Me: Yay! Second Chappie! W00T!
Hotaru:….I don't know you….
Inuyasha: What? You're actually continuing this stupid story?
Me:….s-stupid…?
Hotaru: Look what you did!
Me: -eye twitches and tears well up-
Inuyasha: -flinches-
Me: HOW DARE YOU!
Inuyasha: Psh….what can you do?
Me: I AM THE ALL POWERFUL AND EVER TORTURING AUTHOR! FEAR ME!
Inuyasha:….Riiight…..
Me: -narrows eyes- Oh, Kagome!
Kagome: I'm on it. SIT! SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT!
Inuyasha:……
Me: Yeah! You got PWNED!
Amaya: Ookay…..On with the story!
Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, you think that I would waste my time on FF?
Special Thanks To: kittyb78
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" I refuse to let that happen! No way no how! Not now, not ever. Ain't gonna happen!" Inuyasha snapped.
"But it's not permanently…" Kagome trailed off.
"I don't care! There is no way I am letting those freaks travel with us!"
FLASHBACKThe Inutachi and company made camp not far from the village at the foot of Mt. Hakurei. Jakotsu helped Bankotsu and laid him against a tree. He lies on the ground next to him and fell asleep. Kagome looked over at Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha….what next?" She murmured quietly.
"Huh?"
"I mean….what are we going to do?"
"Go after Naraku of course."
"We don't have any clue where he is…..unless you found a lead?"
".."
"That's what I thought…..maybe…." Kagome's gaze moved back to the sleeping mercenaries. "Maybe they…..could…I mean possibly….they could travel with us for the time being." She suggested.
"WHAT?!" Inuyasha screeched.
END FLASHBACK"But they don't have anywhere to go…and Jakotsu and I…" Inuyasha's eyes widened.
"What about you and him?"
"Well…he promised he wouldn't hurt me."
"And you believed him?"
"Yeah-"
"Someone's coming." Inuyasha cut in. Kagome looked at Sango and Miroku, they were in a fighting stance. Even Jakotsu and Bankotsu had woken up. Jakotsu had one hand resting on Jakotsuto's hilt. Kagome instinctively nocked an arrow. "Come on out, we know you're there." Dark golden eyes glowered from the bushes. They moved forward and a body that seemed to materialize from the shadows, stepped out. "Demon." Inuyasha declared.
"Who are you?" Sango demanded. The demon was in human form, with amber eyes even darker than Inuyasha's. She had dirty blond hair hat fell a few inches short of her shoulders. Her kimono was a dark green with lighter green feather patterns.
"I am Hotaru."
"Are you really a demon?" Miroku asked skeptically.
"Yes. Yes, I am an eagle demon. Pleased to meet you."
"Well, uh, sorry if we scared you." Miroku held Hotaru's hand. "Would you consider-" THUD! Sango clonked him with Haraikotsu.
" Not today, monk." She hissed. Miroku gulped and edged away from the furious taijiya. Hotaru smiled.
"Why are you in my forest? Are you taking refuge?" She queried.
"Oh! I'm sorry we intruded….but we escaped from Mt. Hakurei when it collapsed and we're spending the night here." Kagome explained.
"Oh, no. It's no problem." Hotaru laughed. "Perhaps you would like to enjoy the hot springs while you are here?" She offered.
"Yes! Thank you!" Kagome replied eagerly.
"No problem at all. I shall inform Amaya of your presence."
"Amaya?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously.
"My friend." Hotaru explained.
"Okay. Are you coming, Sango?" Kagome asked.
"You bet." The demon slayer replied.
"Wait, Kagome!" Inuyasha grabbed her arm as she turned to follow Hotaru. "Don't you think you should be a bit more careful? What if it's a trap?"
"Let me go. If it's dangerous, Kirara will be there, and so will Sango."
"All right. I'll be ready to come if you call though."
"Me too! Even if we have to come to the hot springs in the middle of your bath-" Miroku was cut off when Inuyasha punched him on the head.
"I don't think so. And don't worry I'll keep the lecherous monk under control. And," Inuyasha glared at Jakotsu, who waved excitedly back. "Them too." Kagome rolled her eyes and squatted down to Shippou's eye level.
"Make sure Inuyasha doesn't kill Jakotsu or Bankotsu, ok?"
"I'm on it!" Shippou vowed. Kagome smiled and nodded at Hotaru, signaling they were ready to leave. The three girls (four if you count Kirara) disappeared into the forest.
"Amaya! Where are you? We have visitors!" Hotaru called into the trees. A rustling overhead caused Kagome and Sango to look up. Kirara instantly transformed. In a flash, something raced across the branch and leapt off, landing in front of Kagome.
"I'm right here." It said.
"Ah, good. You two- oh dear. I never did catch your names,"
"I'm Kagome, this is Sango and Kirara." Kagome pointed to each one in turn. Amaya had a strange look in her eyes and didn't appear to hear. Hotaru merely nodded.
"Thank you. Meet my friend, Amaya."
"Hello." Amaya seemed to have snapped out of her trance-like state. " As you may or may not have noticed, I too am demon." She motioned to herself.
"Er, not to be rude, but what kind of demon are you?" Kagome asked.
"I take no offence. Not many are able to guess my species. Not at first sight that is." It was true. Amaya looked a bit like an experiment gone wrong. She had light brown hair with pale gold streaks tied back into a waist length braid. As her name suggests, her eyes were the color of the night sky with bright silver specks. Her bare feet were not feet; they resembled Shippou's paws. On her hands, were large, half inch black claws. What looked like ginger cat ears sat upon her head and a single, diamond shaped black scale rested in the middle of her forehead. "I am, in fact, a half demon. But not half human. I am half dragon demon and half cat demon." Sango narrowed her eyes.
"I've never heard of such demons. And I am a demon slayer!" Amaya met her gaze.
"I am what I am. Whether you believe me or not is your choice. While considered a deity among humans, such is not the case among other demons. I am a freak of nature to them. A mistake. An accident. Something that never should have happened." She said bitterly.
"I…am sorry." Sango admitted. Amaya laughed cruelly.
"Your apology means nothing." Sango gave a brisk nod and continued following Hotaru. Amaya passed them up, taking the lead. Kagome was still standing in the same spot. "If you want to get there before next moon, I suggest hurrying up." Amaya said over her shoulder. Kagome ran to catch up with her, but Sango walked at a level pace, chatting quietly with eagle demon.
"So, uh, your name is Amaya, right?" Kagome asked, trying to strike up a conversation.
"Yeah."
"It's pretty. It means 'night rain' doesn't it?"
"Yeah. Thanks. You're Kagome, correct?" Kagome jumped. 'I thought she wasn't listening!'
"How-how'd you know?"
"I…watched you from a tree overhanging your camp. The one that mercenary was sleeping under."
"How come Inuyasha didn't catch your scent?"
"Because….I have trained my demonic aura to resemble the presence of a human."
"How?"
"I won't tell." Amaya smirked. "But those two….the ones under the tree...why are they with you?"
"Well they were injured…"
"That's no excuse to shelter such murderers. The killed my half sister." Kagome flinched. She knew that the Band of Seven had killed many humans and demons and were hated by both races.
"I-I'm sorry…"
"Don't be. It isn't your problem." Amaya halted in front of a clump of vines and bracken. "But when you get back to camp… tell them that they'd better watch their backs." Kagome winced and swept the vines aside with one hand. Behind them was a beautiful spring with a small waterfall pouring more water into the pool.
"You won't hurt them will you?"
"Maybe I will. Maybe I won't." As Amaya shed her black and green leaf patterned kimono, Kagome gasped at the scars on her back.
"What are those from?" She blushed and looked down. "Not that it's any of my business."
"If you must know…they are from that wretched sword that Jakotsu carries."
"Ack…" Kagome looked her straight in the eye. "I realize that the Band of Seven have caused you no end of grief, but I won't allow you to harm them." Then she said the thing she knew she would regret sooner or later. "They are now my allies." 'I think…' She added mentally. Amaya's eyes hardened.
"You're loyal. I suppose that's something to admire." She murmured. Kagome smiled and shed her clothes as well, and slid into the water. Amaya followed and Hotaru and Sango joined them seconds later. " Ahh…it's nice to finally be able to relax." Sango muttered an agreement and Kirara mewed hers. Hotaru propped herself up on her elbows.
"So, Kagome, Sango. Where exactly are you traveling to from here?"
"Well, we plan to hunt down Naraku." Sango explained.
'I wish you the best of luck. I've heard he's a pretty slippery one, that Naraku character." Kagome nodded to verify Hotaru's statement.
"He's eluded us so far, but we'll get him. If we don't Miroku will…" Sango's reply trailed off.
"Who's Miroku?" Hotaru questioned.
"That monk."
"Oh." Hotaru giggled at the first impression she got of him. "What's going to happen to him if you don't destroy Naraku?"
"His life is literally ticking away every minute Naraku lives." Hotaru waited for Sango to say more, but when she didn't, she gave up the interrogation. The group was silent for a while, when a loud screech filled the air.
"What as that?" Kagome whispered. Amaya shook her head.
"I don't know, but I plan to find out." She growled.
"It sounded like Inuyasha …" Sango mumbled. Everyone got out of the water and quickly got dressed. Kirara shook the water from her fur and transformed, indicating she would carry them all back to camp. Sango nodded and mounted the nekomata. "Get on." She ordered. The others did so and they arrived at camp in no time at all. Kirara lighted down and the girls dismounted. "What's going on?" Sango demanded. She was so sure the scream had come from here. She blinked, let out a scream of her own and spun on her heels. "G-get Jakotsu a-away from I-Inuyasha." Kagome was puzzled until she looked around Sango, to the far side of camp.
"Ugh!" She breathed, disgusted. Jakotsu was sitting on top of Inuyasha, trying to undress the hanyou. He had slightly succeeded because Inuyasha was currently topless. Bankotsu was in his previous spot, appearing amused. Kagome stepped over a sleeping Shippou. 'Thank Kami he didn't wake up." She thought before continuing her way to Inuyasha.
"Get off, you-" Inuyasha was cut off by Kagome.
"Sit!" Inuyasha was already on the ground so her command drove him about three feet deeper into it.
"Thanks…I think." Inuyasha muttered.
The force of said command threw Jakotsu off balance, causing him to fall off of Inuyasha.
"Aww….but I was finally able to find something to do around here…." Jakotsu whined.
"Ok! We need to get a few things straight. Inuyasha is not I repeat not gay! He doesn't want…whatever you were just trying to do to him. Got it?" Kagome demanded (AN/:Man, them Feudal Era girls sure do demand a lot Lol…). Jakotsu grumbled under his breath. "I said, GOT IT?!"
"Fine, whatever."
Bankotsu chuckled. "You gonna let that girl push you around, Ja?" He smirked. Kagome whirled on him.
"And you! Just sitting by and watching while he did that! I outta-" Kagome stopped her rant when Sango tapped her on her shoulder.
"Where's Miroku?" The demon slayer asked warily.
"Jakotsu! What'd you do with Miroku?" Kagome demanded again (AN/:See what I mean? Lol.). Jakotsu pointed to a bush where an unconscious monk was laying.
"Miroku! Are you okay?" Sango exclaimed. The monk didn't reply. "Miroku, wake up!" Sango's eye twitched suddenly and she raised a fist. "You lecherous monk!" Kagome sweat dropped. 'Yeah, he's fine…" Amaya was staring at Bankotsu and Jakotsu with hatred. Hotaru seemed slightly disturbed by what she had witnessed. And Inuyasha was sending death glares at a poor tree. Yeah, everything was just fine and dandy.
Me: Well! That was a little shorter then the last Chappie, but it had some good old fashioned humor in it! By the way…Amaya's Name means 'night rain' and Hotaru's name means 'firefly' or 'lightning bug'. See you next chapter!
