword. Face it, Inuyasha. I'm stronger than you," Kagome said, taking a bite of rice. Keade, Miroku, and Sango leaned in closer. This could get messy…
"Those were surprise attacks. It doesn't count unless you look me in the eye and make your fist attack. Not that you'd get that close. You'd probably trip over a twig before you could even take a full step," Inuyasha said.
"What?" Kagome asked.
"You heard me," Inuyasha said.
"Twelve thousand yen on Kagome," Keade said. (About $100)
"Fourteen on Inuyasha," Miroku said. (About $120)
"Fifteen on they never even start the fight," Sango said. (About $130)
"Inuyasha, I'm going to give you a chance to take back what you said, because I know you didn't mean it," Kagome said.
"No, I meant it," Inuyasha said. Kagome's eye twitched.
"Inuyasha, Sit!"
Sango smiled at Miroku and Keade as they got out their pouches of yen.
What do you think? Review!
