Kagome walked silently behind Inu-Yasha, careful to keep close. It was dark, probably somewhere around dusk. As Shippo continued his slumber, hanging limply in her arms, she could hear the demon dog's steady breath; the sound provided a small source of comfort. Red eyes peered through the bushes surrounding the forest's path, blinking and peering curiously at the three weary travelers.
"I-Inu Yasha?" she whispered, feeling a slight chill as a morning breeze blew across her tired body. "How much longer till we get out of this forest? It's giving me the creeps..."
"We've only been walking for a few hours," he answered stubbornly. "How tired can you be?"
Kagome glared through the darkness at his sturdy back. Sometimes he could be such a jerk.
"It's just...Shippo's starting to get heavy, and we haven't eaten in at least a day or so..."
"Just a little further. I can hear a brooke up ahead, we'll rest there."
Choosing not to comment on his tone of voice, she hugged the sleeping fox demon closer to her, hoping to warm both of them up. Her feet ached and her head pounded, she could hear the blood pumping in her ears. Sighing, she tried again.
"Where are we going? After we get out of the woods, that is?"
He didn't answer, just snorted with indignance. Fine. If he wanted to starve or drop to the ground with exaustion, she wasn't going to stop him. She shifted the large pack on her back, feeling one of it's straps slip down her shoulder. Shippo stirred, muttering a few slurred words in his sleep, a peaceful smile appearing on his face. He looked so innocent, and she somewhat regreted yelling at him the previous morning. It hadn't really been his fault...but if Inu-Yasha ever found out what had happend...she'd never hear the end of it. All Shippo had to do was keep his little mouth shut...
Now she could hear the brooke as well. The water trickled down the sloping hill, guided by the smooth rocks lining the bank. Relief flooded through her, and she kneeled down to let the pack fall to the ground. Finally reaching the clearing, Kagome shook Shippo awake.
"Psst...Shippo! Wake up..."
The fox stirred once more, sleepily opening his eyes and lifting his head. Seeing the fresh water, he sprang from her arms and rushed over, his eyes lighting up with excitement. Looking around to see where Inu-Yasha had gone, Kagome spotted him digging through her backpack.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she cried, rushing over and knocking him upside the head. The relief was gone, and her body shook with illdisguised alarm.
"I was looking for the ramen," he answered lazily, rubbing the back of his head. "Or did you forget that?"
"I-I--I can get it." Kagome smiled nervously, pushing past him and riffling through the huge pack herself. As her hand brushed past the small book that she kept under lock and key, Kagome gulped. Good. It was still locked...Finding the ramen and emerging from the backpack once more, she handed the food to Inu-Yasha. "Just ask next time, will you?"
He shrugged unconcernedly, and turned to the brooke. Taking a seat atop a earby rock, and watching Shippo splash and wade through the water, the demon dog pulled the lid from the prepared food, and started in on his meal. Feeling to shaky to eat just then, Kagome wandered over to Shippo as well.
The little fox pup was happily enjoying the cooling effect of the water, though Kagome shivered as the droplets landed on her bare legs. Leaning up against the rock Inu-Yasha was eating on, she let out a depressed sigh.
//FlASHBACK//
The sun shone down upon Kagome's back as she lay in the medow close to the village Lady Kaede lived in. Sitting up and stretching the sleep from her refreshed body, she reached over and opened up her diary. Taking the pen from the loop the book held it in, she began to write a new entry.
It's so different here...home seems like a dream while I'm in this time period, and this place seems like a dream when I'm home. Though home doesn't have disgusting demons out to kill me...I don't know what I'd do without Inu-Yasha...Probably would have died a long time ago, back when Yura of the Hair was after the shards. So many weird things go on, but you know what? I think I'm glad I met that demon. He may be a selfish jerk and a pitiless moron, but under all that, I think there's something there. I know it sounds strange, but he's really not that bad. It makes me happy to know that he needs me around; not just because I can sense the Shikon shards, but as a friend...and maybe someday, we might become more than friends...
Something in the grass behind her stirred, but Kagome was too enveloped in her writing to really notice it until--
"Whatcha doing?"
She jumped about a foot, screaming so loud the birds in a nearby tree took flight. She spun around, clutching the diary to her chest, but found---Shippo. Crouching in the gass so he could see over her shoulder, he was grinning up at her, his small fangs glinting in the sunlight.
"Shippo?!"
His grin widened as he eyed the little book in her arms. "What were you writing in that book?" he asked curiously, walking over to her, leaning up and sniffing the cover. Kagome shoved him away, holding her diary out of reach.
"That doesn't concern you, Shippo..."
"Why not?" Now that he was interested, there was no use stopping him. "Is it personal?"
"YES!" she hollered, causing the fox to clamp his hands down over his ears in pain.
"Really? Can I see?"
"NO! I-I...it just isn't any of your business!"
"Oh yeah?"
He lept up, grasping the diary in his mouth, and took off for the village. Letting out a cry of both anger and despiration, Kagome tore off after him, calling him everything that came to mind. Shippo scampered up a tree, coming to land on a sturdy branch, where he popped the book open. Reaching the base of the tree, Kagome could only look on in horror as he flipped to the exact page--
And started reading aloud.
"It makes me happy to know that he needs me around; not just because I can sense the Shikon shards, but as a friend...and maybe someday, we might become more than friends..." His eyes lit up, and another grin slowly crept into his young face. He looked down at her, a look of deisbelief on his features. Kagome glared fiercly, shaking with rage.
"If. you. EVER. tell..." she began through clenched teeth--
"KAGOME LIKES INU-YASHA!!" he sang, tossing the diary back to her as he pranced up and down the length of the branch. "KAGOME LIKES INU-YASHA!!"
"You little--!"
"Ah, ah, ah!" he waved an index finger at her. "Don't be mean, or I'll tell your boyfriend what you really think of him!"
"You wouldn't!"
"Oh, wouldn't I?" he taunted, his bushy tail wagging happily. "Just wait and see!"
//END FLASHBACK//
"Hey, Kagome!"
"Huh?" her head snapped up, and she looked around. Shippo was poking at her shoulder, his head tilted to one side curiously. "Ready to go?"
"Go? Already? But it's only been a few minutes!" she protested, standing up and massaging her neck.
"Uh...no, not really." the fox answered, jerking a thumb behind him at Inu-Yasha, who had Kagome's pack slung over a shoulder. "Inu-Yasha says we're being lazy. Time to go."
"But--but I haven't even eaten yet!" Kagome whined, looking pleadingly at the dog demon, who shook his head.
"No time." he called, sounding stubborn again. "We've got to use the few hours of light we have left. C'mon, let's get going."
"But--!"
Too late. Inu-Yasha had already set foot back into the brush. Sighing wearily, Kagome splashed a handful of fresh water from the brooke in her face, and started after him once more. Shippo trotted happily by her side, humming a choppy tune.
"What's got you in such a good mood, anyway?" she muttered, struggling to keep up with Inu-Yasha's retreating back.
"'Cause I know something you don't know!" the fox answered, swinging his tiny arms back and forth.
"You're losing your voice?"
"No."
"You're staying behind?"
"Nope!"
"You've lost your memory?"
"No, silly!" he gave a goofy smile, and dug into his robes. "Look!"
It was a key. Small and golden, it shone brightly as the rays of sunlight hit it. Come to think of it...it looked familiar...
Suddenly jerked back from her thoughts, Kagome brought a hand to the chain around her neck--the chain that was attatched to the key to...her diary...!
"YOU LITTLE SNEAK!" she gasped, running her fingers up and down the now key-less chain. "I CAN'T BELIEVE...!!"
He laughed, waving it in her face. Snatching at it, Kagome let out a scream of anger. "YOU ARE SUCHA-"
"WHAT are you two DOING?"
Both looked up, and saw Inu-Yasha staring in annoyance, the pack still at his shoulder. Kagome paused, searching for words. Shippo got to him first.
"Nothin..." he answered quickly, hiding the key behind his back. The dog demon cocked an eyebrow, eyeing the look on Kagome's face. "Kagome's just--"
"THIS LITTLE SNEAK STOLE THE KEY THAT GOES TO THIS CHAIN!" she snapped, wrenching the chain off of her neck and holding it out to Inu-Yasha. He looked down at it, then up at Shippo, who grinned nervously.
"...Why?" he asked, taking the small golden chain and holding it up at eye level. "What's the key for?"
"Noth--"
"For something really really important!" the fox announced proudly, holding the key up once more. Kagome snatched at it again, but Shippo held it out of reach.
"Oh?" Now Inu-Yasha looked curious. "What?"
"Her di-"
In one swift movement, Kagome clamped a hand over Shippo's mouth, wrestled him to the ground, and grabbed the key.
"Nothing!" she glared at Inu-Yasha. "Just forget it, okay?!"
And she marched ahead, leaving both demons staring after her.
More later! ^_____^
"I-Inu Yasha?" she whispered, feeling a slight chill as a morning breeze blew across her tired body. "How much longer till we get out of this forest? It's giving me the creeps..."
"We've only been walking for a few hours," he answered stubbornly. "How tired can you be?"
Kagome glared through the darkness at his sturdy back. Sometimes he could be such a jerk.
"It's just...Shippo's starting to get heavy, and we haven't eaten in at least a day or so..."
"Just a little further. I can hear a brooke up ahead, we'll rest there."
Choosing not to comment on his tone of voice, she hugged the sleeping fox demon closer to her, hoping to warm both of them up. Her feet ached and her head pounded, she could hear the blood pumping in her ears. Sighing, she tried again.
"Where are we going? After we get out of the woods, that is?"
He didn't answer, just snorted with indignance. Fine. If he wanted to starve or drop to the ground with exaustion, she wasn't going to stop him. She shifted the large pack on her back, feeling one of it's straps slip down her shoulder. Shippo stirred, muttering a few slurred words in his sleep, a peaceful smile appearing on his face. He looked so innocent, and she somewhat regreted yelling at him the previous morning. It hadn't really been his fault...but if Inu-Yasha ever found out what had happend...she'd never hear the end of it. All Shippo had to do was keep his little mouth shut...
Now she could hear the brooke as well. The water trickled down the sloping hill, guided by the smooth rocks lining the bank. Relief flooded through her, and she kneeled down to let the pack fall to the ground. Finally reaching the clearing, Kagome shook Shippo awake.
"Psst...Shippo! Wake up..."
The fox stirred once more, sleepily opening his eyes and lifting his head. Seeing the fresh water, he sprang from her arms and rushed over, his eyes lighting up with excitement. Looking around to see where Inu-Yasha had gone, Kagome spotted him digging through her backpack.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she cried, rushing over and knocking him upside the head. The relief was gone, and her body shook with illdisguised alarm.
"I was looking for the ramen," he answered lazily, rubbing the back of his head. "Or did you forget that?"
"I-I--I can get it." Kagome smiled nervously, pushing past him and riffling through the huge pack herself. As her hand brushed past the small book that she kept under lock and key, Kagome gulped. Good. It was still locked...Finding the ramen and emerging from the backpack once more, she handed the food to Inu-Yasha. "Just ask next time, will you?"
He shrugged unconcernedly, and turned to the brooke. Taking a seat atop a earby rock, and watching Shippo splash and wade through the water, the demon dog pulled the lid from the prepared food, and started in on his meal. Feeling to shaky to eat just then, Kagome wandered over to Shippo as well.
The little fox pup was happily enjoying the cooling effect of the water, though Kagome shivered as the droplets landed on her bare legs. Leaning up against the rock Inu-Yasha was eating on, she let out a depressed sigh.
//FlASHBACK//
The sun shone down upon Kagome's back as she lay in the medow close to the village Lady Kaede lived in. Sitting up and stretching the sleep from her refreshed body, she reached over and opened up her diary. Taking the pen from the loop the book held it in, she began to write a new entry.
It's so different here...home seems like a dream while I'm in this time period, and this place seems like a dream when I'm home. Though home doesn't have disgusting demons out to kill me...I don't know what I'd do without Inu-Yasha...Probably would have died a long time ago, back when Yura of the Hair was after the shards. So many weird things go on, but you know what? I think I'm glad I met that demon. He may be a selfish jerk and a pitiless moron, but under all that, I think there's something there. I know it sounds strange, but he's really not that bad. It makes me happy to know that he needs me around; not just because I can sense the Shikon shards, but as a friend...and maybe someday, we might become more than friends...
Something in the grass behind her stirred, but Kagome was too enveloped in her writing to really notice it until--
"Whatcha doing?"
She jumped about a foot, screaming so loud the birds in a nearby tree took flight. She spun around, clutching the diary to her chest, but found---Shippo. Crouching in the gass so he could see over her shoulder, he was grinning up at her, his small fangs glinting in the sunlight.
"Shippo?!"
His grin widened as he eyed the little book in her arms. "What were you writing in that book?" he asked curiously, walking over to her, leaning up and sniffing the cover. Kagome shoved him away, holding her diary out of reach.
"That doesn't concern you, Shippo..."
"Why not?" Now that he was interested, there was no use stopping him. "Is it personal?"
"YES!" she hollered, causing the fox to clamp his hands down over his ears in pain.
"Really? Can I see?"
"NO! I-I...it just isn't any of your business!"
"Oh yeah?"
He lept up, grasping the diary in his mouth, and took off for the village. Letting out a cry of both anger and despiration, Kagome tore off after him, calling him everything that came to mind. Shippo scampered up a tree, coming to land on a sturdy branch, where he popped the book open. Reaching the base of the tree, Kagome could only look on in horror as he flipped to the exact page--
And started reading aloud.
"It makes me happy to know that he needs me around; not just because I can sense the Shikon shards, but as a friend...and maybe someday, we might become more than friends..." His eyes lit up, and another grin slowly crept into his young face. He looked down at her, a look of deisbelief on his features. Kagome glared fiercly, shaking with rage.
"If. you. EVER. tell..." she began through clenched teeth--
"KAGOME LIKES INU-YASHA!!" he sang, tossing the diary back to her as he pranced up and down the length of the branch. "KAGOME LIKES INU-YASHA!!"
"You little--!"
"Ah, ah, ah!" he waved an index finger at her. "Don't be mean, or I'll tell your boyfriend what you really think of him!"
"You wouldn't!"
"Oh, wouldn't I?" he taunted, his bushy tail wagging happily. "Just wait and see!"
//END FLASHBACK//
"Hey, Kagome!"
"Huh?" her head snapped up, and she looked around. Shippo was poking at her shoulder, his head tilted to one side curiously. "Ready to go?"
"Go? Already? But it's only been a few minutes!" she protested, standing up and massaging her neck.
"Uh...no, not really." the fox answered, jerking a thumb behind him at Inu-Yasha, who had Kagome's pack slung over a shoulder. "Inu-Yasha says we're being lazy. Time to go."
"But--but I haven't even eaten yet!" Kagome whined, looking pleadingly at the dog demon, who shook his head.
"No time." he called, sounding stubborn again. "We've got to use the few hours of light we have left. C'mon, let's get going."
"But--!"
Too late. Inu-Yasha had already set foot back into the brush. Sighing wearily, Kagome splashed a handful of fresh water from the brooke in her face, and started after him once more. Shippo trotted happily by her side, humming a choppy tune.
"What's got you in such a good mood, anyway?" she muttered, struggling to keep up with Inu-Yasha's retreating back.
"'Cause I know something you don't know!" the fox answered, swinging his tiny arms back and forth.
"You're losing your voice?"
"No."
"You're staying behind?"
"Nope!"
"You've lost your memory?"
"No, silly!" he gave a goofy smile, and dug into his robes. "Look!"
It was a key. Small and golden, it shone brightly as the rays of sunlight hit it. Come to think of it...it looked familiar...
Suddenly jerked back from her thoughts, Kagome brought a hand to the chain around her neck--the chain that was attatched to the key to...her diary...!
"YOU LITTLE SNEAK!" she gasped, running her fingers up and down the now key-less chain. "I CAN'T BELIEVE...!!"
He laughed, waving it in her face. Snatching at it, Kagome let out a scream of anger. "YOU ARE SUCHA-"
"WHAT are you two DOING?"
Both looked up, and saw Inu-Yasha staring in annoyance, the pack still at his shoulder. Kagome paused, searching for words. Shippo got to him first.
"Nothin..." he answered quickly, hiding the key behind his back. The dog demon cocked an eyebrow, eyeing the look on Kagome's face. "Kagome's just--"
"THIS LITTLE SNEAK STOLE THE KEY THAT GOES TO THIS CHAIN!" she snapped, wrenching the chain off of her neck and holding it out to Inu-Yasha. He looked down at it, then up at Shippo, who grinned nervously.
"...Why?" he asked, taking the small golden chain and holding it up at eye level. "What's the key for?"
"Noth--"
"For something really really important!" the fox announced proudly, holding the key up once more. Kagome snatched at it again, but Shippo held it out of reach.
"Oh?" Now Inu-Yasha looked curious. "What?"
"Her di-"
In one swift movement, Kagome clamped a hand over Shippo's mouth, wrestled him to the ground, and grabbed the key.
"Nothing!" she glared at Inu-Yasha. "Just forget it, okay?!"
And she marched ahead, leaving both demons staring after her.
More later! ^_____^