The spectacle was one that demanded attention, a fiery display of passion the likes of which Kagome had never seen. From the beginning, she had let her curiosity get the better of her, as was almost customary whenever she found herself in the Japanese feudal era. Now she stood at the bottom of a temple she had never seen before, drawn into a full-fledged royal union that would ensure the growth of a kingdom. The wide-eyed schoolgirl could barely remain on her feet as she gazed up to the couple descending the stairs, lost in a crowd of hundreds of spectators here to worship their young lord who had only just taken a young peasant girl as his bride.
As they shared their first public kiss, stars of wonder filled Kagome's dark eyes and she clasped her hands together. "Oh, wow," the girl whispered, inspired by the remarkable event she had just witnessed. "Isn't it wonderful InuYasha?"
"Feh." Kagome gave him a look, but Sango, the demon exterminator and Kagome's cherished friend, took her hand and ceased any comment before it could brew into a full-fledged insult. The half-demon would have snapped if not for the large crowd that surrounded him from every angle, and Sango thought she should save her friends the embarrassment. The half-demon hunched over, let his arms sink deeper into the folds of the sleeves of his red fire-rat clothes, and continued to brood. He had never been comfortable around humans, and this event was no exception, despite the aid he and the others had offered these people over the past few days. These people might now worship him for saving their beloved lord and his young bride, but that didn't mean he had to like them in return.
Kagome sighed. In all honesty, she knew better than to press him. InuYasha was just being grumpy because he didn't at all care for the attention, and with the knowledge of his troubled past, she decided she really couldn't blame him. She knew it was difficult enough for him just to be here, amongst the very people who had run from him not so long ago, before they knew who the poor guy truly was. They still didn't understand him, but he was their hero for bringing peace to the realm once more. It was ironic that such a person built for battle, human or demon alike, could inspire peace.
She still couldn't get used to his resentment toward his human heritage. It wasn't easy watching InuYasha brood to himself whenever something reminded him that while he wasn't as vulnerable as a human being, he wasn't a full-fledged demon either, and that just meant that he would never quite fit in either way.
Kagome cast aside her present worries as Lord Haranobu Nishi and his new bride, Lady Mino, arrived at the bottom of the temple steps—several paces in front of her friend, the lecherous monk, Miroku, who had honored the newly-weds by overseeing their union—to greet their honored guests. She allowed the young lord to tenderly kiss the knuckles of her right hand and eagerly accepted Mino's affectionate hug.
"Lady Kagome, please, bless us with your presence for one more day," Lord Haranobu pleaded. "I still do not believe we have properly expressed our gratitude for all the help you and your friends have bestowed us."
Kagome glowed at the Lord's request, but grimaced at the evident grunt that InuYasha tried unsuccessfully to disguise as a rather loud clearing of his throat. She shot a look at him out of the corner of her eye and then looked back to the couple regretfully. "I'm afraid we can't stay a moment longer," she said. "It sounds tempting, but we have obligations and we really have to on. But believe me, we are all so grateful for your warmth and hospitality. It is an honor to have you as a friend."
"Yes. What Kagome says is true," Miroku said. He stepped next to InuYasha, a bright smile on his face. InuYasha snorted again, no doubt sick of the pleasantries. Kagome knew that he was about to blow his stack; she had to find a way to get them out of the village as quickly as possible. Before she could say anything, the monk continued: "Even in a world sullied by war, there are those of us who will always be your allies. No one is without friends, whether one believes it or not."
"Yes," Haranobu agreed with a nod of his head. "We are a humble people, dear monk. We will not repeat the mistakes of the past."
Mino smiled brightly and threw herself into the monk's arms. "Oh, thank you so much, Miroku! I have cherished our time together." Next, she hugged Kagome, kissing her cheek before offering the same to Sango, and bid Kirara a fond farewell with a scratch behind the fire-cat's ears. Finally, she turned to the silver-haired half-demon before her, who seemed to brood further with each passing moment. "And you too, InuYasha." Instead of a hug, she simply took one the half-demon's hand and held it in hers, emerald eyes sparkled up at him with respect. InuYasha blinked and then nodded, but would say nothing in departure.
Kagome wished he would say something, anything, but she understood the torment he was going through. These people had wanted to blame him for the terrible things that happened to Mino's guards and for her disappearance, and he couldn't even defend his name without raising Tetsusaiga. Miroku, thankfully, took InuYasha's place at center stage. "As Kagome said, we mustn't put off our prior obligations any longer. Good luck to you both, and to your people as well. May you lead a long and healthful life together."
Haranobu bowed his head. "Good journey to you all. We are truly and deeply in your debt, my friends. I hope one day you can call on us to repay you."
Kagome smiled. "I only hope next time will come under happier circumstances."
"As do we all, Lady Kagome."
"It's about damn time."
InuYasha trudged several paces ahead of the others. This was something he didn't do often, but he was more than willing to lead his friends out of a stink-infested village filled to the brim with hypocrites and bigots who could turn on anyone, friend or foe, in an instant just because they were different. While he had been eager to fight and kill the wretched from demon that had held those poor bastards in the palm of his hand for so long, he was not so keen on the abrupt about-face they had pulled on him once they had discovered he was nothing more than a half-breed with morals.
Kagome and the others followed several paces behind, unable to find words that might bring their friend out of his dark and silent brooding. Shippo, who had the best ears of the group not counting InuYasha or Kirara, was distracted by the new toy that Lord Haranobu's young niece had offered him as a parting gift. That suited the half-demon just fine, because he didn't really give a damn about what the others thought of him at the present.
He let his thoughts turn to the matter at hand. A week ago, they had caught wind of a possible jewel shard to the south of Haranobu's land, in a forest known and feared for the heinous demons that were rumored to rule the realm. InuYasha had never been to the Hollow Wood, as they were called, but he'd heard several accounts of people who had slipped into the darkness, never to be heard from again.
InuYasha grunted to himself. The world was full of such legends, and InuYasha only knew a few truths to ever be as bad as the story. He rested one hand loosely against the end of the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. The gang was only about a mile away from the village, and he still didn't trust some of Haranobu's troops to leave them be, especially after the hell they'd put him through over the last three days.
He sighed, wondering if he would ever be able to let go of his suffering. Haranobu and the others had, in the end, acknowledged that he wasn't who they thought him to be, but that didn't mean the pain was any less. It was all just one fiasco after another, and further proof that he belonged nowhere near the human race.
Well, at least regarding most. Three humans had come to respect him for who he was, and had shown him how much they did care. He knew he was no mere half-breed in their eyes. Indeed, around them, InuYasha felt like a whole individual, something he had never felt when he was out there on his own. Here, among his friends, he felt needed. His amber eyes shifted to the crystal clear sky. There was not a cloud to be seen, and the heat of sun hammered down on them relentlessly. He had expected his companions to be bitching up a storm by now, but they said nothing. In fact, it had been strangely quiet since they had left the village.
It was Sango who broke the silence: "I've never been so far south before."
"None of us have," Miroku replied. "With the exception of Kirara, perhaps."
The half-demon snorted at that, slipping deeper into the somber quiet that engulfed him
"InuYasha, is something wrong?"
"You tell me, Miroku," the half-demon replied. He turned and eyed the three of them. Even Shippo had paused in his play to eye InuYasha with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "I'm just tryin' to enjoy the peace and quiet."
Miroku smiled and nodded. "I understand. It isn't often we have the opportunity to enjoy such a serene setting."
"Forget about it. Let's just keep moving." The others watched after him as he put some distance between them.
"What's with him?" the demon-slayer asked.
Kagome frowned. "I'm not sure."
"Maybe InuYasha's just glad to be on the road again," Shippo suggested.
"That is true," Miroku agreed. "We spent a lot of time in Haranobu's castle. He's probably glad to be rid of the distractions."
"I guess the air is a bit cleaner out here," Kagome added.
It seemed a logical conclusion to the little mystery their half-demon friend had left them to solve. Satisfied—at least for the moment—they trudged on after their friend, who forced them to pick up the pace in order to keep up with him. InuYasha's must think we're moving at a snail's pace right now, Kagome thought. I guess we're lucky he wouldn't really just leave us behind. It can't be easy on him. InuYasha had a body built for speed and power, a dangerous combination even for a half-demon. In retrospect of their brief history together, Kagome knew most full-fledged demons were hardly a match for him. She had a feeling it was his friends who really made life challenging.
"You guys comin' or what?"
"We're right behind you! You could try and show some patience for one!"
"Whatever." He turned a cautious eye to the road ahead. "Look, I just want get to the forest before there are any more distractions. We don't have time to stop and smell the flowers."
Kagome seethed at him, but Sango took her arm and halted any insult before it could be uttered. "How much further till we reach the forest, InuYasha?" the demon-slayer asked.
"Close. Half a day, I s'pose. Maybe more."
"Then let's get moving," Kagome said through a forced smile and started out once more. InuYasha huffed at her but nothing more was said. At least they were on the move again. He stuffed his hands into his sleeves and fell in line behind the girl from the future.
After a time, Shippo's face peered around Kagome's waist from his spot in the basket of her bike. "InuYasha, haven't you ever been to the Hollow Wood before?"
InuYasha had an almost thoughtful expression on his face as he considered the question. "Nah. Never much of a reason to. Besides, the locals prob'ly don't take kindly to half-demons."
"Prob'ly not," Kagome agreed. Her tone was calm now; she knew InuYasha was still edgy after their experience with Lord Habanoru's people. No one understands him. The poor guy. We're the only friends he really has; he trusts us. But we still have to earn that trust, don't we, InuYasha?
She wondered what that trust might mean to their mission. She trusted InuYasha to defend her, trusted him to defend them all. Most of all, she believed in him, knew that he could confront any challenge and beat it despite the odds, and he would do just that so long as he had the strength and desire. Kagome never doubted him, though there were times she had come to question his judgment.
For now, he seemed relaxed. Seeing InuYasha so calm while stepping into the unknown was soothing in many ways. He was hardly like the irrational, unforgiving ruffian she had freed from the Sacred Tree in the forest that shared his name, not long after the first time she had crossed the threshold into feudal Japan. That he had regained that calm shortly after the brewing of a potential argument seemed a good sign.
While Kagome couldn't be certain how long their most recent mission would take, she had suggested that they be as careful in their approach as the world possibly let them. Intentionally, they had waited to leave Kaede's village on the day following the night of the New Moon. Kagome had insisted InuYasha join her in her own time while he was trapped in his human form, so he could hide in peace and regain the strength expended during the past month. They were midway into the autumn months, and Kagome seldom spent time with her family in the future era. It had been decided that the night InuYasha lost his demonic powers would be a great time for Kagome to visit home, where a home-cooked meal and a warm bed awaited. In the meantime, she had showed him how to gather and purchase supplies and together they had returned to the feudal era by daybreak.
Kagome had to smile. Taking InuYasha through a twenty-four hour retail outlet had been entertaining enough, despite the fact she had him cussing up a blue streak and storming out the door before they had finished shopping. I'll teach him yet, she thought. One day he'll have to go back on his own to get supplies.
"Kagome?"
She blinked and turned her attention to the little fox demon. "Yes, Shippo?"
"I'm hungry."
The girl frowned. "What do you mean? Didn't you eat back at the castle?"
"Well, I was kinda distracted."
InuYasha grunted. "He could hardly keep his eyes off Haranobu's niece."
Shippo blushed. "It wasn't like that."
"Oh, yeah it was, runt. Ya can't fool me."
The fox demon turned away, crossing his arms. "What would you know?" he muttered, and everyone around knew that it wasn't a question. "You're starin' at Kagome all the time and with you two, it's never like that."
Kagome gasped, her hand going to her mouth.
"What!" InuYasha turned on the kid in an instant, towering over him. "What the hell would you know about it, anyway? You're just a kid!"
Shippo just sat there, hunched over his new toy, not so much as looking up to his friends. For a long moment, they just stood there, peering down at the young fox demon as they considered what move to make next. There was a foul look on his face. It hurt Kagome to see the boy so troubled, but she didn't say anything. Even InuYasha looked confused at the abrupt end to the exchange.
Scratching the nape of his neck, Miroku drew a slow breath. "We don't have much further to travel. Let's work to reach the forest by nightfall." After a quiet moment, InuYasha nodded and started back on the path to the south. Kagome, Miroku, and Sango followed, the bike between them. For some time after that, not another word was spoken.