Chapter 4
Welcome to Higurashi Shrine
"Ahh!" Kagome screamed in horror as she was caught in the spider's web. The spider drew closer to her neck to poison her, like Inuyasha was poisoned before. "Ahh! This is the end! Kurama, I'm glad I got the chance to meet you!" She cried hoping he was close enough to hear it.
"Hey! Parasite! Scourge of the demon name! It's lower than low even for a demon to come to a completely different era to attack a defenseless young woman." A voice came form a rooftop, long hair blowing in the wind.
"Kurama!" Kagome cried overwhelmed with joy. Kurama gracefully pulled a red rose from his hair, whipped his arm straight, and the rose turned into a thorned whip. Then, in a matter of seconds, he ripped through the spider-head's corpse with ease. Next, he cut Kagome free of the icky spider web and helped her to her feet. When he took hold of her left hand, Kagome cried out in pain and withdrew from him quickly.
"What happened? How'd you hurt your arm?" Kurama asked in concern.
"I hit it on this hydrant when I whipped around after I tripped - but before that spider-head spat its web." Kagome hissed while holding her arm.
"I believe I should walk you home." Kurama said gently with genuine concern in his striking emerald eyes.
"Wait, that spider-head had a fragment of the jewel." Kagome said walking over, picking up the shard with her good arm, and purified it once she touched it. "Do you know where Higurashi Shrine is?" She asked softly and sadly. Kurama nodded and watched her get up and slip the shard into her bag, which he was holding. Kagome was looking at his whip and he realized he hadn't put it away yet. He put it away immediately as to not attract any unwanted attention. Luckily for them, the street had been bare but it wouldn't have been like that for long.
"I heard what you said," Kurama said very softly as they walked down the sidewalk. Kagome immediately started to blush lightly at the news. Then, he surreptitiously slipped his arm around her waist. She was now just as red as his rose.
"Well, I meant it. I think you're making my heart heal. You know - stitching up my broken heart and showing love isn't all suffering. If I wanted a rebound I had guys lined up for me, but I'm not like that. That's just mean." Kagome said blushing with a smile playing around her mouth. " I believe I'm over that lousy dog. I've always loved foxes and cats – you'll see when you see my room." She said her cheeks blood red, and his starting to blush. They reached the base of the stairs to the Higurashi shrine and started up them. They reached the top about five minutes later. Kurama then withdrew his arm from around her waist, and Kagome understood why. Her family did not know him, and to show up at her house with his arm around her waist could set off conclusion-jumping and any other form of unwanted trouble for their developing relationship.
Kagome headed for her home and Kurama followed. She slipped off her shoes, and he did the same. "Mom! I'm home, and I brought a Friend with me." Kagome called. Kurama came and stood behind her.
"Bringing friends home already, huh? Anyway how was your day?" Mrs. Higurashi asked from the kitchen. Kagome and Kurama entered the kitchen.
"Great - except after school. Oh, mom, this is Shuuichi." Kagome said holding her injured arm like it was in an invisible sling.
"Pleased to meet you," Kurama said bowing respectfully.
"The pleasure's mine. Would you like anything to eat or drink?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.
"A drink, perhaps," Kurama said with a pleasant smile. Mrs. Higurashi gave him a grape soda. "Thank you," he said as he took it from her.
"So what happened after school? Another demonic attack against you for the jewel?" Mrs. Higurashi stated calmly as she washed dishes.
"Yeah, that's why I need the sling." Kagome said in the same tone.
"I'll get it for you, dear. Why don't you two sit down at the table?" Mrs. Higurashi said drying her hands and then leaving left the kitchen.
"Your mother acts as if it happens all the time." Kurama said a little surprised at Mrs. Higurashi's calmness.
"It's happened four times - three in the past year. Well, four times since I stop working with Inuyasha. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and I tried to continue searching for the shards, but we weren't doing so well. Naraku attacked us and we barely escaped with our lives. I came back home and rarely go back. We figured that if my part of the jewel was here, Naraku could not complete the jewel. I just wish they could come here –they'd be safe from Naraku, Sango has her brother, and Miroku has his wind tunnel cursed hand to worry about." Kagome said calmly yet sadly. Her mom came back in and gave her the sling. She put it on immediately and then turned her attention to her mother. "Where's Grampa?" She asked curiously with an innocent look on her face.
"At the well – boarding it up." Mrs. Higurashi said returning to the dirty dishes.
"What! How many times have I told him! Just because I rarely go back doesn't mean I'm gonna stop going! I have friends there! Sango's like a sister to me!" Kagome shouted jumping up, running out of the kitchen, slipping her shoes back on, and running out the door. Kurama saw her run to the hokora through the kitchen window.
Kagome slammed open the sliding door. "What are you doing? Grampa! I'm going back Saturday! I still use it! Only Inuyasha, me, and anyone – who – has Shikon shards." She said her expression changed from mad to shock. "AHHH!" Her heart-wrenching scream pierced natural sounds of the outdoors and made animals flee from the place. Kagome turned on her heal and ran back to the house.
With a lack of grace, Kagome practically tripped into her home and up the stairs. Kurama was still sitting in the kitchen, his eyes wide, and his ears slightly ringing due to her scream. He got up and went upstairs to find Kagome. She was found in her room. Being the well-mannered young man that he was, Kurama knocked on her bedroom door, but the pacing Kagome did not respond to it. From the threshold of her room, Kurama looked at the composition of her room. 'Kagome was not kidding about liking cats and foxes.' He thought as he looked at the posters, stuffed cat and fox plush, and her fox bed spread. Suddenly, he felt something rubbing against his leg and tensed up as reflex action. He looked down and saw a white and orange cat rubbing against his legs in a figure eight. After seeing what it was, he relaxed, picked up the cat, sat on her bed, and stroked the cat's coat.
"Please – PLEASE – don't let them be here! Oh, this is so bad! He could be sniffing out my trail! Oh no! I just remembered he is a shape-shifter!" Kagome rambled as she single-handedly rummaged through her things. Kurama was amused as he watched her and was curious as to what she meant by 'sniffing out her trail' and 'shape-shifter'.
"Oh – where is the key to my safe? He could be anyone! He hurt Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kikyo, and so many others. He killed everyone in Sango's village, brain washed her into believe Inuyasha did it. In addition to: using a jewel shard to give her little brother's body temporary life, tricking Sango into stealing the Tetsusaiga, had puppet Kohaku attack her, and, of course, she wouldn't fight her brother, poisoned Kirara, cursing Miroku's grandfather with a hereditary curse of the wind tunnel, and deceiving Kikyo and Inuyasha into thinking they betrayed one another!" Kagome rambled long-windedly in panic as she paced again. "I'm a dead woman if he's in Tokyo! Oh Please! Kami-sama! Don't let them be here!" She begged God as she clasped her hands together tightly and stopped pacing.
"Umm – excuse me, Kagome – but what are you raving about?" Kurama asked as he was petting Buyo.
"Ack!" Kagome shouted and fell back into her chair. The vibration from her landing caused a book to fall from a shelf above her desk, which landed on her head. Kurama jumped up then stood beside her, and Buyo landed casually on the floor.
"Are you okay?" Kurama asked as he offered his hand to help her up. She rubbed her head with her good arm and then took his hand.
"Yeah. When'd you come in and what was your question again?" Kagome asked rubbing her head again and wincing a little. Kurama smiled as he chuckled softy at her in amusement.
