Scroll One
A/N: Edited on 12/1/15
"Ugh, damn it!" The impatient half-demon grumbled as he held his foot up, trying to get a piece of wood that had embedded into his toe. "Kagome, I don't need your help."
"Oh, quit complaining!" Kagome huffed. Kagome sighed and looked up in the sky. The birds flew over head as the sun started to sink into the hills once more.
"You better fix it before nightfall InuYasha." Sango said.
"Stupid night of the new moon!" InuYasha huffed. "Man, I hate being a human!"
"Well, there hasn't been any sign of demons that have been attracted to Lady Kagome's Shikon Jewel shards." Miroku said.
"Right monk." Sango gave him a look. Kirara purred on her shoulder, her two tails flicked with ease. Shippo had found himself a nice place in a small bush nearby, and for some reason he was practicing his fox fire.
"Shippo?" Kagome asked.
"Yea?"
"You mind not burning down the forest." Kagome smiled.
"Kagome! I won't do that!" Shippo whined.
"Let us make a camp tonight." Miroku said. "At least it's quiet. We may be safe for tonight."
"I'll be human you idiot." InuYasha snapped.
"Well don't worry you never sleep on your human night anyways." Kagome rolled her eyes.
The group began to set up for the will be sleepless night. Miroku untied the sleeping bags and rolled them out onto the ground and handed Shippo his end of the rope. Sango had Kirara pull the newly supplies from the cart.
A few days ago, they had run into a very wealth village that was sacrificing innocent children to a demon so their village would not be destroyed. They had all been in a similar position before, but this demon had apparently gotten hold of a Shikon Jewel shard. It took their combined strength to bring the demon down. InuYasha had let out two Wind Scar's, Kagome had shot one of her arrows, Sango's boomerang had hit the demon's armor numerous times, and Miroku's sutras had helped weakened the massive demonic aura. It had been Kagome's final arrow which partially purified the shard making the demon melt into nothing but dust.
When Kagome grasped the shard it had been instantly purified, and with that the village was so grateful. With Miroku's lying help, they got a loot to take with them as a thank you. The group had been all over the country side with little clues on Naraku's whereabouts, so they had decided to take it a little easier then normal.
InuYasha seemed to be taken back on how weak the demon was in the first place. It had not been one of Naraku's reincarnations, so it meant Naraku had disappeared, again.
"You want to sit down InuYasha?" Sango asked.
"Feh, I'm fine." InuYasha mumbled. He stood up, his face on the sun as its orange flood disappeared behind the hills. InuYasha winched, and felt his hair become as dark as the nights air itself. His claws shrank back into his hands, making them only useless nails. The claws on his feet went back into stumped toenails, and his ears moved down on the side of his head, turning into their round oval shape. InuYasha spat. He could barley hear or see!
"How the hell do you people live with this!" InuYasha grumbled.
"Its natural InuYasha, we're used to it." Miroku put in.
"Natural my ass!"
"Sit boy!" Kagome snapped. InuYasha slammed to the ground, yelping in pain.
"You shouldn't really do that in his human form, Kagome." Sango shrugged. "I bet it hurts three times more."
"No duh!" InuYasha hissed. He sat up and brushed his hand over his shoulder. "Damn that's going to leave a bruise."
"Well maybe if you stop complaining, it won't hurt so much!" Kagome snapped.
"Idiot." Shippo mumbled.
"I heard that you twerp!" InuYasha yelled.
"Now, now, what we need you to do InuYasha is take a good long nap, and stop yelling." Miroku laughed as he playfully hit the now human half-demon on top of the head with his staff.
"Why you…"
"Look whose yelling now, monk." Sango rolled her eyes.
"Well, let's all get some good nights sleep." Kagome said as she brushed her hair to the side. "Maybe we can find some use for all that stuff we got back at the other village."
"I think it was…" Miroku started. SMACK! "Sigh, Sango you misunderstand me."
"As to you, you lying pervert!" Sango snapped. Miroku removed his hand and put it behind him. His face had gone quiet red, InuYasha didn't know from either embarrassment or the slap mark on his cheek.
"Fool…" InuYasha mumbled. He crossed his legs and sat on the ground. He held Tessaiga close to him. Though it wouldn't transform on his human night, it was still a sword. InuYasha growled in annoyance. If he had become a true demon, he would never have to fear the stupid new moon.
InuYasha leaned back and closed his eyes. He knew sleep wouldn't come, but being in the darkness behind his eyelids made him feel a little better. He heard the shuffle of Kirara as she made a more comfortable bed for Sango. InuYasha always had wondered why Kagome didn't bring one of those rolled up beds for the exterminator. Guess he would never know.
"Can't sleep?" Miroku came up beside him and sat down.
"Yea, I was asleep just now!" InuYasha spat.
"Now, now, let's not wake the others."
"What are you doing up anyway?" InuYasha asked.
"I'm on watch. I'll wake you up if there is trouble." Miroku said.
"Yea, no." InuYasha turned his head.
"Sigh, Lady Kagome's right about you. You can be very difficult." Miroku scratched his head.
"What would happen if you were suddenly stripped of your spiritual powers? Hue!? Don't think you would sleep either!" InuYasha growled.
"Okay, I get your point, but I have friends that I believe in to protect me. I wish you would see it that same way." Miroku stood up and wandered over to the edge of the camp, glancing in the air. InuYasha would've flattened his ears, if he had been a half-demon.
"Whatever Miroku."
"If you fall asleep, I promise you, morning will be here before you know it." The monk tilted his head and looked away. InuYasha sighed; he looked at Kagome and and sighed. Maybe I will be able to sleep tonight, InuYasha thought, He crawled over and put his hand in her hair, moving his hand all the way down to the split ends. InuYasha looked at Kagome, the one thing stood out the most about her was her hair, her beautiful silky hair. InuYasha sighed, damn these human emotions. Closing his eyes, InuYasha fell into a restless sleep.
(-)_(-)
Miroku looked at the now sleeping half-demon. A smile crossed his lips. Well he went to sleep faster then I thought, Miroku thought. He looked into the moonless night sky. The woods around them glistened in the small light the clouds somehow gave. The slight wind pushed Miroku's hair slightly in his face. He was expecting no danger, but Miroku had to be ready for anything.
The grass under his feet, moved with bending grace. An owl hooted nearby as its golden eyes blinked on the top of a branch in a nearby tree. Night, the one word that describes both life and death. Miroku didn't think of night as any one of those words, he simply put it as a time of peace. Time when the God's wished for the people, all the creatures, and plants to shut their eyes and think of their lives. Think of what they have, what they might have, and what may just be out of their reach.
The wind suddenly started to pick up, Miroku went stiff. He sensed a demonic aura.
"Naraku." Miroku hissed. Miroku held up his staff, his wind tunnel hand clenched in a fist. Suddenly the wind was a tornado, and a large feather appeared in front of him. "Kagura." Miroku said.
"Well is it not the monk? Where is InuYasha?" The wind witch asked.
"Everybody up!" Miroku shouted. Sango was up first; her hand went to her weapon and readied the boomerang. Kagome got up, aiming her arrow right at Kagura. Shippo hid behind her, and InuYasha had disappeared behind one of the trees. Kirara transformed growling.
"What do you want Kagura?" Sango snapped.
"InuYasha is human tonight is he not?" Kagura asked, a tight sneer on her face.
"So what bitch!" InuYasha hissed from behind the tree. "If you want to kill me, then bring it on!" InuYasha popped out from behind the tree, a non-transformed Tessaiga in hand.
"InuYasha!" Kagome hissed at him.
"Kagura, your opponent is me." Miroku held up his wind tunnel hand. "Leave."
"Monk, no! The Saimyosho!" Sango yelled. Miroku put down his hand to Naraku's insects floating over Kagura.
"Damn." Miroku placed the beads back over the cursed hand.
"Monk, you're in my way. DANCE OF THE DRAGON!" The swirl of wind formed tornado shapes and Miroku had to cover his eyes.
"Monk look out!" Sango yelled. He felt her pick him up as he settled onto Kirara's back.
"Lady Kagome, InuYasha, watch out!" Miroku yelled at the two that where still one the ground. Suddenly pink light blinded the night air as Kagome shot her arrow, purifying Kagura's wind.
"Kagome you did it!" Shippo yelled from his perch behind Miroku. Miroku saw the feather fly up into the sky. What had been Kagura's goal? Did she just want to prove that InuYasha was human that night? Miroku looked down to see Kagome standing up, wiping sweat off her brow.
"Kirara take us down." Sango purred to the demon cat. Kirara took them back to the ground, where Miroku hoped off and ran over to Kagome. She looked exhausted.
"Lady Kagome, what's the matter?" Miroku asked.
"For some reason I shot more aura then I thought." Kagome smiled.
"Well it scared that wind witch away!" Shippo yelped proudly.
"Shippo…" Sango sighed.
"Sorry, but we won't let her escape next time!"
"Well part of the problem was InuYasha being human." Miroku put in. "Besides…" Miroku froze. InuYasha was not talking. He looked at where he thought his half-demon friend had been. He was gone.
(-)_(-)
InuYasha opened his eyes. Had he fallen asleep right in the middle of a battle with Kagura? InuYasha sat up fast. He felt his claws, and his hair had become silver again.
"Morning already?" InuYasha yawned. "Hey Kagome…" InuYasha froze and his ears went flat on his head. Where the hell were his friends? InuYasha jumped up, panic filling his every muscle.
"KAGOME!" InuYasha yelled. He sniffed the air, his eyes scanning for the familiar black hair. He tried to pick up Sango's and Miroku's scents, but came back with nothing.
"Shit." InuYasha started to run quickly thru the forest. What the hell just happened? Did he fall asleep? Or am I just dreaming? InuYasha stuck his hand out whacking it on a nearby branch. Pain came, and InuYasha sighed. Nope he was not dreaming. The forest zipped under him, his feet barley touching the ground as his desperation to finding his friends became more intense. Had Kagura kidnapped them? No, InuYasha thought, there were defiantly to many of them for Kagura to achieve that.
"MIROKU! SANGO! Where the hell are you guys?!" InuYasha shouted. He felt Tessaiga suddenly shake next to him, forcing him to stop and observe his surroundings. Had Kagura gotten hold of him in his human form and dumped him here? InuYasha shook his head, she would have taken Tessaiga if that had been the case. InuYasha sniffed the air. Yep, there was definitely a demon nearby.
It wasn't Naraku, which InuYasha knew immediately. Hissing, InuYasha grasped Tessaiga's hilt and waited. The trees creaked as the slight breeze flowed through their uneven branches. The demonic aura was faint, but its presence was there. A small rodent scrambled in its burrow to get away from all the commotion.
"Show yourself." InuYasha hissed.
The aura stopped its swirl in the wind, and actually started away from him. InuYasha stood up, confused. There had been a demon there, why didn't it attack? InuYasha growled then shrugged his shoulders. One less fight for me to worry about, InuYasha thought. He started back hoping through the branches of the trees, his fire rat sleeves flapping in the wind as he flashed toward the direction of where he thought his friends were. The demonic aura intensified, but only slightly. InuYasha growled angry. The demon was following him, but it wasn't going to attack. At least not at that moment.
(-)_(-)
Kagome sighed as she pulled her arms around her knees, shivering in the cart. They had decided to take it easier by having the two horses walk for them. Shippo gave her a worried look.
"You worried about InuYasha?" The young fox demon asked.
"Yea." Kagome sighed.
"He shouldn't have gone far." Sango said, "He was human last night."
"Well we looked about a three miles radius around the camp, and he was no where to be seen." Miroku put in. "It is morning, he should be alright now."
"If he's not dead." Shippo mumbled.
"Shippo!" Kagome snapped.
"Sorry." Shippo whimpered.
"He does have every right to fear that Kagome," Sango pointed out, "He disappeared in his human form. He may not be in very good condition."
"Well that's why we are going to the next village to see if InuYasha will find our scents." Miroku said. "If he isn't here by the afternoon, we will continue to look for him. But for now, let's see if he can find us first."
Kagome nodded in agreement. She hoped InuYasha was alright. Kagura had left once her attack had been in diminished by her arrow. But, Kagome thought, something was rather strange about Kagura's attack. The Saimyosho for one, they didn't seem real, more like they had been an illusion. Next, Kagura never waved her hand to control the wind. She had always had her fan with her.
"Miroku, Sango? Didn't you notice something odd about Kagura?"
"Actually, yes Lady Kagome. Sango and I were just talking about that." Miroku said. "Even Naraku's aura seemed a little off."
"Could have been an illusion?" Sango asked. "To get to InuYasha?"
"Maybe, that's what I'm worry about." Kagome mumbled.
"InuYasha is a half-demon now. He can defend himself." Shippo pouted.
"They may have gotten to him while he was still human." Miroku looked worried. "Let's just get to the village. We can only wait for now."
The village expanded over a very large piece of land. They could all see a castle not far way, as other villages surrounded the mighty wooden structure that stood on top of the hills. Kagome was impressed. Some poor people had to build it, but their hard work was paid off. The walls stood a good forty feet, and the towers stood tall and proud. Kagome could say they were as tall as a small Tokyo skyscraper. The villages that surrounded it were mostly small, but the one they were approaching was one of the largest. Guessing it was where most people traded their goods. Miroku pulled the horses into the path as the cargo jolted in the turn.
"This is impressive. They must be very profitable lords." Sango pointed out. Shippo and Kirara ducked mostly back, seeing demons in this village would probably cause an uproar that was not needed.
Miroku pulled the horses to a stop and climbed off, and with Sango's help they tied the horse to the post and went over to a inn keeper. Kagome sighed and had both Kirara and Shippo on her shoulders. She hoisted her arrows over her back and looked around. How would InuYasha get inside this village without attracting attention? Would he even smell their scents in such a place? Kagome shuddered; she wanted to look for him, but not alone. Her thoughts came back just before he disappeared. There had been a gold flash from behind her, making her think someone had kidnapped him. But who? Why would someone make an illusion of Kagura and take InuYasha? And since it was on his human night, someone else knew of his night of weakness. Well Kagura did know, so does Kouga, and Sesshomaru. Kagome thought. But Sesshomaru wouldn't kill InuYasha in his human form. Kagome had figured out how both of the dog demon brothers really fought. They never killed a helpless foe since they always wanted a fight no matter what the circumstance.
"Kagome!" Sango called.
"Coming!" Kagome sighed and walked over towards her friends. This was going to be one long day.
(-)_(-)
InuYasha sniffed the ground. He had finally caught Kagome's scent in what seemed like forever. He somehow in that stupid weak human body got about twenty miles away from the campsite. InuYasha had no clue how it had happened, nor did he think someone had taken him there. Sniffing the ground, InuYasha also could see a path of horse shit. InuYasha wrinkled his nose in disgust. Yep, his friends had been here with that stupid cart.
Jumping back into the air, InuYasha hopped from tree top to tree top glancing around to find the unrecognizable strange clothed priestess. InuYasha snapped his ears went up and stopped. The path led into a enormous village.
"Damn it." InuYasha hissed. Why had his friends gone into that human chaos? InuYasha glanced around. No demons was present and nothing out of the ordinary. InuYasha had a bad feeling that if he just walked in he would be attacked or worse chased out of the village. He was outnumbered by the humans alone, but also InuYasha would never wield Tessaiga on humans anyway. It was against his father's fang purpose.
"I guess I'll have to stay hidden."
Despite going into numerous villages before, InuYasha had always been with his friends and they drove the villagers away from any unwanted fighting. Glancing down quickly at the walking people, InuYasha hopped with grace on top of the huts. He was only a red blur to most humans' eyes. He found Kagome's scent and ran into the inn's flap, avoiding any type of detection.
(-)_(-)
Sango looked up, her mouth full of food, as she stared at InuYasha in the door way.
"InuYasha!" Kagome squealed in delight. She ran over and put her arms around him, crying.
"Damn it Kagome, why the hell are you crying?" InuYasha snapped.
"Because you scared me!" Kagome huffed.
"What happened InuYasha?" Miroku asked. "We were fighting Kagura when you just disappeared."
"Don't know. I was aiming Tessaiga at that wind witch and then I just woke up. A half-demon again and it was morning." InuYasha shrugged.
"Actually we don't think that was Kagura." Sango said. "We think it had been an illusion."
"An illusion?" InuYasha asked.
"Yep So why did you run away in your human form? You're such an idiot InuYasha!" Shippo huffed. InuYasha walked over his fist raised and slammed the fox demon on top of the head.
"Who are you calling an idiot?"
"InuYasha, don't hurt Shippo!" Kagome snapped.
"Have some food, you must be hungry." Sango held out a dish and InuYasha took it gladly. He sat down and put Tessaiga down by his side and chomped down on his supper.
"Thanks Sango." He mumbled in-between mouthfuls.
"No problem." Sango smiled and petted Kirara's soft fur as she purred in her lap. Kirara mewed in delight and turned over and let Sango start rubbing her belly. Kagome smiled.
"My cat Buyo does that." Kagome said.
"You have a cat?" Sango asked.
"Well he has only one tail!" Kagome laughed. Apparently the whole disappearing act by InuYasha seemed to be temporarily forgotten since he seemed to be in well shape. Sango talked with Kagome happily as Miroku and InuYasha started to get in a deep conversation about the attack from Kagura.
Sango sighed, the day was about over and another lay ahead. What lay ahead was unknown, but what was know was that Naraku had Shikon Jewel shards and Kagura had attacked. And if it had been an illusion, what did this new enemy want? Were they after InuYasha or was there something more behind the entire thing? Sango felt her hand glide across Kirara's back and looked at the young priestess. Kagome had fallen asleep on her shoulder, breathing out slowly.
The night descended on the entire village as the people's mummers and rumors faded into the night as everyone went into their sleeping dens. The moon was slight that night, the small slit of light pierced the black blanket that covered the sky. A shooting star passed the small moon. Only one person witnessed it. Sesshomaru looked from his land at the star, his golden eyes piercing the sky. The Western Lord had felt the wind change. The scent change around his father's grave, around Tensegia, and around InuYasha. What the change was Sesshomaru did not know. But soon, very soon, Sesshomaru would find out what his father's secret was.
