Chapter Two
"Shippo, you have wings!" Kagome exclaimed. Shippo hovered, looking up at Yasu and his new set of wings.
"WHOA!" he yelled, losing focus and tumbling to the ground.
"Yep, a good ol' invention of mine. Not only can it make you fly, but it can also cure some mighty serious plagues goin' 'round," Yasu landed, brushing her shoulder like giving another creature wings was an everyday thing to do.
"You're a little nuts, aren't you," Inuyasha asked sarcastically.
"She's been that way since she breathed in those toxic fumes," a girl's voice explained. Kagome looked down at her feet and saw bright green eyes staring back.
"GAH!" she screamed, falling backwards. The creature jumped up and landed on Kagome's head, showing herself in the light.
"Kitsune Harumi is the name," she introduced herself formally. "I'm a baby fox demon of this village and the official herb gatherer for Yasu."
"A baby fox demon?" Sango wondered, looking at Shippo.
A girl? Shippo thought to himself. Harumi flicked her tail and scratched her head. She looked almost exactly like Shippo, with the exception of her hair and eye colors. Instead of Shippo's reddish-brown, Harumi had raven-black hair that was pulled into a messy ponytail.
"So now Shippo has a playmate," Miroku added, laughing.
"I don't play," Harumi said indignantly. "I have too much work to do for that!"
"What kind of child are you if you don't play sometimes?" Shippo asked, approaching the kitsune.
"I'm a sorceress' apprentice!" Harumi puffed her chest proudly. "Watch this: FOXFIRE!"
Harumi sent out waves and waves of the blue flames. They took on the form of a dragon and roared, breathing flames in the air. Then Harumi reached into her pocket and took out a handful of herbs, blowing them at the Dragon.
It changed color, first turning red, then a brilliant gold. Then, the flames disappeared to reveal a real dragon!
"BEGONE!" Harumi yelled, throwing some kind of ash at it. The Dragon roared and withered away. The audience, save Inuyasha and friends, applauded. Inuyasha had Kagome behind him, his hand on the hilt of his Tetsuaiga. Kirara was fully grown, and on the defensive. Sango had her hand on her Hiraikotsu, and Miroku gripped the prayer beads on his right hand, ready to yank them off. Shippo just ogled the spot where the Dragon disappeared.
"Aw, relax, Rumi knows her stuff," Yasu laughed, walking over to pick up the little girl. "Which, do you mind explaining to me why you're not in bed?"
"Some moron put sutra spells on the hut. I can't go inside without getting purified!" Rumi complained. Miroku looked guiltily away while everyone stared at him.
"I apologize, had I known a kitsune lived in the hut, I would have purged any other demon away except for her," Miroku said nervously. "I'll go fix my error."
Rumi watched the monk leave the feast and rush to the hut.
"I hate it when monks visit this village," she grumbled. "They purify everything and never think twice about whether or not there are friendly youkais in the area."
"Oh, Miroku doesn't purify everything," Kagome giggled. "In fact, he took to Shippo and Kirara very well. Inuyasha... well, he's a different story. Besides, out of all the demons in our group, Inuyasha's the strongest and most dangerous."
"Oh, thanks, I'm glad you think so highly of me," Inuyasha grumbled, looking pointedly at the miko.
"What? You know it's true," she squeaked.
Harumi didn't look amused and grabbed a piece of roast from Yasu's plate. Shippo sat next to her.
"You're an orphan, too?" he asked.
"How dare you ask such a thing!" Harumi growled.
"I'm sorry! I'm just saying that you should be with your ma and pa," Shippo explained. Rumi sighed and put down the piece of roast.
"My pa left when he realized I was a girl. My ma died shortly after giving birth to me. If Yasu hadn't come across me, I'd be dead in the forest right now."
"My ma died, too, and my pa was killed in battle. I avenged his death, with the help of Kagome and Inuyasha, and now Kagome is my mother!"
"Yasu's more like an older sister you have to keep out of trouble."
"Inuyasha's more like a violent older brother."
"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled.
Harumi smiled and scooted closer to Shippo.
"Here," she said, holding out a small red ball. "It's my favorite toy. You can have it."
Shippo eagerly took it and reached into his pocket.
"And this is mine. A spinning top. I like to make it bigger, because it's more fun that way."
Rumi took the top and smiled.
"Why are they giving each other their toys?" Kagome wondered aloud.
"It's a thing kits do to make friends. They give a newfound friend their favorite toy to show they really like the person. If a friend proves unloyal, the giver simply takes back his toy and gives his friend's toy back," Yasu explained. "Now it's time to find my glass..."
"In the hut, Yasu," Rumi said, turning to look at the sorceress.
"Glass?" Sango asked.
"My vial of potion!" Yasu declared, returning with Miroku and a glass bottle of a clear liquid.
"What does it do?" Inuyasha asked, taking the glass and sniffing the contents.
"Anything you want, if you can find the ingredients!" Yasu giggled. "For instance-"
Yasu plucked a piece of hair from Inuyasha and Kagome's heads and grabbed a small sake cup. She poured some liquid in and added the hairs. She handed the cup to Kagome and Inuyasha. The contents were pink.
"Drink up," she said. Inuyasha took a sip first and then Kagome. "Now, wait for the effects to take place."
"Just what is this stuff supposed to do, wench?" Inuyasha demanded. His irritated look melted and turned to one of longing. He turned to Kagome.
"Inu...yasha?" Kagome asked, the effects not yet taking place in her system.
"Kagome, I love you with all my heart, let's get married!" Inuyasha declared in a very un-Inuyasha-like manner.
"Inuyasha, what's wrong with-" Kagome sputtered, freaked, until the potion settled and her face showed equal longing. "Of course my love, of course I'll marry you!"
"Um, how do you reverse it?" Sango asked. "They're beginning to scare me."
"Congrats on your engagement, let's celebrate! Here, let's drink to your newfound happiness!" Yasu said quickly, handing them the same potion. Inuyasha drank and handed the rest to Kagome.
"What the hell-?" he asked groggily. "Gah! I was about to marry Kagome!"
"Hell! I was about to marry Inuyasha?" Kagome screamed.
"Double doses reverse the effect of the potion," Yasu said calmly.
"You'll pay for this embarrassment, wench!" Inuyasha glared.
"Oh, I'm trembling," Yasu said. She poured the last few drops into the fire and sat back down. "If you kill me, Rumi knows my secret to resurrection, anyways, so you can't do much."
"Resurrection?" Inuyasha whispered, frozen. Kagome looked at him and saw what he was thinking. Kikyo. Yuki. His parents. He lost them all, and if there's a chance...
"Yasu, can you really resurrect people?" Kagome asked.
"Yep, it's a blessing and a curse. I cannot resurrect myself, but I can resurrect a single person for another. I never really resurrect people, unless it's really important." Yasu took a drink of sake and stared at the fire. "I resurrected my youkai brother, once. His wife begged me to. But my brother hated me because I was a hanyou, hated that a hanyou brought him from the dead. I decided to take him from this world once again. When the deed was done, his wife cursed me. I could never be able to resurrect myself or my beloved as long as I am a hanyou. But I cannot end who I am, and it's a silly curse, anyway."
"I'm so sorry," Kagome whispered, sitting next to Yasu.
"Eh, why are you sorry? I'd like to die a happy death. Why would I want to live again if death isn't at all that terrible?"
"Feh! You're a half demon. There's no way in hell you'll ever go to heaven," Inuyasha scoffed. "And a resurrected being won't get that chance, either."
Kagome tried not to think about the time when Kikyo almost succeeded in dragging Inuyasha to Hell with her. And now Kikyo is dead once again, defeated by Naraku. Would Inuyasha try to get Yasu to resurrect her again?
"Well, I'm tired," Yasu said, standing up and throwing the scraps of food from her plate into the fire. Rumi said goodnight to Shippo and climbed onto Yasu's shoulder. Kagome watched them leave.
"Bye, Rumi," Shippo waved. Rumi turned and smiled, waving as well.
"If I didn't know any better, I think you finally found a first love that might return the feeling," Inuyasha teased. Shippo sputtered, turning red.
"Inuyasha, leave him alone!" Kagome scolded him, picking up the kitsune and following the village leader to the guest hut. Inuyasha sighed and followed her.
...
In the morning, Kagome woke up to find Inuyasha gone. Sitting up, she looked for her bag and took out his bowl of ramen, ready to start making it for him when he returned.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Yasu were talking.
"I hear your friends and you all have a fight to pick with the demon Naraku," Yasu said.
"Yes, we are going to defeat him and collect jewel shards before he does," Inuyasha said proudly.
"I see. Well, I want in."
"What?"
"You heard me. That sick, twisted demon murdered my mother and took my father's power, leaving me in care of the villagers. I always wanted to exact my revenge, but I couldn't do it alone. I must take advantage of this opportunity!"
Inuyasha scratched his head. An extra member of the team meant more allies, which was a good thing, but it could also be very dangerous. More of Naraku's demons would attack, and half of the group were all humans. If anybody- Kagome- got hurt, Inuyasha wouldn't know how to deal with it. Not everyone were skilled fighters. Kagome was great with a bow and arrow, but if a demon got close without her knowledge, and if Inuyasha couldn't save her-
Inuyasha winced at the thought. Then again, Yasu was a sorceress, and her kitsune was her apprentice. They're powerful, doubly so because they had demon blood in them. Everyone would be out of harm's way.
"Fine, you can join. But on one condition."
"What is it?"
"I need you to resurrect someone."
AN: Dun dun duuuuun! Who is it? Kikyo?
