Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Lets see- the Anime belongs to Shogakukan Production Co., Ltd., Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan-Yomiuri TV-Sunrise 2000. But let's just say Rumiko Takahaski owns it from simplicity's sake, 'kay?
Author Notes: For those who have difficulty picking up on inferences, the cats are paranormal, got it? Great!
The Day Kagome Snapped
It was a truly lousy day. The shower was too hot and burned her. Her school uniform was dirty. Her homework was not done. She got up late. She stepped in gum. She nearly got hit by a crazy car at the crosswalk. Yes, this was one of the rare days that Kagome was home in her own time. It might have been enjoyable. But there was no way it could be. People she didn't even know where coming up to her to ask about her illnesses. In desperation, she slipped into the library at lunchtime and made a list of random symptoms she could attribute to any one the diseases she had which she had never heard of. Then of course, she was behind in all her subjects and all her teachers gave her extra homework to do. "Great, just great," Kagome grumbled to herself.
Angrily, Kagome shut the classroom door and found herself facing Hojo. He had a whole basketful of calico kittens in his hand.
"For luck," he said smiling.
"Er, thanks Hojo," she said nervously. "But..."
"Don't worry," said Hojo cutting her off rapidly. "I already called your mother and she said it's okay."
Not that Kagome didn't like cats, but she certainly didn't need a half dozen of them at her house. She already had enough trouble with Inuyasha, Sota, and Buyo. Besides she could already see her trio of friends running towards her down the hall, to trap into a date no doubt.
"So," began Hojo predictably. In a flash, Kagome sprinted down the hall for all her life's worth.
"I'm Sorriieeeee!" she cried out streaking away to slam a door at the distant end of the hall.
"What was that all about?" asked Hojo.
"Well she's certainly feeling better," said her positive-attitude friend.
As soon as Kagome got back home, she was so tired she literally walked into a bright red wall. "Ow!" she complained.
"Keh, watch it idiot," somebody complained. Kagome looked up.
"You're here to take me back already huh?" she said tonelessly. An argument or two later, Kagome finally left the house a day earlier than she had anticipated. "It's been five days!" Inuyasha had yelled at her in a whining tone.
But before they could reach the well house, none other than Kagome's friends showed up with a basketful of kittens.
"You forgot these Kagome," said the curly-haired with a smile and handing the basket to none other than Inuyasha.
Inuyasha looked at the kittens beadily. "Little fuzzballs," he scoffed. They began clawing the edge of his kimono and trying to crawl over his arm. He caught one of them by the scruff and glared at it. Then unexpectedly, he stroked its fur and returned it to its basket.
Suddenly, Kagome's trio of friends turned away from their conversation with Kagome and focused their attention on Inuyasha instead. "How cute!" each and everyone of them suddenly praised.
"You know, Kagome, your boyfriend is actually very nice," said Eri beaming.
"If you ever split up with Kagome, give me a call," said the third.
"What?" said Inuyasha thoroughly confused. Kagome was confused as well.
"Oh well," she said shaking her head. "I need to pack up something at the mall. Let's go Inuyasha."
So they went to the mall despite Inuyasha's wailing about how stupid it was and got on the elevator to get to the third floor. Kagome had just managed to keep Inuaysha from clawing out the doors for making a loud pinging noise and trapping them in when a beautiful, no I mean gorgeous woman got into the elevator. She stood beside Inuyasha and Kagome and looked at them shiftily over some shopping boxes.
"You have quite a hot-one over there," she said suggestively.
"What!" said Kagome her hair standing on end. "No, we're just friends, I mean…um"
"Oh," said the woman with a predatory smile. "My apologies. In that case…"
As the elevator doors opened, she shoved a piece of paper with a phone number into Inuyasha's hand. Kagome promptly tore it out.
"That was shady," she said furiously blush creeping up her cheeks.
"What was all that about?" said Inuyasha naively.
After tearing up the paper into pieces so tiny they began to look like powder, Kagome threw it away in the rubbish bin.
"DON'T EVER LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN," she breathed scarily.
"Okay…" said Inuyasha his heart trembling in anticipation of a sit.
They started walking back to the entrance of the mall when all of a sudden somebody called out Kagome's name. She looked up and from a balcony she could see her cousin waving.
"Monica, you're back from America," she said greatly surprised.
"Hey Kagome," said Monica grinning. Who's the cute boy. If you don't want him, I'll take him."
Kagome began to feel a little angry about all this.
"No, Monica," she said waving a hand, "he's not for you."
"I see," said Monica, her smile wavering for the briefest of seconds. "Anyway, since you're here I want to invite you to come to tonight's concert. My band and I just got back from our tour in America. We have a sold-out show tonight."
"Er, sure Monica," said Kagome hesitantly.
So they followed her to skate park where a live competition was being held. Monica and her band were providing the pre-tournament entertainment. Anxiously, Kagome sat backstage to listen to Monica sing. She was quite good, admittedly. Just when she was getting comfortable and to her great surprise, her cousin began to call into the microphone.
"And let me introduce you to some good friends of mine, Kagome and Inuyasha!" Kagome started up and was shown on stage by some surely-looking guards. Not that Inuyasha couldn't have taken them if she had asked.
Kagome walked out onto the stage amid a sea of cheers dragging Inuyasha who had his hands clapped firmly over his ears. Kagome couldn't help but notice that when Inuyasha was introduced there were catcalls and whistles from the audience.
"What a hottie!" a girl with dyed, streaky hair and a long braid screamed from the front row. Kagome glowered.
"We're leaving Inuyasha. Now," she said.
"Keh. You don't have to tell me twice," said Inuyasha quite glad to get out of the noisy place.
Kagome was enormously relieved to say the least to be able to crawl up the side of the well and be assailed by Shippo.
"Kagomeeee!" the little one cried and burying himself in her arms.
"Hi Shippo," said Kagome smiling wanly. "What's up?"
"Nothing much," said Shippo. "Sango's hit Miroku a couple of times for saying something perverted but other than that nothing else has gone on." He hopped down to rummage through Kagome's bag for snacks.
"Inuyasha," said Kagome quietly. "I want to go see Kaede about something."
"Whatever," the hanyou said irritably.
At Kaede's hut, Kagome sat down to a nice bowl of herbed tea. "Kaede," she said seriously. "I want to ask something. Do you think it's possible for someone to come under a spell that would make them attractive to others? To Inuyasha I mean?"
"My child," said Kaede. "All you had to do was ask. Still, I'm must say I'm surprised to be hearing this from yea at this point. You have not even fulfilled your quest."
"No NO!" said Kagome waving her hands. "I mean a spell that makes girls attracted to Inuyasha! It's just that people in my time have been acting pretty weird," she said calming down.
Kaede calmly took a sip of her tea. "Well child, so far yea have returned I have not heard of any stirrings. Did you meet anyone on the way?"
"Hm, yes on the bridge but they acted normal."
"Mayhaps it is your imagination then. After all, I am a woman and I sense no stirrings of a spell."
"That's cause you're dried up old hag," said Inuyasha rudely.
"Sit boy," said Kagome.
It had been a long a trying day so Kagome mused away the rest of the day and then went to sleep.
The next day was sunny and Kagome was hopeful. Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kilala rode Hachi to the north. They had no idea where Naraku was at the time really, so they were wandering everywhere in hopes of finding some clue.
The group was walking along a rockface when suddenly a whirlwind blew up. It stopped in front of them. "Ayami?" said Kagome blinking. And here she thought it was Kouga. But in a few seconds Kouga was there too.
"Ha!" Ayami laughed pointing a finger out at the wolf demon leader. "I knew you were coming here Kouga! You just can't stay away from Kagome can you?"
The two proceeded to bicker. Then, out of the blue Ayami blurted with defiance, "FINE. If that's how you like it I'll join Inuyasha's group." Ayami strolled up to Inuyasha and wrapped her arms around his waist. Then she looked back at Kouga in a rather flippant way. Of course, nothing but shouting ensued.
"Get this damn woman off me Kouga!" yelped Inuyasha.
"I'm not gonna listen to you!" bellowed Kouga (not listening to Inuyasha nor Ayami). "There's no way in hell there's nothing you can do to make me marry you!"
Besides going through a headache, Kagome had to do grammer corrections to understand that one, inserting a comma to make it work.
"It's 'there's no way in hell there's SOMETHING you can do Kouga," Kagome tried to say but it went unheard. Instead, the boys were cracking knuckles against each other's bones. "SIT!" Kagome said. It was a bad morning so far.
Kagome was just rubbing the headache out of her temples when they stopped for lunch. Carefully she set out some of her astronomy notes read them while cooking fish.
Abruptly, she heard some bushes crackling and a little girl came out. "Hi," she said cheerfully.
"Hello Rin," said Kagome quietly trying not to scare the child. Your name is Rin isn't it?"
"Yup," said Rin happily. She pointed a finger over at Inuyasha who had been watching all along.
"He has nice ears. I like Lord Sesshomaru better but maybe he can have doggie ears too." Jakin's annoying voice came trailing after Rin and soon the imp was there too.
"Rin get back here," snapped Jakin bossily. Rin smiled, waved, and skipped off happily. Jakin stumbled after, kicking Kagome's notes into the fire as he tripped.
"Rrr, that imp!" said Kagome wrathfully meaning to beat him for it but he was gone.
Miroku came in to see Kagome fuming so he cleared his throat. "You know," said he, "tonight is the night of the new moon so perhaps we could go to Mushin's house to relax."
"Good idea," said Kagome gratefully.
But it was a bad idea it seemed. When they got there Mushin was drinking with a number of dancing ladies milling about. "Uh oh," said Kagome perspiring. "You are not going in there Inuyasha! You staying out here tonight!"
"What did I do?" said Inuyasha defending himself. "It's not my fault the old man's a letch like Miroku."
"I guess not," said Kagome sadly. But her eyes hardened once again with resolution. "But you are not going in there."
"Really Kagome-chan," said Sango. "You really can not deny Inuyasha a bed and a good meal when we're all going to enjoy that. Please try to put up with it. He's not shamelessly flirtatious like Miroku."
"Is that remark really necessary Sango?" Miroku put in for himself.
"Yes," said Shippo.
So they went in and no sooner than they had sat down all the entertaining girls ran over to surround Inuyasha. (What can I say, he looks cute as a human.) Inuyasha's eyes bugged out.
"I am cursed," he said despairingly.
"Hey!" said Miroku jealously. "Why can't I have a curse like that! Come on Inuyasha, be a good friend and tell me everything you know about it."
"Nothing doing monk," he said tersely. "Now get AWAY!" he barked at the women who wisely distanced themselves.
After that, they spent a good deal of time just wandering through the unsettled territory and Kagome was glad for it. She breathed a sigh of relief that things had gone back to normal, or at least they wouldn't have to deal with it for a while. So they continued their wanderings until one day they found a really nice hot spring.
"Ah," said Kagome happily and unsuspectingly. "So nice to relax." Things had been pleasant the last couple of days and she was looking forward to soaking her muscles. She and Sango settled down to soak away all their troubles. All was at peace. But then… suddenly… yes dear friends it was a monkey that startled them. Really, you would think Sango would know by now that it is always either a monkey… or Miroku. Anyway, Sango's shouts brought the boys and well, you think Inuyasha would know better by now too. He leapt up onto a tree branch getting a full glance of Kagome and she sent him crashing down with a sit command. The problem was, he headed straight down into the pool and much to Kagome's horror (and his own) landed on top of Sango.
"My," said Sango taking it calmly. "I never knew you cared Inuyasha."
"AURGURUGAA!" Kagome practically gargled in foam. "GET UP GET UP NOW SIT SIT SITTTT!" Things didn't go over well with Miroku either who regretted not being the one to stand on the tree branch.
It was a nightmarish end to the day and Kagome just wanted it to end. So she tucked into bed early and tried to ignore her tumbling dreams. But her mood was about to get worse when in the early morning hours of say about, three, she woke to the sound a streaming youkai energy. It was the worst kind of alarm clock imaginable. Kagome peeked out the curtain of the hut and in took her breath. "Soul Collectors," she thought as she saw a blaze of blue twining across the sky. Then her eyes narrowed since she knew Inuyasha, whom had been sleeping outside on the roof due his recent embarrassment, would no longer be there. Of course, unable to restrain her curiosity and terrified of what she would find, Kagome snuck into woods.
"Why her?" Kagome wailed as she pushed through branches whipping past her face. "Why now?" She walked on and on following the traces left by soul collectors and her own sense of the direction to Kikyo's all-too familiar soul until she came to a little grotto like the first time she had seen Inuyasha and Kikyo speak in. Kikyo was looking particularly amorous tonight but she shook her head.
"You have the aura of cats around you," Kagome heard Kikyo say.
"Cats?" said Inuyasha astonished as usual by what she had to say. "What have cats got to do with anything."
Kagome drew in a sharp breath as Kikyo raised a pale, cold hand to caress Inuyasha's cheek fondly. Then she let it drop.
"It is a blessing. Or a curse depending on your point of view. It has not been pleasant for me to witness. Nor do I believe it is for Kagome."
Kagome ducked further behind her tree but she knew Kikyo probably knew she was there anyway, so why bother? Still, perhaps Kikyo's scent would keep Inuyasha's nose from finding her.
"I do not know who has given you this spell Inuyasha," said Kikyo as solemnly as a drooping petal. "But to undo it, you must have the fortune to obtain something you truly desire."
Kagome breathed a sigh of relief when Kikyo quietly floated her way and Inuyasha strolled back towards the hut in a daze. Of course Kagome jumped out of the bushes and worked out her aggression by sitting him into the ground. Really, it had not been a good couple of weeks for either of them. But the day following would be the day Kagome snapped.
It all started off so miserably, full of rain and bad feelings and arguments with Inuyasha. Kagome was beginning to feel she just couldn't stand it anymore and she begged Miroku to do something about it. Moodily, she hovered behind Inuyasha's shoulder as if daring anything to get in her way or try to flirt with Inuyasha. She sent evil death glares at the few travelers they met on the dirt road they followed.
"Kagome's in a bad mood," Shippo whispered to Miroku as he caught a ride on his shoulder. Kagome overheard.
"Of course I'm in a bad mood!" she shouted angrily. She stood with her hips square and feet splayed as if daring someone to say that again. Understandably, Shippo hid. "Calm down Kagome," said Miroku trying to reassure her. Sango did the same.
So they continued walking onwards until they came to a bridge. Now under this bridge lived a very evil demoness who liked to come out and rob all the travelers to fund a very expensive lifestyle. She also liked eating children. So she came out on the road that Inuyasha and the others were taking and leapt in front of them.
"Well now, " the evil feline demoness said. You are a very luscious boy for hanyou. Let's see how well can you fight." The demoness leapt at Inuyasha with a sword. As usual, Inuyasha told everyone to stay back while he dealt with the problem. The feline demon very fast however and kept running around and around in circles.
"Very cute, very cute," she teased. Abruptly, she used an illusion. In a momentary flash she was at Inuyasha's side pressing her blade against his belt.
"Very cute, very cute," the demoness purred. She tickled a claw under Inuyasha's chin since he had both hands on his sword. "Is fighting the only thing you can offer me or is there something more?"
Kagome had had enough. She had enough from the humans and the dead miko and her obnoxious relatives and she wasn't going to take it anymore. She exploded. Any measure of control was completely in dissolution to the wind.
"You are so going to die!" a wrath Kagome startled everyone. Her spiritual powers were going haywire and rising about her like a column of flames. Inuyasha inched well away from her line of shot.
Kagome kept her bow directed towards the demoness whom had so offended her. But surprisingly, when the cat demon leapt back she merely sent her arrow into the ground to give her enough time to go in for hand-to-hand combat which was something completely unheard of for Kagome. Everyone's jaw dropped.
"You!" said Kagome using her spiritual energy to throw the demon back onto the ground. "How dare you, I'll teach you!" With all the strength of her fury and her archer's arms, she hefted the demon up and punched it with a mean right hook filled with spiritual energy. It caused the demon to slide back along the ground.
"How dare you mortal," said the demoness struggling to open an eye as it regained its feet.
Kagome almost looked like she was enjoying herself as she held up a smoldering fist. "You have something to say to me, then bring it on bitch," she blurted out causing everyone's tongue to click tight to the roof of their mouth. This was unbelievably rude for sweet little Kagome. She was acting a lot like Inuyasha might have.
Kagome never faltered. She raced forward and swung her bow out before her. The demoness pulled a sudden illusion but Kagome saw through it and without pausing turned behind her to lay a strike on the cat demon with her bow as if it were a sword. There was a clang as the demoness' sword flew away. The cat demon quickly ducked as Kagome's bow swung out again.
"What is with this crazy human?" she thought.
Sesshomaru just happened to be ambling by as usual. He was always spying on Inuyasha but today he noticed something was amiss (since there was a huge amount of spiritual energy going off) so he came over to witness the confusion.
"What is the meaning of this Inuyasha?" he said icily while Inuyasha watched with his mouth agape. "That woman is acting very strangely."
At the same time, Kikyo happened to notice the sparks they were stirring up and she wandered over too. Kagome didn't even notice her. She didn't notice Kagura either, who was very curious and had settled herself aloft on a feather to watch the fight. "Very interesting," she said holding out her fan. "I'm glad Naraku sent me out today."
"Oh hi," said Ayami, suddenly showing up dragging Kouga. "That's some fight going on. What do you have there Shippo?"
"Popcorn," said Shippo who was anxiously mowing through the bag as he watched the battle. "There's some more in the bag," he said not paying attention and grabbing for a box of candy.
"Thank you," said Ayame, helping herself.
Over in her corner, Kagome was heaving deep, heavy breaths. The demoness had stopped trying to strike entirely and was instead dancing around trying to avoid her and Kagome felt annoyed. It was like trying to catch a fly. She burst even more.
"Enough!" she screeched causing everyone's ears to crack. "I'm sick of all this! No body lays a hand on Inuyasha! He is mine you hear me mine! If you want him you'll have to go through me first!"
"What is she talking about?" said Kouga dumbly. Sesshomaru only blinked. Kagura laughed behind her fan.
Without warning, a huge orb of pinkish energy erupted from Kagome which sent the cat demon into oblivion as a tiny crisp. Everyone hid, especially Inuyasha. He scooted around Miroku's back as she stomped rampantly towards him.
"Oh Inuyaaashhaa," she said sweetly and ominously. "We're going back to my house. Right now."
"Wha?" said Inuyasha. "We just got here, and what's with you all of a sudde…"
"SIT BOY!" said Kagome rather forcefully. She grabbed a rather spiral-eyed Inuyasha by the collar and turned to Sango.
"Sango-chan," she said sweetly. "Can I borrow Kilala?"
"Er, yeah sure," said Sango. Kagome finally noticed her audience but she didn't care.
"I'm not-letting-you-outta-my sight for a week," she said by manner of explanation rattling Inuyasha's collar. Sango helped her lift Inuyasha up (still unconscious) and they flew away.
"A woman's jealousy never fails to amaze me," said Miroku shading his face with a hand as he watched them disappear in the sky. "The poor fool,' he said closing his eyes and holding out his hand in solemn prayer. The spectators dispersed.
Back home in the modern era, Inuyasha was rummaging through the freezer. "Geeze Kagome," he said boldly. "What set you off?" He sat down at the table with a soda and an uncooked microwave dinner.
"It was you," said Kagome feeling somewhat ashamed. A blush crept up her nose."
"Me!" said Inuyasha. Kagome got mad temporarily.
"Yes you!" she cried. "But then, I guess it was me too. I couldn't stand seeing you with other women. I guess I'm more jealous than I ever knew."
Inuyasha really didn't know what to do with this so he took a sip from his soda. "Keh wench," he ended up saying finally. "I don't know what you're so upset about. I said I'd stay with didn't I?" Kagome smiled a slight smile.
At that moment, Sota slid open the kitchen door. "Hey Kagome," he said. Sorry about your cats, they all sort of disappeared," he said holding up one of them.
"What do mean they all disappeared?" said Kagome looking at the one he was holding. Sota held it up for her to examine.
"You see, everyone but this one just sort of disappeared. I thought maybe they went down the well or something. It's really odd. First there were eleven…"
"ELEVEN!" Kagome thought.
"…and then there were ten, and then there were nine and now there's only one left."
Kagome looked warily at the cat. She looked into its eyes trying to read its very soul. It meowed happily and when Sota set it down it walked over to her.
"Mew," the pretty cat said. It rubbed its chin on her collar. Kagome thought it was sweet but was still suspicious of it.
Suddenly the sliding door moved back again. It was Kagome's mother along with her cousin and some of her friends.
"Oh hi," said her cousin disinterestedly. "Inu…yasha was it? Hi Kagome," she said more cheerfully.
Things went well. Kagome excused herself and Inuyasha without a fuss and her cousin waved a hand at them as they left. "Take good care of your boyfriend!" she said waving. They climbed up to Kagome's room.
"That's strange," said Kagome to herself."
"What's strange?" said Inuyasha folding his arms.
"Oh nothing," said Kagome shaking her head. "It's just that it feels like the girls around you aren't interested anymore."
Inuyasha stopped walking. "Do you really mean that…Kagome?" he said with a slightly hurt tone.
Kagome caught the drift. "Oh no Inuyasha!" she countered. Nervously, she confessed. "No matter how the others have changed, you'll always be important to me. I wasn't lying."
"I'm glad," said Inuyasha in a hushed tone causing Kagome's heart to stop. Normally Inuyasha never expressed his feelings. "I had thought that perhaps the spell had ended when… when you said that I belonged to you."
Kagome turned around and looked into Inuyasha's eyes. Slowly, the shock wore off and a grin crept onto her face.
"Well I guess we're both lucky then," she said with a soft smile. Somewhere amongst the flour bins, the last of the eleven cats disappeared in a waft of smoke.