A/N: This was my first fanfic. I mainly did it as an exercise to see how well I knew the characters of InuYasha, so it starts out as pretty much a normal day in Feudal Japan with that characters being their normal selves. I couldn't resist adding my own twist at the end with a hint of yaoi, though.
Shippo's stomach emitted an audible gurgle, and the young fox demon clasped a hand to his protesting midsection in annoyance.
"I sure am hungry. What does a fox have to do around here to get any food?"
"I'll say," grunted Inuyasha in reply as he marched doggedly onward with his usual arrogant swagger. "I've just about had it with all this stupid wandering. If we don't find some jewel shards soon, I'm gonna -"
"Inuyasha," Kagome cut in, one hand guiding her bicycle as she struggled to catch up to him, "Slow down. If you two are hungry," she glared at Shippo, "You could have just said something. I don't carry this huge bag of dead weight around for nothing, you know!"
"Feh, fat chance," Inuyasha replied disdainfully without meeting her eye. "Don't be stupid. I ain't eatin' any more of that junk. It's all we've had for days now."
"He's just mad because he finished all his favorite snacks the first day," Shippo muttered under his breath as his stomach let out another low rumble.
Inuyasha clenched a clawed fist. "You're really startin' to annoy me, runt."
The fox child stuck out his tongue in defiance. "Maybe you should learn to dig up potatoes with that sword of yours and get some use out of it!"
"That's it. C'mere, you puny excuse for a demon! I'll tear your smug face right off."
Miroku's staff came crashing down like thunder atop Inuyasha's head just as the wrathful half-demon's fist landed Shippo a painful blow to the midriff. Inuyasha whirled and put a hand to the sore spot, allowing Shippo to leap gratefully into the safety of Kagome's arms.
"Whadja do that for, you stupid monk?"
"Enough!" Miroku berated him. "We haven't the time for your silly games. We cannot allow the hours to slip past us while Naraku is roaming the countryside wreaking considerable amounts of havoc."
"I hate to say it, but he's right," Sango agreed as she and Kirara joined them. "Kirara's been acting strange. I think she can sense something we don't."
The double-tailed feline mewed softly in reply. Sango reached automatically for the massive weapon on her back, but Miroku gently placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.
"Not yet, Sango. We can't be too sure. It could just be that Kirara is as weary and hungry as the rest of us."
"Well, I ain't waitin' around," Inuyasha barked, folding his arms stubbornly. "Either there's a demon with a shard nearby and I kill it, or we keep moving until I find something decent to eat."
He opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted by a cry from Kagome.
"KYA! Oh no!"
"Kagome!" Inuyasha's expression changed instantly into one of deepest concern. "What's wrong? Do you sense the Sacred Jewel?"
"I just remembered," her hands tightened around the handles of her bicycle, "I have a huge math test tomorrow!"
The other four sagged in relief, but within moments Inuyasha had recovered, regaining his composure and hollering at the top of his lungs.
"What? Not another one! There're way more important things, like finding Naraku and gathering the shards of the Shikon Jewel."
"I can't flunk out of school," Kagome said heatedly, her face beginning to form a familiar look of low tolerance that could only bring about the use of a certain painful command.
But Inuyasha was no longer listening. Kagome turned. His hand had already slid to the hilt of his Tetsusaiga, a look of disgust adorning his features. Kirara growled menacingly and Miroku and Sango stood motionless and alert as Shippo cowered in the bicycle basket.
"I sense the Shikon Jewel," Kagome whispered. "It's coming this way, fast!"
A hint of a breeze rustled the patient forest around them as the uneventful seconds dragged on. Finally, a blue column of swirling wind emerged from down the path and began advancing rapidly.
"Feh, I knew it was him," Inuyasha spat vehemently. "I smelled him from a mile away."
The ruthless, whirling twister sped to a sharp halt a few feet away, and as the bitter dust cleared, it became all too obvious who stood beyond the spinning whirlwind.
"Why, it's Koga," Miroku announced, rather unnecessarily.
"Hey, muttface," the fur-clad wolf demon shouted, even before the dust had fully cleared, "I picked up your lousy stench and decided to come see whether you're taking care of my Kagome."
"Y…your Kagome?" Inuyasha stuttered in an indignant rage. "Why don't you quit using your mouth and let me carve you up with my Tetsusaiga, you mangy wolf!"
"Here we go again," Shippo sighed. "Inuyasha gets so defensive whenever Koga's around. It must be because Inuyasha's in love with Kagome…"
"WHAT WAS THAT! Arrgh, that's it!" Inuyasha launched himself at the hapless fox demon.
"Shippo!" Kagome gasped in fright as the child ran wailing in circles around her pink bicycle.
"Don't worry, Kagome," Koga flashed her a winning smile, "I'll stop that idiot half-demon from causing any damage."
Inuyasha caught the overeager wolf demon's approach from the corner of his eye and turned to face him.
"Don't take another step unless you wanna be skewered by my Tetsusaiga."
"Ooh," Koga mocked with a dry laugh, "Let's see you challenge me, you mongrel."
They were nose-to-nose glaring daggers at one another when Kagome pushed herself between them. "Cut it out, you guys!"
Koga bent and freed Shippo from beneath Inuyasha's foot.
"Anyway, Kagome, the little guy's safe now." He tossed the tiny demon carelessly over his shoulder where Miroku caught him by his bushy tail.
"That guy is way too full of himself," Shippo grumbled hostilely as he hung upside-down in midair.
"Just what the hell do you want, anyway?" Inuyasha exploded.
"I came to see my beloved Kagome, of course," came the blunt reply. He swept up both of her hands in his viselike grip, throwing Inuyasha into a terrifying uproar while Kagome stammered nervously.
"If you don't take you hands offa her I'm gonna slice you right through, you filthy wolf!"
"Easy, muttface," Koga said, a sarcastic smile playing about his lips to accompany the equally sardonic ring in his voice. "That ain't the only reason I'm here. I was following the scent of that bastard Naraku. He's not far off."
"Not far off?" Sango echoed incredulously.
"I wonder why Inuyasha didn't catch his scent as well?" Miroku pondered aloud.
"Probably the only thing he could smell was Koga," Shippo piped up from his perch on the monk's shoulder. "When Koga's around it's the only thing poor Inuyasha can concentrate on, because Koga's a threat to his love life." He ignored the sudden twitch of the dog demon's eyebrow upon the deliverance of his innocent statement.
"It's obvious," Koga snorted as if the answer was plainer than the two shards in his legs. "I'm stronger than the mutt, so I smelled him first. I'll be the one to kill him, too, make no mistake of that."
"We'll see," the half-demon promised dangerously.
"Sure thing," Koga threw him a playful wink. "Well, I'm off. Catchya later, muttface. Bye, Kagome." He sped off in an almighty blur as fast as he'd arrived.
Sango blinked slowly. "Inuyasha, did he just…wink at you?"
"What?" Kagome asked in disbelief. "He did? Are you sure? Koga? Really? No way."
"Rrrr…WHO CARES!" Inuyasha burst out. "Let's go after him already! If you think I'm letting him get to Naraku before I do…"
Kirara let out a mighty roar as she allowed herself to be engulfed by flames, re-emerging significantly larger and ready for battle. Sango and Miroku climbed onto her back, Shippo hopped into Kagome's bike basket, and they all hurried after the stone-faced Inuyasha as he ploughed on ahead, red kimono streaming behind him like a banner in the darkening twilight.
They thundered through a clearing to find Koga outnumbered by a mass of hissing demons. He fought viciously, the twin jewel shards in his legs glinting as he carved a path through the writhing, bloodthirsty throng.
"Feh, it figures," Inuyasha huffed immediately. "He can't even handle a simple pack of Naraku's demons, never mind the stupid white baboon himself." His sword was halfway drawn by the time the words had left his mouth.
"Just take care of the demons," Shippo snapped in irritation. "With the way you rag on Koga all the time, you'd think you were in love with the guy even more than you are with Kagome."
"Shut up, runt."
Hefting the legendary fang into the air, Inuyasha summoned his strength, pouring it into the blade while it emitted a pulsating golden glow in response.
"WIND SCAR!"
A tremendous flash of light illuminated the trees as row upon row of shrieking demons disintegrated before the potent blast. Koga turned with a start.
"Nice timing, mutt."
"I didn't do it to save you, idiot," Inuyasha smirked. "Now get out of my way or I might get careless with my aim."
Kagome let her bicycle clatter to the ground as she dismounted and lifted her sturdy bow, sighting along the arrow shaft with great precision. Her sacred arrows never missed their mark. However, she failed to detect the presence of the demon monstrosity that crept up behind her.
"Kagome, be careful!" Sango yelled from above. "Hiraikotsu!"
The boomerang sailed in an elegant arc, beheading the monster in one fell swoop and neatly halving six more as it reversed itself and landed back in the demon slayer's firm grasp.
"There are way too many!" Miroku shouted in alarm, gripping the pale blue rosary beads at his right wrist. "I'll use my Wind Tunnel!"
"No, Miroku!" Shippo cried as he motioned skyward. "Look, Naraku's poisonous insects!"
They buzzed about in an ominous cloud, observing the struggle that took place below.
Then came the low sound of a woman's laughter, so subtle amongst the chaos that only two people detected it. Inuyasha and Koga vaulted from the fray in the same instant and sped after the sound. They hurtled in pitch darkness through brambles and underbrush until they found themselves face to face with their cunning foe.
"Kagura!" the two of them growled in unison.
"You were expecting the great Naraku, perhaps?" Kagura's lips curled at the corners in a devious grin as she flipped open her extravagant fan with a flourish. "Don't be foolish. You know that man never sullies his own hands."
Koga was instantly on his guard; he took up a valiant defensive stance, but Inuyasha's face reflected a look somewhere between disgust and boredom as he straightened and sheathed the Tetsusaiga nonchalantly.
"Feh, I ain't wastin' my time on you. Tell me where Naraku is."
Kagura looked mildly amused. "Very well, halfbreed. I am content to stay and make this wolfboy dance. Naraku awaits you at his castle, assuming you can find it."
"Stop playing games, Kagura," Koga roared. "Pay attention. You slaughtered my kin and it's my duty to avenge their deaths."
Kagura appeared to consider his challenge, then caught sight of Inuyasha waltzing purposefully off into the foliage, sword thrown casually over his shoulder as he disappeared. She seemed to change her mind with satisfaction.
"Believe me, wolfboy," she said, "I do intend to kill you, but I haven't the time to waste now on the likes of you. Naraku is only concerned with the half-demon." She lifted a hand to pluck a white feather from her hair.
"Don't even think about escaping!" Koga lunged.
"Dance of Blades!"
The attack took the wolf demon by surprise, hitting him with a force that knocked him off his feet. When his vision cleared, Kagura was out of his reach, flying no doubt towards Naraku's castle to enlighten her master with news of how the battle faired.
"Rrrrrrrrr…MUTTFACE!" Koga's sudden outburst stopped Inuyasha dead in his tracks.
"What the hell are you making all that noise for?" he called coolly over his shoulder, lifting the Tetsusaiga free just to be ready.
"You let her get away," Koga was on his tail within seconds.
"Me? I didn't have anything to do with that stupid encounter, you idiot." He paused for a moment. "I'm going to find Naraku. You comin' or not?"
The wolf demon had been vainly trying to staunch the flow of blood from a wound on his forearm. He left off and raised his eyes to meet the golden gaze of his rival and adversary.
"I sure ain't leaving you to do it. Though I suppose if you end up dog food, Kagome will still have me to protect her."
Inuyasha buried the tip of his sword in the ground and leaned his back against the thick trunk of a nearby tree, bracing himself with one leg and crossing his arms over his chest as he took a brief moment to relax. There was a mixed look in his golden eyes.
"Fat chance, wolf."
Koga advanced slowly until he stood blocking the half-demon's escape. Inuyasha eyed him warily with bated breath. The wolf demon bent forward and rested one arm casually on the trunk of the tree next to his silver-haired target, boxing him neatly between the wooden sentinel and himself. Then he smirked.
"You're such," he whispered, "a stupid mutt."
He leaned in further and caught the unsuspecting half-demon in a silent kiss. Inuyasha stood motionless, his back pressed against the tough bark of the tree. Not one fiber in his limbs would seem to move upon his command. Almost before he realized it, his entire body had relaxed and he allowed himself to submit to the unexpected exploit. Koga ran a hand through his silver hair and finally released him. Inuyasha was breathless with astonishment, though the move had lasted but a mere instant.
"See what you do to me, you dumb muttface?" Koga murmured quietly. Then he spoke louder. "Well, I'm off to Naraku's castle. I'll have him finished before you even catch up."
Inuyasha managed to find his voice, though it was with difficulty. "You can't handle Naraku. I'm not gonna bother rescuing you next time."
"We'll see, won't we?" Koga replied with a hint of his old, haughty taint just before he sped off into a cyclone of blackness.
Inuyasha squinted his eyes shut and slid down the side of the tree to the woodland ground.
"Stupid mangy wolf."