Well, it would seem that my old fans are still out there! Which is great, lol, I was hoping you'd pop up! It's so good to hear from everyone again, I bet you all thought I fell off the face of the Earth, haha!
Deds:
DemonDog113 - Yeah, he's pretty prick-ish, lol. Good to hear from you again, btw! Thanks!
helenluvsboo - Good to know! Lumps suck, lol!
Mystical Hanyou - Yes, it's good to be back. I'm glad you think this has potential, cause the more I read it, the more I don't agree, lol, but that's prolly cuz I've read it too much. Oh well. AND, mature for a VERY good reason, wink!!
Jenn - HEY YO! Lol, I'm still around! I don't like work, but I'm used to it now, so it's not so bad. You do get a oneshot, that's right. Lemme meditate on it and I'll see what I can do, lol! You will get your Sessh fantasy, have no fear!!
Nimeway - Thanks for the uplifting thoughts, heehee! The prob with RH is, well... I can't build up a story round it, and I really tried, too. So, could we switch the idea? Just so that you can get your story before we're all ninety and incontinent, lol! (Not to mention blind)!!
Question Existing - Part Two
Kagome looked over her pack one last time. She had dehydrated foodstuffs, a compass, some face paint, new boots, new camouflage clothing, and some fishing line and lures. She would be doing all her own cooking now, so fish would be a big staple when her dry food ran out.
She stood up to straighten her pants, which were tucked snugly into her boots, and her green t-shirt; she'd also packed her priestess outfit, in case it came in handy. She'd gone to the hair salon two days ago and demanded to have all her long, beautiful hair cut off, leaving her with a short crop that she actually kinda liked. It was versatile, no fuss, and the new colour, a deep brown, would help her go unnoticed in a forest of green.
In place of her earrings were very small plugs, another low-maintenance way to keep her piercings. She'd also thrown into her bag disinfectant, bandages, a lighter, and a Swiss army knife. Lifting her stuff, she smiled. It was a lot lighter than her backpack had ever been, and there was nothing in it that she wouldn't really need when the time came. Picking up her bow, she stepped into the entryway to lace up her boots.
"Kagome, what are you doing?"
She looked up into Souta's face, as he busily chewed a cookie and left his crumbs all over the carpet, his eyes wide with curiosity.
"I'm leaving, what's it look like?" She finished tying her left boot.
"Why are you dressed like that? Are you and Inuyasha going on some special mission or something?"
She closed her eyes and remembered to be patient, he didn't know what had happened yet. "Inuyasha and I aren't going anywhere. I'm looking for Jewel shards on my own now. He opened his mouth once too often and pissed me off. And I'm dressed this way because if I'm going to survive on my own, I have to blend in."
"Oh." He continued to crunch his cookie. "Did you guys break up?"
"We weren't together, Souta."
"Yeah, you were. He's always over here hanging around you, and you've always got this starry look in your eyes when he does-"
"Not anymore." She interrupted, her eyes wide, her expression clearly implying drop it.
"Oh." He said again. "Well, good luck then. I guess."
You guess?!
"Thanks." She closed the door behind her. "Tell Mom and Grampa I said bye."
Trudging across the yard toward the Well, Kagome felt her anger rise a little more. Did Souta have to remind her of her affection for Inuyasha? She was trying to prove herself here, and he just had to go and ruin her good mood. That little jerk!
Calm down, he didn't know, she soothed her ego. He didn't know, and it is strange for me to dress this way. If he'd said anything bad about my hair I'd have probably screamed.
Reaching the bottom step before the Well, she strapped her bag down tight over her back and waist and climbed in, the blue light enveloping her.
Landing softly, she climbed out, sat down on the lip, and pulled out her nature guide. It detailed everything from what kind of wildlife she could expect to see to how to butcher an animal for meat. Comparing it with a few maps she'd printed off the Internet detailing Feudal Japan and all the major points of population, she set off to Kaede's, to ask if any rumours of Jewel shards had reached Edo.
Sango saw her first, coming down the stairs, and rushed up to meet her.
"Kagome, is it true? Inuyasha said you weren't helping us anymore!" She tilted her head to the side. "Why did you cut off all your hair, Kagome? And why is it brown?"
Kagome sighed. She hadn't been looking forward to this part.
"It's kind of true, Sango. I'm going to prove to Inuyasha that I don't need his help, and the only way to do that is to set out on my own, but don't worry, I'm still friends with you guys, but Inuyasha's kind of on my black list right now."
Sango frowned. "Yeah? I thought he sounded a little too cocky when he told us you'd left. Did he make you angry?"
"Yeah, he really pissed me off this time. I refuse to put up with being reminded day in and day out what a pain in his ass I am, so I told him to forget working with me, I was going it alone."
Sango smiled. "Good for you, Kagome. I think I understand, now. Your brown hair will be good camouflage in the forest."
Kagome smiled back. "I know I'm an amateur, but I think I've got all I need to keep me going. If you'll excuse me?"
"Certainly," Sango replied, walking her to Kaede's hut and waiting outside while the two spoke alone.
Five minutes later, both women came out. "I think ye are right to teach that dog a lesson, Kagome. He's been getting much too big for his britches lately, it seems. Good luck, and farewell, child. I have heard that there is a rumour of a shard to the West. Go and add it to your collection."
Kagome hugged her and Sango goodbye. "We'll probably be following you soon," Sango said, as Kaede limped back inside. "Would you like me to stall the others, and give you a chance to find it?"
"Would you?" Kagome grinned.
"Of course. Don't worry about us. And be careful, Kagome." Sango hugged Kagome hard, before letting her go.
"Thanks, Sango."
"Will you ever join us again?"
Kagome laughed. "Yes. I just have to do this so I can prove to myself, and to Inuyasha, that I'm not just a helpless female. I'm doing it for all women-kind out there!" She raised a righteous fist, and both of them laughed.
"Good. See you soon, Kagome."
"Thanks, you too, Sango."
Sango waved, and Kagome headed West, through the forest. When she could no longer see her, Sango went into the hut with Kaede.
Kagome consulted her map. Kaede had said she'd heard rumours from a small village to the West. If she stopped in every one and asked around, hopefully her search would yield her a shard or two.
Back at the hut, Sango sipped tea across the fire from Kaede. "Kaede, do you think she'll be alright?"
Kaede smiled. "She'll be fine. She has the will and the determination to prove herself, child. Inuyasha, too, will come to see in time his mistake in letting her leave him."
Sango frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Inuyasha becomes weaker without Kagome by his side, remember? He will not be at his best when next he fights, if she is not with him."
Sango nodded, remembering. "You don't think he'll do something rash like ask Kikyou to join us, do you?"
Kaede closed her eyes. "With Inuyasha, ye never know. I doubt my sister would agree, even if he did."
Sango sighed. That Inuyasha and his big mouth! If it weren't for him, she'd still have her best friend to talk to whenever she needed her, but now Kagome was gone on her own. The days ahead seemed to stretch away, lonely and indefinite.
Later that night, Kagome settled down to make camp.
Unrolling her sleeping bag, she gathered dry wood for a fire, started it with her Bic lighter and a small dash of lighter fluid, and sat down to boil water. Picking up a few sticks, she took out her knife and got to work while she waited for the water.
Soon the water was ready, and she ate some ramen for dinner. After, she finished whittling a long stick, then took out a long, metal tube, cut length-wise so the inside was visible, with a seam down the middle for give.
Setting the stick inside, she poured the rest of her boiling water into the tube and set it on a spit over the fire to stay warm.
An hour later, she drained the water, and tightened the tube with strings, letting the wood dry.
The following morning, she took the straight, dry stick from the tube, carved the tip to a sharp point, and made four slots in the opposite end for the fletching.
Cleaning up, she spent the rest of the day repeating this process, occasionally getting up to look for feathers, which weren't hard to find, and by the end of that day, had made herself five new arrows.
Tired, but happy, Kagome admired her handy-work. She couldn't have been happier with the results of her labours. The arrows were straight, the fletching stiff, and the tips fire-hardened. The last step was to tie and tighten them into the shaft.
By the time she fell asleep, fire out, she was satisfied with a day well-spent.
From the darkness, a pair of yellow eyes watched her; had, in fact, been watching her all day. He'd know her scent anywhere, but it surprised him to see her so alone. Normally, Inuyasha was hovering around like bad news, but now, he was nowhere to be found, and no scent of him was discernable.
Strange, Sesshoumaru thought, keeping his youki to the bare minimum. He didn't want to give himself away; she didn't need to know he was watching her. He'd only scare her if she knew, anyway, and he was in no mood to fight.
He merely observed her. Her breathing was shallow and even, barely audible above the sounds of the night. He thought about her altered appearance, and what had brought it about.
Earlier in the day, he'd caught her scent on the wind and wondered what she was doing so close to his border. She appeared to be alone, which was another tip-off that something was up. As long as he'd known this woman, she was almost never alone.
When he'd finally eased within sight of her, he'd been forced to wonder if his eyes weren't working; before him was a girl he'd never seen before. Her hair was brown, short, and feathery. Her skin was coated in some sort of oily paint, and her clothing was in no way revealing at all. In fact, it was more conservative, and oddly patterned, than anything he'd ever seen before, and when she sat very still, he noted her uncanny ability to fade into her surroundings, seemingly without any effort.
Bemused at her change in appearance, he nevertheless confirmed by her scent that she was indeed the woman known as Kagome, his brother's miko companion.
Something had apparently happened between them, that Inuyasha was not here with her. He thought the hanyou had probably worn out his welcome in the miko's circle of friends, and couldn't repress the small smile that crept about his lips. If anyone was as deserving of punishment for such behaviour, it was Inuyasha. But that didn't explain the absence of her other companions. Had she been ostracised from their group?
No matter how long he thought about it he couldn't come up with a worthy reason why her friends would do that to her; she was too valuable a commodity for them to be so brash. He'd heard of her ability to find shards of the Shikon, and figured that perhaps another reason for her solitary journey was the fact that she was tired of being used as the means for Inuyasha's ends, whatever they were. Sesshoumaru didn't know why Inuyasha was looking for the Jewel, but he had a pretty good idea, and he scorned it. No matter what he did, no matter what kind of wishes he made, in Sesshoumaru's eyes, his brother would never truly achieve his goal of becoming a full-demon.
He decided that the only way to sate his curiosity would be to simply ask her why she was here. Once he had, he would leave her and be on his way. However, she was asleep now; his queries would have to wait till morning.
Leaning back, he made himself comfortable in the tree he'd occupied since finding her, and closed his eyes.
Oh, a spy... and a tall, light and handsome one at that! (I could put up with that, hehehe.) I'd hit that, haha!