Chapter Two: The Mysterious Stranger
As Inu-Yasha kept watch over Kagome, he noticed several youkai were usually nearby, attempting to sneak in. Strangely, as soon as they should have been within eyesight, they were gone. The night after Kagome's final test, before they left for Sengoku Jidai, he noticed youki flowing around the shrine. The hanyou hopped down from his tree branch and sniffed around until he managed to pick it up. It was coming from the well. He walked over to the well, and ducked into the shadows of the well house.
A moment later, he could see the shape of a large, ugly demon appear. It seemed to be some sort of spider. Before it could fully emerge, he drew the Tetsusaiga and leapt up to cleave the youkai in half. Bringing the giant sword down on the torso of the youkai, he cleaved it in half. Satisfied with his handiwork, Inu-Yasha made sure the youkai wouldn't rise again, and left. He didn't notice the shadow jumping into the well.
A large knapsack flew over the edge of the well, and a head with long silver hair soon followed. Inu-Yasha hauled himself out of the well, then pulled out Kagome. As they returned to the village, Kagome relished in the peace of the day. Sure, there were youkai out to kill them, but there were no cars, no noise, and the sky was clear. She didn't notice her hanyou friend watching her silently.
If only I wouldn't stick my foot into my mouth so often, maybe we'd even be able to string up a conversation without fighting, for once, Inu-Yasha thought. He was glad they were back in his time – here, he knew what to expect, and he'd be able to protect her. Before they reached the door to Kaede's hut, it flew open, and Shippo raced out and jumped into Kagome's arms. "Kagome-chan! You're back!"
The girl laughed and patted the kitsune. "Yup. I'm back," she said before turning to Sango and Miroku. "Hey there. You wouldn't believe what a story I have to tell you."
"WHAT? How did a youkai get into your time? I thought it was impossible – only you and Inu-Yasha can go through the well." Sango glanced at the half-demon. He shrugged. "They managed to get through, anyway. Fact is, it isn't safe over there anymore." Miroku nodded. "He is right. If demons can come to your time, then we can't protect you. You'd be safest here."
"I..." Kagome tried to object, but she saw the reasoning, and nodded in agreement. "All right. Oh, and there is something else I wanted to tell you about – there was this guy in a green cloak who killed the demon. He seemed out of place, as well. Maybe he's not from my time, either."
The group had gone to sleep, and Inu-Yasha was sitting in a tree, overlooking the village. He perked up as he heard footsteps beneath him. He glanced down and caught the familiar scent of Sango. The taiji-ya softly called, "Inu-Yasha?"
"What do you want?"
"There is something more that happened, right?"
"How do you know?" The hanyou replied gruffly. He could see the woman smile. "You are easy to read. What is it?"
Inu-Yasha sighed. "Just before she went to sleep, I thought I noticed something at the well. I went to look and there was a youkai coming through the well. It's nothing, I killed it easily." Sango nodded. "It would've been a great danger if you hadn't been there. I wonder who sent them?"
"Who else? Naraku." The hanyou snorted.
"Yes, probably. I won't tell Kagome – hey, Inu-Yasha?"
"Yes?"
"You'd better get some sleep." With that, the demon huntress left.
Deep inside the forest, Kagura strolled around, relishing the cool night air as she contemplated Ryoko's offer. She had noticed an unusual increase in demon activity around Naraku's stronghold lately, and she was sure she had seen several demons lurking around the Bone Eater's Well that supposedly led to that girl's world.
The more she considered it, the less she liked Naraku. He was a power hungry, egotistical, sadistic bastard in a baboon pelt. She chuckled. Great. Now she was thinking of him as a monkey. The prospect of being free of his employ beckoned her, and she leaned against the trunk of a tree to rest for a moment.
"Deep in thought, Kagura?"
The mistress of wind jumped and turned, her fighting fan out and in a defensive stance. She relaxed when she recognized Ryoko. "Don't do that to me, you baka! One day you'll meet someone nervous, and they'll put a blade through you." The man grinned slightly. "I'll think about it."
Kagura studied him. It had been a week since their last meeting, and she couldn't help but noticed he seemed somewhat fatigued. His dark green kimono was still straight and pristine, but somewhat ruffled, and the katana by his side had seen recent use. She wondered what the man had been up to.
"Well, Kagura, did you think about my offer?" He finally asked after a few moments of silence, leaning against the tree next to her and gazing up at the moon. She closed her eyes. Did she want to leave Naraku's employ? Hell yes. Was she ready for it? She didn't know.
"If this doesn't work, Naraku isn't going to be too pleased, you know," she finally told him. She heard his chuckle. "I know. But then, he's been trying to kill me for a long time. I took the risk when I stole a shard of the Shikon no Tama from him a while back." She opened her eyes and stared at him. "What?"
Ryoko chuckled again. "And I've been getting on his nerves since...oh, fourty years ago, when I killed one of his favorite pet demons. He doesn't like that, you know." She gaped at his light tone and playful grin. "Tell me this is a joke."
"Uh..." he seemed to think about it. "No."
Then her mind caught on to something. If he'd been hunted by Naraku for over fourty years, why the heck did he look like he was thirty? "You don't look fourty," she voiced her question.
"Uh-huh. I have a little demon blood in me. Not enough to make it obvious in my appeareance, but enough to give me a slight boost in lifespan and healing. Actually, my great-grandfather was a youkai." He took his gaze off the moon and directed it at her. "Well? You still haven't answered my question."
"Oh, what the hell. Once Naraku doesn't need me anymore, I'm dead anyway."
"I take that as a yes?" Ryoko grinned.
"Definitely."
He offered her his arm. "Then follow me, Lady Kagura." They vanished into the shadows.
(A/N: Since Kagura doesn't like being bossed around by Naraku, she tried to disobey him once already, and I think that if she were given a chance to leave Naraku's services, she would, so please bear with me.)
Dawn was breaking over the village as the group sat around in Kaede's hut and ate breakfast. There was an unusually good mood circulating, mainly caused by Inu-Yasha. Although he knew Kagome was in danger, he was secretly glad she would be forced to stay here in his time until the matter was resolved.
The knock on the door startled them. One of the villagers stood there sheepishly. "There are a lord and a lady standing outside, asking for the monk or miko." He informed them, and left. Kaede and Miroku rose. "Who can it be?" Kaede wondered. "We'll find out in a moment," Miroku said to no one in particular as they stepped through the door – and froze.
"What are YOU doing here?" Sango, Kagome, Inu-Yasha, and Shippo heard from outside. "Kagura, what do you want this time?" Miroku asked. Upon hearing the name "Kagura", Inu-Yasha raced outside, followed by Kagome and Sango, who hefted their respective weapons.
As they stepped out of the hut, the three froze and stared. There was Kagura, spawn of Naraku, standing with a man facing off Kaede and Miroku.
"Isn't it obvious?" Kagura replied.
"Uh...not really."
The man at Kagura's side moved forward a little. His lean figure was covered by a dark green kimono, and he carried a katana and a wakizashi. He seemed to be a warrior. "Well, honorable monk, we're getting married."
Two gasps startled the group to turn around. Kagome and Sango just stared at the man. Inu-Yasha and Miroku's gaze wandered from the two girls to the couple and back. "What the heck is going on here?"
The man bowed slightly. "Just what I said. We're getting married." Miroku stared blankly. "But-but – that's Kagura! She's Naraku's...uh...whatever! Are you insane?" He smiled slightly. "I assure you, I'm completely sane."
Inu-Yasha glanced at Kagome and Sango, who were still staring at the couple. "Oi! What's wrong, wench?"
Kagome mumbled something, and he leaned in closer. "He's wearing the same kind of clothes the guy in the park wore. And he has the sword." The hanyou arched an eyebrow. "Many people carry swords around. Are you absolutely sure?" The girl shook her head. "No."
Sango kept staring at the man. There was someting familiar about his features...she couldn't quite place it, but she was sure she had met the man. She went through her memory. Someone from her village maybe? She couldn't remember anyone there. It wasn't someone she'd met on the road, either.
Then her gaze fell upon the simply decorated swordhilts. The bottom of the katana's grip was decorated with a small engraving of something, studded with a single ruby so dark red it was almost impossible to see...She knew definitely that she had already met the man. She remembered the sword.
Miroku glanced over the two in amusement. He had to admit that Kagura and the stranger did make a nice couple, and though he feared that Kagura was after Kagome's shards of the Shikon no Tama, he couldn't help but feel like he should oblige to their request.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to steal your precious Shikon shards," Kagura told him. "As he said, we're just here to get married." The priest shifted his gaze to her husband-to-be. "Why not?" He shrugged. "I shall prepare the ceremony."
An arm on his wrist restrained the houshi. "Actually, can you hold the ceremony now? We're in a bit of a hurry, before the...father of the bride shows up." The man chuckled, and Miroku joined him. "Ah. Of course. Well, let me get your names, please."
"Uh, just call me Eien. You already know Lady Kagura," the man said. "Of course." Miroku stuck his staff in the ground. "Do you have the tokens of your love?" (A/N: i.e., the RINGS! For those who didn't get that.) Eien nodded and handed over two identical simple metal bands that were shaped like twin dragons entwined. The houshi took the rings and went over the speech, then asked for their vows.
He noticed both hesitated a little bit before answering. He grinned as the ceremony was completed and the couple hesitated again before slightly brushing their lips together for a shy kiss. "Still that shy, huh?" He grinned and promptly received a whack on the head courtesy of Sango's Hiraikotsu.
Kagura slowly leaned forward. As they kissed and pulled apart, a strange feeling filled her – one that she had felt once before, when Naraku had faked his death and she had been free for a short time. Now, she felt it again. She idly wondered in the back of her mind what Naraku would do if he ever found her. When they parted, she played with the ring on her finger, the watching the light reflect off the smooth metal surface.
She glanced back at her new husband, if you could call them that. She hardly knew anything about him, except for what little he had chosen to reveal to her. Still, the man intrigued her and she was somehow attracted to him. On impulse, she leaned in close, placing her mouth next to his ear. She enjoyed it as he shuddered, then whispered, "Why don't you tell me more about my husband?" Kagura pulled back and laughed as her man turned red and grinned.
Ryoko grinned as he took in Kagura's form. He'd mainly offered her this marriage as a way for her to escape Naraku, and a way for him to gain a travelling companion. He hadn't known why he had offered it – it had been a decision made in the spur of the moment when he had first seen and heard about her. Now, it started to feel like it had been fate at work.
"Well, my lady, maybe we should no longer take up this honorable monk's time and take our leave?" He asked. Her reply was an impish smile.
"Did he just say honorable? Our houshi-sama, honorable?" Sango asked incredulously. Miroku turned to her and grinned in victory. The grin lasted for a millisecond before Sango felt a hand on her backside and banged him over the head again. She inspected her Hiraikotsu. It had a dent.
"Houshi-sama really has a hard head," the taiji-ya chuckled.
"NO! Absolutely NOT!" Inu-Yasha's shout echoed in the forest. "You are NOT going back!" Kagome turned her head from where she was halfway over the wells wall. "I need to go back, Inu-Yasha. I really have to. I have an exam tomorrow, and I need to study for it. It's just two days!" She sighed. She knew he only meant well – a little, at least – but the math exam was something she just couldn't afford to miss. Especially not with my grades in math, she thought.
"We can't all go over there – if a horde of youkai shows up, you'll be dead before you even get close to your stupid exam!" "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself!" Kagome screamed.
"Like the last time? I'm not going to let that happen again!"
"Inu-Yasha, please. This is very important to me," Kagome resorted to pleading.
"Feh. Fine. Two days."
"Thank you!" The girl was about to hop into the well when a hand grasped her arm. "And I'm coming with you." The hanyou added.
The well was dark at night, as was the rest of the Higurashi shrine. A pebble fell, and an ear perked up, its owner instantly awake. Inu-Yasha leapt down from the tree branch he was perched on, and headed for the direction of the well. The wench just had to come back. Who knew what kind of youkai was coming out now? He approached the well carefully, and peered from behind the cover of a tree. His eyes quickly adjusted to the pitch-black darkness, and he could make out a bipedal shape.
He drew the Tetsusaiga. He wasn't taking any more risks than absolutely necessary. The hanyou calculated his options. He could take out anything that came through the well with the Kaze no Kizu, but that would destroy the well, if he wasn't careful. Not to mention the trouble of having to explain why the well looked like a battlefield. When the creature was in range, he leapt at it with a snarl and brought the transformed sword down on it.
To his surprise, it ducked and backed away slightly. He growled and swung again, trying to cut the invader to pieces. He was relatively sure now that his opponent was a human, or at least in human form. Miraculously, his target seemed to be quite adept at dodging his strikes. The hanyou growled again and brought the Tetsusaiga up as if poising for a vertical cut, but in mid-cut changed his stance and turned it into a diagonal cut, following his opponent's direction of movement.
Unarmed until then, the figure drew a katana of its own. It didn't transform, but the curved blade seemed to glow in an eerie silvery light. The blade came up out of its saya and swooped upward. The Tetsusaiga glanced off it and slid down the length of the other sword. The fighters jumped apart.
Inu-Yasha could dimly make out his opponent striking a defensive stance – odd, when considering the aggressive nature of most youkai. He swung the Tetsusaiga again, and this time, instead of dodging, the other person blocked high, then sidestepped and moved back into stance.
Hmm...Why isn't he attacking? This is no youkai – at least no ordinary one. Inu-Yasha thought. He began to concentrate and let his youki flow into the blade. The enourmous sword began to glow a faint red. The hanyou didn't intend to let loose either of its attacks, instead, he intended to see how his opponent matched up against the higher speed and agility this provided the half-demon as he utilized the Bakuryuu technique.
As he opened up with a series of blows, the other combatant resorted back to dodging. However, Inu-Yasha knew the area better and had the figure backing away. His opponent stumbled on a small rock behind him, and fell. At the same time, Inu-Yasha hoisted up the Tetsusaiga and cut downwards. A solid clang resounded in the area as the Tetsusaiga made contact.
The hanyou looked down in confusion. It shouldn't have made that sound, unless...The half-demon gaped. Crossed with his sword was the blade of the stranger, the two swords crossed about an inch from his throat. Inu-Yasha tried to push further down, while the other man pushed upwards. Neither blade moved.
What is going on here? His sword should have broken the moment I hit it! Inu-Yasha stared dumbly for a moment as he realized his opponents sword was still intact. No normal – not even an enchanted sword can withstand the Tetsusaiga when it's powered up like this! What is this?
In the faint silver glow his opponent's sword emitted, the half-demon took his time to inspect the other man. He wore a dark green kimono, that much he could see. And there was a wakizashi by his side, strangely carried on the right, instead of on the left along with the katana. He knelt next to the downed man and growled, "Who are you?"
As the light from the man's blade fell on his face, the hanyou gaped in realization. "Aren't you the guy who came to the village and wanted to marry that bitch Kagura?"
The man shrugged. "Maybe."
"Stop playing around!" The hanyou snarled and tried to push down Tetsusaiga further. Somehow, the other man found the strength to resist the force on his sword. "You better explain yourself now, before I kill you."
"Explain what, Inu-Yasha?" Kagome's voice came from the well's door. The girl slowly walked over to where the two combatants were, and glanced down at the man on the ground. "What happened?"
"I found this guy lurking around the well. I think he came out of it," Inu-Yasha declared.
"So, who are you – " Kagome squinted in the dim light. "Weren't you at the village a couple of days ago? You and Kagura? So what are you doing here?"
"Long story," the man replied.
"We have lots of time to listen to it," Inu-Yasha said.
"Yeah, but could you please get that sword off my throat? It gets kinda tiring to have to keep it from cutting me in half."
The hanyou withdrew his blade, and the stranger stood up and sheathed his weapon. That was when Kagome looked at his clothing, the dark green robes, and the twin swords. She arched an eyebrow. "I have the feeling you'll have a lot to explain. Including why you were in the park three weeks ago."
As the man brushed off his kimono, he nodded. "Maybe. But maybe it would be better if we discussed this in your own time, Inu-Yasha. This may concern houshi-sama and your taiji-ya friend, as well." Kagome arched an eyebrow. "How would you know Sango and Miroku?"
The stranger shot them a sad little smile. "It's a long story."
