Jewel of My Mother
By: azuyama-chan
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Sadly...
Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag as they reached the disarrayed campsite. Inuyasha then placed the sleeping girl on the futon. Miroku and Shippou left to catch some fish, with Sango tailing them. "That wretched monk might be looking for a chance to meet some girls." was what Sango said before she left. She may think that she is just there to protect the innocent girls from the lecher, but Kagome knew quite well that Sango is looking for a chance to be with Miroku.
Far away from the campsite, Sango and Miroku snickered. "Why are you laughing Miroku, Sango?" Shippou asked curiously.
"Why, we just gave the lovebirds a chance to be alone together." Miroku slyly replied. Shippou shrugged it off and mumbled something about "lecher being hentai once again and should be whacked on the head".
Kagome went on and started cleaning the wounds of the girl, quite careful not to awaken her. Hearing Inuyasha move, she asked, "What are you thinking about Inuyasha?"
"Keh!" He added in a lower voice. "That girl is scarily familiar." He continued inspecting the area, as if he didn't say anything after his favourite word. Shimatta. Even the scent smells awfully familiar.
Unknowingly, Kagome had heard his comment about their wounded guest. How did you meet her? Is she someone from his childhood? she asked herself. She visibly shrugged, not letting it bother her. She might just be someone who looks alike to someone in Inuyasha's past. Maybe one of those who used to torment him. No. I can't think of that. Okaasan told me not to judge a book by its cover.
Inuyasha had seen her shrug and jumped down to put his haori over Kagome. In the cold temperature of fall, she might catch a cold. It was at that moment the rest of the group decided to return, bringing a reasonable amount of fish with them.
The group heard a slight whimper from behind them, and saw a golden furred dog they had not noticed from the battle earlier.
"What a mysterious-looking dog." Miroku said as he crouched down to take a closer look at the injured dog, "It's an akita inu."
"What is he doing here?" Sango enquired, "And it's injured too."
"Keh! He must be looking for his owner." Inuyasha informed them. Seeing the puzzled looks of his companions, he pointed to the sleeping girl. "Her."
Inuyasha's statement was confirmed when the dog approached the girl. The dog licked the wounds that grazed the young girl's cheek. Kagome was about to shoo the dog away, for it might infect her wounds when Inuyasha stopped her. "Don't!" And all the eyes turned at the hanyou. "The dog contains youkai blood. It might be trying to heal her."
Kagome turned to cook some fish that Miroku caught. It was almost night time and they were really hungry since the light battle. The rest of the gang watched in silence as the dog licked its owner's wound. They paralyzed in fear when they heard the dog whimper in pain. Kagome, being the kind natured girl she is, was the first to rush to the pained animal. Inuyasha sniffed the air and he came to a daunting realization. The wound is a poisoned wound!
But before anyone was able to do anything, the girl groaned. "Hachi-ko…" she said in a hoarse voice. She groaned again. But the groan, to Inuyasha's ears sounded like a growling inuyoukai scolding a child. She placed her hand into his mouth. Then unseen by the eye but smelt by a sensitive nose, a fresh scent of blood was in the air. Inuyasha approached the source, the injured girl lying in the ground. She pulled her hand away from the dog's mouth and placed it on the open gash of the dog.
Surprisingly, the dog's condition improved with each passing moment. Taken aback, Miroku asked, "Why did the dog heal? And why weren't we able to directly identify the poison wound?" But none had the answer to the questions raised. But they knew who held the key to answer. The girl.
All eyes turned to look at her and she looked at them. Sango opened her mouth to answer but was immediately silenced by the load roar. Moments later, a youkai, similar to the one they had killed before, emerged. Its red blood eyes scanned the campsite before stopping at Inuyasha.
"I shall take my revenge!" It roared.
"Keh!" And Inuyasha unsheathed his sword and hung it in his shoulder, as he usually does.
"You're his brother?" The injured girl struggled to stand up. Having seen the distinct change on the youkai's face and now having everyone's attention, she continued "Figures. You have the same smear on his stomach."
"It's a mark of strength, wench." The youkai is obviously pissed at this insult. "Not that a stinking ningen like you would understand." In a flash, he had his hand around her neck, lifting her a few feet from the ground.
"My prize. My pathetic fool of a brother could never capture it." His eyes widened, "But I could!" And threw the girl backwards. Sango, already on Kirara, attempted to follow the wounded girl but was immediately flown back, hitting Miroku as well. Inuyasha raised his sword, the rising moon shining on his sword. But before the Kaze no Kizu was released, a hand, covered in blood, passed through the youkai's stomach. In the blink of the eye, the youkai turned nothing into ashes.
"So similar. So pathetic." the new youkai said. She had lack ebony hair that reached a half a shaku above her knees. Random red streaks graced the midnight fall. Her claws turned from black to normal. A blue triangle on her forehead and a purple streak that graced each of her cheek. She had amber eyes, so similar to Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's. Another thing was that she wore the same thing that the injured girl wore, with the akita-inu by her side.
"Inuyasha."
The said hanyou sniffed and scowled. There was no doubt about it. This girl bears the scent of…
"NARAKU!"
Author's Ramblings
What did you guys think of it? Review please. XD
Akita is a breed of dog in Japan. Hachi-ko is actually a name of a real loyal dog in Japan. He was born in 1923 and was owned by Professor Eizaburo Ueno of Tokyo. Professor Ueno lived near the Shibuya Train Station in a suburb of the city and commuted to work every day on the train. Hachi-Ko accompanied his master to and from the station each day.
On May 25, 1925, when the dog was 18 months old, he waited for his master's arrival on the four o'clock train. But he waited in vain; Professor Ueno had suffered a fatal stroke at work. Hachi-Ko continued to wait for his master's return. He traveled to and from the station each day for the next nine years. He allowed the professor's relatives to care for him, but he never gave up the vigil at the station for his master. His vigil became world renowned, and shortly after his death, a bronze statue was erected at the train station in his honor. Then, in 1931, The Akita was officially declared a Japanese Natural Monument. The Mayor of Odate City in the Akita Prefecture organized the Akita Inu Hozankai to preserve the original Akita as a national treasure through careful breeding. What loyalty.
Source: ht tp: / ww w. canismajor. com /dog /akita. html
A shaku is 303.0 mm. So half a shaku would be around 150 something.