{Author's note}
It's been a while…sorry. I've been busy with school and the holidays coming up! So, late one Saturday night, I found the time to do this chapter. I am so excited! The plot starts to unfold more!
InuYasha: Happy Holidays, Wenches and Bastards!
Kagome & I: INUYASHA!
InuYasha: One…Two…Three—
Kagome & I: OSWARI!
Me: Like a boss…
Sorry for InuYasha's foul mouth. Kagome is still trying to get him to censor it sometimes…But we are all grown ups here, aren't we?
InuYasha: PRECISELY! So I should get off with it!
Me: That is not the point!
Again, I am not a fan of cursing, but I had to put it in to keep InuYasha in character, and to add humor from time to time. Plus, the characters and readers should be old enough to say and know about such profanity!
Japanese
'Thoughts'
Translation for Japanese words is at the bottom of this chapter. Thank you.
Enjoy~
Chapter Three: Friend or Foe?
InuYasha brought down his claws on youkai for the last strike. The youkai was no match for InuYasha, and that scared Kagome; she was in no setting to fight InuYasha, and she also noticed that he wasn't a normal hanyou.
'He's strong, stronger than any hanyou I've come across. What am I going to do?'
Kagome looked at the person who could be either friend or foe. His long, silver hair cascaded down to a few inches passed his waist; he was wearing a red haori, and Kagome recognized the material. It was made from the fur of the hi-nezumi, or fire-rat, making it stronger than armor, but not stronger than a pure arrow.
"Now, Wench," he turned to look at her, "it's your turn."
Kagome backed up against a tree, not knowing what to do. She could run, but he would catch up to her. Stabbing the youkai bought her some time when she made a run for it, but InuYasha wasn't close enough for her to do it. There was a bit of a distance between him and her, making her bow and arrows look promising; she took an arrow from out of her pouch and set it on her bow.
"Make a move, and I'll shoot you," she glared at him, hoping threats would buy her enough time until Kaede came; for some reason, the idea of killing or purifying InuYasha didn't sit well with her. There was so much mystery behind those amber eyes, and she wanted to know his story.
InuYasha frowned, flexing his fingers, "Do you think I give a damn, Wench? I've been attached to a tree for Kami knows how long! A miko and an arrow won't scare me. Better come up with something clever."
'Damn…he's fearless. Can I dodge him until Kaede gets here? He is pretty fast, but I've dealt with flying youkai before…'
"Time's up, Wench," InuYasha smirked, getting ready to pounce. "I think you're out of options! Goodbye, Miko!"
With that, he lunged, but he wasn't fast enough; Kagome had managed to dodge his attack. She shot her arrow, cutting his shoulder; he whirled around, growling at her, and lunged again. Kagome was in the middle of drawing another arrow when she saw his second attack; she dodged it, stumbling slightly.
"You're quick, but your aim is off," InuYasha hissed, running towards her. "Iron Reamer Soul Stealer!"
"InuYasha!"
InuYasha paused in front of Kagome, and she looked around him, smiling at the owner of the voice.
"Ye are done tampering with Kagome," Kaede had her arrow drawn, and many men around her were pointing their arrows at InuYasha as well.
"Kaede!" Kagome exclaimed, smiling.
"Kaede?" InuYasha's eyes widened. 'Kikyou's little sister? She's an old hag now…? How long was I asleep?'
"Ye are correct, InuYasha," Kaede nodded her head, beckoning to Kagome.
Kagome ran around InuYasha and towards Kaede, but she was stopped by something cold around her wrist.
"Not so fast, Wench," InuYasha smirked, and his amber eyes danced. "I told you that you have something I want, and I will kill your pathetic village for it."
Kagome frowned, distraught about all the children in her tiny village; they wouldn't grow to get married nor have children of their own. InuYasha wouldn't think of that while slicing them into pieces; he would just think about his stupid wish—whatever that was—and how he was going to live after he got it. She had to stop him.
"Kaede!" she turned to look at her sensei. "Don't shoot! Give me the necklace…"
Kaede lowered her bow, "Are ye crazy, child? InuYasha cannot live! He will destroy everything in his path to get the Shikon No Tama!"
"I won't let him," Kagome's eyes locked with hers. She was determined, and she wanted Kaede to know this. 'InuYasha will be my responsibility—my big responsibility—but I want to let him live. There is just something about him…something almost…human about him. I know he is half human, but he seems a little more humane than the other hanyous I've faced. He's different, just like me, and I want to help him…
Kaede sighed, lowering her bow completely, "I can see there is no way to convince ye. InuYasha will be yer responsibility, Kagome, and I am trusting ye…"
"I know, Kaede-sensei," Kagome nodded, glancing at the confused and irritated hanyou grasping her wrist. He looked like a child to her, and his expression made her smile.
"Here ye go, Kagome," Kaede threw a dark blue and white necklace towards her. Kagome caught it with her free hand.
"Keh," InuYasha snorted, putting his fists on his sides. "If you think that that puny necklace is gonna…"
Kagome threw the necklace over his head, and InuYasha slapped her hands away.
"What the hell? I appreciate the gift, but…" InuYasha tried to take the necklace off, but it wouldn't go above his chin. "Damn it! What is this, wench? I can't get the damned thing off!"
Kagome had turned her back on him, and she was walking towards Kaede. She couldn't help smiling at his reaction. 'He really is a child…'
"Where do you think you're going, Wench?" he yelled, leaping in the air. "We've got a fight to finish!"
Kagome stopped and opened her mouth, "InuYasha…OSWARI!"
Instantly, the necklace glowed and threw him to the ground. He lost his breath from the impact of the ground against his body, and after a moment or so, he got up, "What is this damned thing!"
Kagome chuckled, turning to look at him. She put her hands on her hips, "That necklace will throw you into the ground every time I say…Oswari."
InuYasha was slammed into the ground again, letting out an, "Oof!"
Kaede and the men from the village started to laugh, and Kagome joined in. She couldn't help it. His expression was priceless, and he kept trying to take off the necklace.
"Oi, Wench! Why won't the damned thing come off?" InuYasha asked, sitting cross-legged on the grass; he looked up at her with his black eyebrows furrowed, expecting an answer.
"The necklace won't come off. Only I can take it off," Kagome explained, coming over to him. "And you can't force me to. I'll just keep saying-"
InuYasha's hand was over her mouth before the accursed word could pass through it, and he was glaring at her, "Don't you dare say it!"
Kagome was shocked. 'He really is fast. I wonder why he didn't use this speed in our fight…he surely would have killed me if he did…'
InuYasha removed his hand from her mouth and turned his back on her, watching the sunset. 'Damn mikos. They always manage to make a mess of my life…What am I going to do now? There is no way the Wench is going to take this necklace off of me, and because of it, I can't get anywhere near the Shikon No Tama!'
"Kagome," Kaede put her hand on Kagome's shoulder. "It is getting late, and we should be getting back to the village. This forest is no place for us at night."
They both looked at InuYasha, who had been silent for a few moments now. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and a serious look was on his face.
'He does look angry…' Kagome watched with concern as his white ears twitched.
"InuYasha?" Kaede broke through his thoughts.
"What, Hag?" InuYasha replied with poison in his voice and gaze.
Kaede frowned, "Ye ought to be killed for what ye have done, but ye are lucky Kagome gave ye mercy. If it were me, I would have killed ye."
InuYasha scoffed, "Like you could, Hag."
"Come along, Kagome," Kaede ushered her over to the group of men. She narrowed her eyes at InuYasha over her shoulder. "Some people just can't be grateful…"
…
Kagome was trying to sleep when she heard a noise coming from the roof of the hut she shared with Kaede. She stared at the straw ceiling, trying to place it. 'A squirrel? No…this noise is too loud to be a squirrel. Bird? No.' She heard it again, and she cursed; there was no way she was going to be able to fall asleep with it. She pulled back the blankets and got up, and while walking to the door, she glanced at her bow and arrows. She let go of her braid, which she was playing with absentmindedly, and grabbed her weapons. After slinging the sack of arrows over her back and putting her bow over her shoulder, she walked out into the cool, night air and inhaled a deep breath of the crisp, fresh air.
'Such a beautiful night.' She looked up at the sky and twinkling stars before turning to look at the roof of her hut, and what she saw made her blink and rub her eyes a few times. 'I must be dreaming…'
"Oi! Wench!" InuYasha exclaimed from his sitting position on her hut, causing Kagome to wince. 'He's so damn loud; he'll wake everyone up!'
"Be quiet, InuYasha!" she hissed, bringing her pointer finger to her lips. "You'll wake everyone!"
InuYasha rolled his eyes, "Like I care, Wench! Now, get me something to eat!"
Kagome thought she wasn't hearing correctly. 'Did he just demand that I make him food?'
"Excuse me?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and arching an eyebrow at him.
"I said make me some food. Are you deaf, Wench?" he glowered at her, crossing his arms over his chest. 'Damn humans. Can't hear shit.'
"My name isn't 'Wench'," Kagome replied, yawning. "It's Kagome. Ka-go-me."
"I know that, Wench-!"
"I'm not 'Wench,'" Kagome yawned, yet again, walking towards the hut's door. "And you'll be hungry until you learn who I am."
"Keh," InuYasha stuck his nose in the air. "I don't need a miko's food anyway…"
Kagome ducked underneath the cloth that hung over the hut's opening to the outside; she pulled back her blankets and lay down. Closing her eyes, she smiled. 'He's no foe, and maybe, he'll become a friend…'
{Vocab}
Oswari…Sit
Youkai…Demon
Hanyou…Half-breed/Half Demon
Haori…Type of clothing
Hi-Nezumi...Fire-Rat
Kami…God
Miko…Priestess
Iron Reamer Soul Stealer…InuYasha's attack with his claws
Sensei…Teacher
Oi…Hey, an improper way to get someone's attention
Shikon No Tama…The Jewel of Four Souls
