Okay SO! A lot of this story may have certain events from the series. This chapter is the beginnign of that. I've always wanted to write a story of this particular episode and now I am (: It won't be exactly like how it was in the series in my story. You'll see in the next chapter.


4. The sage from hell

The last thing she wanted to do was have dinner with everyone including her family. At her house. At the table. Things was the last thing she thought would go smoothly. So when dinner is set, she smooshes herself between Sango and her mother. Grandpa sits next to her mother. Souta is across the table with Miroku and Inuyasha. Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha had changed into their own clothes for comfort. before they sat down. It was a little early for dinner but Kagome wanted to let Sango and Miroku try her shower just for fun before they went back through the well.

"So.." Souta said awkwardly.

"So.." Miroku added.

"Just spit it out you two-" Inuyasha barked as he slurped instant noodles rather than what Kaori cooked.

"BOY! you best show some manners at the table now" Grandpa yelled.

"Calm down, gramps." Souta put a hand on his arm.

"This is a lovely meal" Miroku said to her mom.

"Oh yes" Sango smiled.

"Why thank you- it's Kagome's favorite" Kaori smiled at her guests.

"I can see where she gets her cooking expertise" Miroku added.

"Oh- she always loved to cook beside me. I sometimes find myself missing it. But at least I know now that she's still cooking." She smiled

"And with much less that what your world offers to." Miroku is seriously talking about food with her mother. Really?

"Much less?" Kaori asked.

"Well- our world doesn't have the large markets such as your-"

"Oh- sometimes Kagome must work with just fish and the surrounding herbs growing." Sango added. Now she's in on this.

The look on both Kagome and Inuyasha's face as they watched their friends converse over the way someone cooks. It was priceless. It was a mix between shock and confusion. Has the awkward tension gotten to their heads? What the hell. Obviously, they were the only one who saw the weird part of ths because everyone else was enwrapped within the conversation that had now steered to talking about the herbs they normally find just laying around. Kagome and Inuyasha seemed to forget about their problems for the moment. They looked at each other and they nodded in agreement that they were surrounded by weirdo.

"Can we please not talk about how I cook-" Kagome said

"Seriously." Inuyasha muttered in agreement. Sango and Miroku gave each other a look a grattitude. Kaori and Souta bit backa smile while grandpa muttered to himself about ungrateful kids.


I rub this on my body?" Sango asked lifting up the bar of soap and studying it. Kagome had just gone of the double procedure with shampoo and Conditioner and now it was to the cleansing with the loofa.

"will it hurt?" Sango looked the loofa up and down. Kagome was so happy that she's already taken her shower. Her now replenished skin and relieved muscles would not have been able to go through this lesson before.

"It scratches off dirt but it doesn't hurt- here, set your water temperature and you can stay in here as long as you'd like" Kagome smiled at the girl before turning on her water and walking out of her bathroom.

From outside she heard the girl finally get into the water after a bit of a shriek. She walked downstairs to were Miroku was having a serious conversation with Grandpa while Inuyasha was messing with Bouyo on the floor, as usual. Her mother was cleaning in the kitchen and Souta was watching tv. She slipped out of the house without telling anyone. She didn't want to be around everyone right now. Being alone was needed. Walking aimlessly, she found herself in front of the tree. The Sacred Tree.

She first met him here. It was also the first time she rubbed his ears. She laughed to herself about that memory. So many things revolved around this tree. They met, they've hurt, they've cried all by this tree. They've even connected on both sides of the well. It was the day Kikyo had pushed her down the well after taking her shards, preventing her from coming back. She doesn't remember ever telling Inuyasha that she was forced back because of Kikyo. Of course, he told her that she came back because she was scared. That she ran home away from the danger. It was his usual insult to her. She remembers getting so mad when he said that but she was laughing about it now. One tear had fallen down her cheek.

Why does it hurt so much just to remember these things?

It shouldn't hurt to think of him.

Or the times we've had.

They weren't all bad times either.

There are times that I love to think about.

Another tear fell.

"You alright?" She'd know that voice anywhere. She laughed to herself again.

"Kagome?" Still no answer.

After what felt like minutes "Do you remember.. when we talked through the tree?" She asked, still looking at the tree. It was dark out but the outline of the tall trunk you could still see. The leaves however blended in with the trees around it.

"After you tried to kill me?" He teased nd she laughed. It was the sweetest exchange they've had in the longest. Little did they know the exchanges were being watched from her bedroom window by their friends.

"Yea.." she said looking down and sitting by the tree. "Did I ever explain how I got to my time?" She looked at him finally.

"Yea- you left cus you were scared." He said sitting down next to her.

"But I didn't" she said

"Didn't what?"

"Didn't leave because I was scared. I was forced to leave"

"by who? Not many can really make you do anything- I can't" He admitted.

"By Kikyo." she said.

"Ki-Kikyo?" he was shocked. She's never told him this and that was so long ago.

"Yea." She had no idea why she was telling him this. A part of her said it was bothering her so she just wanted to say it. The other part knew that deep down she wanted this to influence his already made decision somehow. Like, if he heard this- he might think twice about his choice. She shook her head and stood up.

No

He's already chosen her

Nothing can change his mind

Love is something you don't think twice about

I would know...

"We should go check on them two and head back." She said to him.

"Um-yea. we need to head back-"

"Shards to find right?" She looked at him.

"Yea" and they went inside to check on their friends.


"And they had these moving things called cars- more advanced than that bicycle that she takes around and..." Miroku droned on and on to Kaede about what he saw in her time. Kagome and Sango gave their little gifts to Shippo and Kirara. Inuyasha just watched from the corner of the hut. He hasn't spoken or argued much since that talk by the tree.

Why didn't she tell me?

Why did she keep it to herself?

That should be something to tell me, don't you think?

Of course she didn't tell you, idiot.

She's known all along that you would choose Kikyo no matter what.

Saying you choose Kikyo even with knowing the things she's done to her?

That's salt on the wound, buddy...

And if I didn't choose?

"Kagome?" Miroku looked at the girl, catching Inuyasha's attention.

"talk a walk with me?" He stuck out his hand. Reluctantly, she took it - much to a certain half demons dismay.

"What's up Miroku?" She asked him when they were a ways away from the hut.

"Is there any chance that you still feel for our half demon friend?" He asked seriously.

"That's non -"

"We are all friends just trying to get a hold of this situation." He smiled at her an she gave up fighting, for now.

"I said I was done. That I wouldn't be dragged along anymore but I suppose that they are still there"

"You're care for him- you mean?"

"Yes. It doesn't go away over night- I'm trying to stay away from him. It doesn't go away if he keeps annoying me or stays near me.." She admitted.

"Well- that is all I wanted to know! She we head back? I smell fish" Miroku stood up and started skipping back to the hut like it was Christmas morning.

"What the.."


"Do you have to?" Kagome whined. Sango just informed that she needed to head back to her home village to do some work on her Hiraikotau. She needed a good three days for it.

"afraid so" Sango smiled at the girl.

"You seriously can't leave me alone here with these two.." She kept complaining

"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled but she ignored him. When they had returned to the fuedal era, she had gone back to ignoring him. She gave him too many close moments in her time even when she still wasn't over everything. So, she needed to get back on track with staying away from him. She was getting close to him again and she didn't want to. Well- she did but, yea.

"Kagome honestly, we wouldn't do anything to make you uncomfortable. Truly" Miroku said as his hands went in a rather specific hug.

"Can it, Miroku." Sango weapon made it's way to his head, stopping his tracks.

"Kagome you'll be fine. It'll just be 3 days" she hugged the girl as she glared at Miroku mouthing her next statement.

'This better work'

Miroku just shrugged his shoulders and to follow Inuyasha who had already started walking away. Kagome said her goodbyes and Shippo had jump up her shoulder to watch Sango leave on Kirara.

"Hurry up, Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, impatient.

"Patience, Inuyasha. Learn it." But the half demon just rolled his eyes and kept on walking.

Kagome had ended up next to Miroku as they were walking along a river. They were between mountains and a ways away from clear land but it wouldn't take too long to get out.

"Woah- what is that?" Shippo pointed at the water. There was something floating downstream. There were actually a lot of it floating. Shippo hopped down from her shoulder and walked over to the water pulling one out and looking at it.

"This is the weirdest looking fruit I've ever seen?"

"Ugh- it has a face!" Kagome complained.

"A human faced fruit!" Miroku said almost excitedly.

"Human-faced?" Kagome looked at him. "How can fruit be human faced?" She asked.

"The demon tree, Ninmenka. He takes nourishment from the bodies of humans and demons and produces a fruit which resembles a human face."

"A demon tree?"

"There are so many.." Shippo said pointing at the water overflowing with the fruit.

"Wars are happening all over- of course, there's plenty of bodies laying around." Inuyasha simply put it.

"But we're in the mountains.. There weren't any fights going on near here, Inuyasha.." She said not realizing that she actually spoke to him. It wasn't lost on the half demon though.

"True.. Very true." Miroku said more to himself.

"It's settled then" Kagome stood up, by the water. "We'll check it out."

"Wait- what!" Inuyasha came back from his thoughts of talking to Kagome. But he was forgotten. The others started walking up the streams towards the source of the fruit downpour.

"Are you forgetting someone! You can't leave without me!" He yelled at their backs.

"Stop doddling! We've got work to do, Inuyasha!" She waved him off.

"Let's get this over with so we can rest until Sango's return!" Miroku added before they continued walking away from the seething Half Demon.


"Inuyasha!-"

"What are you going to do, Inuyasha!" They had ound the tree. It was at the top of one of the cliffs and now Inuyasha was at full speed climbing towards it without explaining himself.

"What else? I'm gonna chop down that tree so we can get outta here already!" He yelled as he climbed.

"Always so rushed.." Miroku muttered to himself but Kagome heard him.

Of course he's in a rush. Kagome had seen the sky and new what day it was.

It's the night of the new moon.

He wants to do this while he's still part demon..

"Shippo- do you think you could carry us up there?" Kagome looked at the kitsune who suddenly paled.

"Uhh- yes?"


Shippo tried, he really did. He was just a young fox demon anyways. But he couldn't take to the weight anymore. They dropped. Luckily they fell on top of a staircase hidden underneath some trees.

"Looks like we've landed in some hidden mansion" Miroku said. There was a room in front of them with something that resembled a boxed town in the center. Some weapons laid along the wall and is that?

It that the tetsusaiga?

Why isn't the sword with Inuyasha!

"Kagome, come look!" Shippo called as they looked inside the box. There were people in there. It looked like they were running or something.

Wait- are they getting bigger?

Is the whole town getting bigger

NO!

We're getting smaller!

They all screamed as their bodies shrink and they fell on the ground of the box town. Men were either running or meditating all around them.

"What is this place?.."


Meanwhile, Inuyasha had managed to get himself captured by the sage named Tokigen and is now wrapped up in large thorned stems holding him from moving. Unfortunately, the sun had gone down and he was now in human form. He had no defense against the sage that held him captive. At least Kagome hadn't come up the cliff with him..

"It's no use to try and get out of those thorns. They'll only make you bleed beyond what you are now"

"Anything to get me out of these so I can kill you" Inuyasha hissed at the obese sage.

"As long as I have these jewel shards and the powers of a sage you can never defeat me" Tokajin said as he lifted the little jar of shards that Kagome had to hold her shard pieces.

"Where did you get that!" Inuyasha yelled.

Kagome

What did he do to her?

Is she alright?

How did she get here..

"This?" He looked at the glass jar. "Oh- I found it." He answered.

Is he lying?

"You're lying! What did you do with the owner of the jewel shards!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Owner- what owner?"

"Don't play dumb with me! What did you do with Kagome!" Inuyasha tried but the stems weren't letting up.

"Kagome? a girl you say? What news!- A girl in my house. Ninmenka loves women too! The younger the better..." Tokajin walked out to where he found the shards to find Kagome.


"Do you think there's a way to get out of here?" Kagome asked again. They've been walking around this little boxed town the whole time but found no way out. The edges were the stone walls holding everything in. There was no way to climb out of them either. They were just about to give up.

"Kagome?" Miroku looked at the girl.

"Yea?"

"Do you still have that flammable container in your bag?"

"My hairspray? yea?" She was confused.

"Might we try a bit of an explosion.." He was waiting for her to catch on.

"OHHHHHHHH- That might work!" Finally.

She took out her hairspray cans and they found one of the rocky sections at a wall. The stuff three cans underneath a ledge in the ground. Shippo set the cans underneath the rock on fire with his fox fire and the rock started to tumble towards the wall. The large stone hit the wall with a blow and when the smoke subsided, it revealed a hole in the wall the the rock made.

"It WORKED!" Shippo yelled.

"Woohoooooo!" Kagome and Miroku yelled.

"What is THAT" Shippo looked up at the sky and all they saw was an eye. That is- before a hand started reaching down in the town and grabbed Kagome.

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled. But it was too late, he had Kagome and dragged her out of the box within his hand.

"hahaha- finally, a girl. She's filthy but she'll definitely do for nourishment. Kagome finally opened her eyes and looked up at the sage.

Oh no!

He must be the sage, Tokajin-

"What a fine day- an unusual half demon and a young girl all within hours. By tomorrow, I should have the fruit of longevity."

Half demon?

Inuyasha?

"What did you do with Inuyasha!" She yelled with all her might. "Answer me! He's not hurt, is he? You'll be sorry if he is!"

"Quiet down" he squeezed his hand and the pressure knocked her out.

"Leave it to Kagome to chew him out even with the situation" Shippo said.

"Comes with experience, I suppose" Miroku says as they climbed out of the whole and followed Tokajin in their small bodies out of the room.


I can't take this!

Human bodies are so weak and vulnerable.

I hope Kagome's alright..

"Still alive, half demon?" Takojin walked in and threw clothing on the floor next to the entrance.

Clothing?

Wait-

Is that green and white?

KAGOME!

"Where's Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. "Where the girl! What did you do with her-"

"Oh, I see. By the way you're reacting, it seems this girl is your lover" Tokajin smirked. "You'll see her soon enough. Inside of me, that is"

Inuyasha started screaming at the sage. The thorns were rough but he kept fighting. The thought of this monster laying a hand on Kagome only doubled the adrenaline acting as strength right now. Slowly but surely he was able to pull at the stems but it wasn't enough. He needed help. Luckily, Miroku was on the ground in Kagome's clothes.

"I don't know if my size will change things but.. WIND TUNNEL!" He let out the wind in his hand and it started to pull on the vines with the thorns attached to the ceiling. As the vines fell so did the ceiling. Soon, the room caved in and the rocks fell over everyone- including Tokajin.

Inuyasha managed to get the tiny extent of the ceiling avalanche. As he was walking out of the room to go find Kagome, he heard voices.

"Wait! Inuyasha, we know where Kagome is!" Miroku yelled.

"Miroku? Shippo? What happened to you guys?" Inuyasha asked, completely off task.

"Not now- Kagome is downstairs in the basement." Miroku said as they hopped onto Inuyasha's shoulder.


hmm..

so warm..

wait- why am I warm?

A BATH!

Why am I in a bath?!

Oh my god- someone undressed me.

"PERVS!" She yelled to the empty bathroom.

It smells so sweet..

"Kagome!" Inuyasha broke the door in.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome stood up in the water. The fact that she was in the nude was lost on her- only for a second. "Ahh" She squealed falling back donw into the water. Inuyasha fell to the ground by the door in embarrassment.

She's alive.

That's all that matters..

After her cheeks sizzled for a bit, she turned to look at his back to her. There were stains of blood through his kimono. His hair was black showing his human form. He was beat up and she could see it. The entire battle between them was lost on her as she stepped out of the water. She walked towards him and he threw his kimono top at her.

"Put this on" He still didn't look at her.

"Are you alright?" She asked as she tied on his coat.

"Just a few scratches- I'm fine" He tried to stand up but fell back down to the ground.

"Inuyasha!" She ran towards him, dressed now. "Your human tonight- you know you can't push yourself." She complained.

"I'm fine-"

"Don't even try it, Inuyasha. You're hurt- you're not going anywhere." She moved to pick his body up and rest it against hers.

"Um- is this a bad time?" Miroku popped up through the half demons hair and the girls faced went a few shades of red but she composed herself for the sake of the resting helf demon.

"We are so dealing with this later." She glared at the monk and he nervously laughed.

After setting inuyasha down, she placed her hands against the floor and closed her eyes. Her hands began to glow as she worked her powers. Soon enough, the door was a barricade of blue/purplish light. She was locking the door with her magic. He needed his rest and she needed to make sure he was safe while he did. She didn't notice it but as she worked, Inuyasha just stared at her with his head on her lap.

She looks so peaceful..

She looks beautiful

Did I really say that?

Yes.. I did.


Let me know how this went? (: