Readers--Okay, my Beta has informed me that I have forgotten to add the names of the songs from which I am borrowing lyrics. (Oh my!) So I'm going to run through that quickly--remembered that all of these songs are by American Hi-Fi.
Chapter 1: Built for Speed
Chapter 2: Gold Rush
Chapter 3: The Art of Losing
Chapter 4: Another Perfect Day
Chapter 5: Don't wait for the Sun
I think that's all I wanted to address. Oh, for all those who read Surviving a City, only two more chapters to go, so be prepared! Enjoy Chapter 5 and stay tuned for shout-outs at the end of the chapter.
Disclaimer: Alas, they are not mine....*sigh* but if they were, Inuyasha could do my food shopping!
Whyndancer Sez:
Get ready for a surprise. If anyone saw this coming I'll give them a cookie. I sure as heck didn't.
Chapter 5: Secrets of the Full Moon
"I don't need to know why,
Cause tomorrow I'll be fine,
I should learn to be still,
If I close my eye I'll realize what I meant"
Kagome woke up the next morning with a huge headache. She put on a cheerful face for Kaede and her friends at school. She still felt raw about what happened the day before. Although she wasn't really in the mood for salving wounds, she made it a point to apologize to Hojo first thing in the morning. Kagome hung around his locker until she saw him coming. She gave him a hesitant smile that he returned shyly.
"Hi Hojo," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.
"Hi Kagome, how are you feeling?" he asked hesitantly.
"I'm better." It was awkward silence between them for a few moments, then Kagome continued. "Listen Hojo, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I let off on you and I shouldn't have. It wasn't a good day for me, and I'm just sorry."
Hojo beamed at her happily. "Oh, it's alright Kagome. Really! I kind of figured you weren't yourself because you're so much nicer then that." He blushed and Kagome smiled. "Listen Kagome, I was hoping that maybe, if you aren't doing anything on Saturday, maybe you'd like to go see a movie with me?"
Kagome was shocked. Did he just ask her out on a date? No way! She was so shocked she could only stammer. "B-b-but H-h-Hojo! You d-don't even kn-know me!"
"I'd like to, I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. But I'd really like you to!" He was still blushing, but he looked so sincere that Kagome didn't have the heart to refuse.
"Okay, I guess."
"Really?" His face broke into a beaming grin. "Okay, I'll pick you up at your place on Saturday at two, alright?"
Kagome smiled shyly. "Okay."
There was a mutual blush, then they shyly parted ways. Kagome shook her head at her stupidity. 'I can't believe I just got asked out! But at least it's by Hojo and not anyone else.' Somehow, somewhere, she was disappointed that her first date was with Hojo and not with the boy who she was feeling the first twinges of a crush on. 'I am such an idiot,' she thought, shaking those thoughts away.
She ran shaking hands through her hair as she was flanked suddenly by Sango and Rin. "What was that all about?" Sango asked slyly, raising an eyebrow.
"What was what?" Kagome asked defensively.
"That little moment with you and Hojo," Rin said with a sinister smile. Kagome shrugged, a pretty blush staining her face.
"He asked me to a movie, that's all." Both girls looked surprised.
"You said yes?" Rin asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Kagome was a little uncomfortable now, squirming under both girls' stares. And things always go from bad to worse because it was just that moment that Inuyasha and Miroku chose to fall into step with them. Kagome groaned a little, really not wanting to deal with this today. Her head ached, and her body was starting to feel stiff.
"Well, it's just that...I can't see you going out with him," Rin said to Kagome with a shrug.
"Going out with who?" Miroku asked, always the nosey one.
"Kagome's going on a date with Hojo," Sango filled in. Inuyasha raised both his eyebrows and looked at Kagome. The girl in question was walking with her head down, a blush staining her cheeks, and her sunglasses once more blocking her eyes from view.
"Why would you wanna go out with Hojo?" he asked her suddenly. Kagome's gaze snapped up to him and she scowled.
"There's nothing wrong with Hojo," she said with a frown. "He's a nice guy and I didn't have the heart to say no after the way I treated him yesterday." Her voice conveyed deep regret.
Inuyasha snorted. "So this is a mercy date," he said. Kagome glared at him and took a few faster steps, leaving him behind. Rin sped up to catch her cousin. Sango was too busy whacking Miroku's head against a locker because it was too early in the morning for him to be grabbing her ass.
"Kag, wait up!" Rin called, falling into step with her. "Don't listen to Inuyasha, you know how he is."
"No, I don't," Kagome said quietly. Rin looked up at her and felt her breath catch. Kagome had taken off her glasses and looked back at her cousin with sorrowful eyes that filled with tears. Tears Rin knew would never fall. Kagome was incapable of crying anymore, and the sight of her in such a state made Rin's own eyes burn. "I don't know anything about him really. I'm supposed to get close to him. I'm supposed to...to..." Kagome took a few deep breaths, trying desperately to control herself again. She pressed a hand to her forehead.
"It's the full moon, isn't it?" Rin asked quietly, taking her cousin's arm and steering her into their homeroom. Rin sat her down at the desk and took Kagome's hands in her own. "It's ok. Try not to get upset, you know it only makes it worse."
Kagome nodded, like a small child needing to be reminded. "I didn't have time to get an aspirin this morning," she said in a soft voice. "My head is pounding."
"I have some in my bag," Sango said as she walked over to them. "Is that why you're upset? Do you have a headache?" Kagome and Rin both nodded and gratefully excepted the small white pills that would ease Kagome's throbbing head. Rin put an arm around Kagome until she felt better, thanking both girls and apologizing several times for falling to pieces the last two days.
Rin was used to things like this. She knew all of Kagome's secrets, she was family after all. The effects that the full moon had on her cousin were nothing short of agony for the girl herself, so much that it was hard from Rin to even watch. This was Kagome, after all. The toughest, smartest, most spirited person Rin had ever known. Kagome was brave and beautiful and confident, everything Rin wished she could be. Everything Kagome told her that she was. In a lot of ways, Kagome was more like a sister to Rin then a cousin. Although she had Sango and Miroku and Inuyasha, Rin would never be closer to anyone than Kagome.
"I'm okay Rin, really," Kagome told her as the bell rang and everyone else filed in. Kagome put the glasses back over her eyes and flashed a wan smile at Rin. "I'll be right as rain by tomorrow, you'll see." Rin nodded, but made the decision to stay by Kagome's side the rest of the day. Her monthly lunar effects seemed to take more of a toll on her now that she was getting older.
Kagome was truly touched by Rin's concern. It was such a new feeling to have someone care about you. Sure she had Souta and Shippou, who both loved her madly, but they were so little. They needed to be taken care of. It was nice to have someone take care of her for a change. Not only was Rin looking after her, but also Kaede, and even Sango. Kagome liked the feeling of having friends, of having a new place. For once in her life, Kagome pushed aside the guilt that she was feeling and decided to be selfish this time. She would embrace this new life and all it had to offer. But then again, her human reason was giving way to freer instincts. Tonight, she would sell herself to the devil for a chance at freedom.
"Don't wait for the sun,
It could turn black any day"
"Kagome dear, you look unwell," Kaede said when Kagome announced her arrival at home. Sango and Rin had opted to drive over, letting Kagome have some alone time to drive herself. She made the decision in the road to snub training until after sunset, when she was more relaxed.
"I have a wicked headache Grams. I think I'll pass on training until after dark, ok?" Kaede pressed a cool hand to Kagome's forehead and felt the light tinglings of a fever. She nodded solemnly, taking Kagome's backpack and setting it next to the stairs. She then steered Kagome to a seat at the kitchen table, and brewed her some herbal tea. Kagome was suddenly feeling very hot, like her blood was on fire. She shed her warm leather duster, revealing the tight red tank top she wore underneath. She pulled her hair up from the back of her neck in a sloppy bun, stray locks falling around her face and sticking to her sweating body.
"Are you sure you don't want to lie down?" Kaede asked, handing her a steaming mug of herbal tea, laced with a few herbs to lessen pain and cool her blood. Like Rin, Kaede knew that her granddaughter's curse was getting worse on her the stronger her miko powers became. Once she became High Miko, what would happen?
"No thanks Grandma," she said quickly, sipping the tea and relaxing her muscles. The herbs in the liquid eased the pressure in her head and quenched the heat, but she still felt weak and achy. It was like she had been in bed with the flu for a week, and was only just getting around once more. By simply looking at her, one could never tell she was healthy as a horse just the day before. Her face was pale and her hands shook. Her eyes were dull and her skin glistened with sweat.
Sango and Rin entered through the kitchen exit and rushed to Kagome when they saw her.
"Kag, are you alright?" Sango asked worriedly.
"You look awful," Rin cried, patting her hands. Kagome smiled up at them.
"You two are too much!" she laughed. "I'm just sick, I'll be fine! You still have to practice, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to do much until I'm feeling better."
"Come on girls, give Kagome some air," Kaede said, shooing them upstairs to change while she refilled Kagome's tea. "You can rest in the kitchen or come into the dojo to watch the training if you want. Just try to take it easy until sunset, sweetheart," Kaede said with a smile, setting knuckles to Kagome's temples. Kagome moved toward the touch. Kaede inwardly sighed, knowing how little physical contact her granddaughter had received in her younger days. Kaede patted her cheek lovingly before heading into the dojo to prepare for her afternoon class.
Kagome sipped her tea, squirming uncomfortably. She was not a girl who was sick often. In fact, Kagome never got sick apart from her monthly side effects. She was so engrossed in watching her tea swirl around in her mug that she didn't hear Miroku and Inuyasha enter the kitchen, arguing about something. They both stopped when they saw her.
"Kagome?" Miroku said, moving toward her. All perverted thoughts forgotten at the sight of her sickly countenance. "Are you alright? You look sick!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Of course she was sick! But that's Miroku for you, the king of stating the obvious. Kagome really did look terrible though. She was hunched over in her chair and looked like she barely had the strength to stand.
"Hey bitch," he said, but not unkindly. "You should be in bed or something. You look like you're about to fall over dead." Kagome turned her eyes to him and he froze for an instant. They looked distant, so unlike her normally. But then he shook his head. He barely even knew this girl! And he was off trying to figure her out, all because he saw her break down the day before. All because he saw her in such a sad state that he couldn't help but want to help her in some way. Here she was, the smart-mouthed girl who traded insults with him since the day they met, looking very small.
Kagome broke into a smile when she looked up at Inuyasha. He was looking down at her with slight concern and that warmed her in a place long frozen. She couldn't stop herself from thinking he was cute like that, head cocked just a bit to the side, his ear twitching slightly. "I'm fine, just not up to practice today. Sorry dog-boy, looks like I can't make you sit." He snorted, looking away, but still shot glances her way from the corner of his eye.
"Slackers!" Kaede called from the front room. "Get changed and get to the weapons room! I have a class in front today, Kagome will be leading your lesson. The girls should be down in a second." Kagome looked out to where her grandmother's voice was coming from. Had her foggy brain caught that right? Did she just say that she, Kagome, was instructing them?
"Looks like I get to be drunk on power," Kagome mused, pushing back in her chair and getting up. She teetered slightly, but strong hands caught her by the shoulders before she could fall. Kagome looked up, startled to see that Inuyasha was the one holding her up.
"You shouldn't do that if your sick. Falling head-first into the floor never helps anything," he commented, remembering the times when Kagome had pulled her little 'subduing spell' on him. And yet here he was, holding her up so she wouldn't fall. She smiled up at him in a dazed way. Inuyasha suddenly felt guilty for touching her so he directed her to the stairs just as Rin and Sango appeared. Kagome smiled weakly at her friends.
"Rin, Sango, could you two help me to my room?" she asked the girls. They rushed forward, one to either side of her as they helped her up the stairs. Kaede's tea was helping, and when Kagome came back downstairs fifteen minutes later, she was fine to walk on her own. She still looked very unwell, but Kagome knew her limitations. She sat cross-legged on the floor in the weapon room and watched the others practice.
Kagome reminded Rin to keep both her arms up when defending with her knives. She also got to her feet and showed Rin an easier stance for when she was throwing. The shift helped her to better adjust her aim, resutling in a marked increase in the accuracy of her throws.
Sango needed little instruction. She was a born athlete, and had been training in martial arts for some time under the guidance of her father. They came from an old line of demon exterminators and a few of thier techniqueshad survived the test of time to be passed on to this day. Kagome only had to warn her about leaving her right side open, an easy target for a hand-to-hand attack even while weapons fighting. Sango graciously accepted the tip and tried harder to keep herself protected.
Miroku had the habit of letting his eyes wander to the swordswoman across the room, letting Inuyasha take him down every time. Kagome didn't see how she could help with that, but she did give him a useful pointer on how to faint better to catch his shifty opponent off guard. After a few attempts, Miroku actually pulled one over on Inuyasha, and laid him out on the floor.
Now for Inuyasha...Kagome watched him fighting closely. She watched his displays of strength and the way his muscles seemed to glide from one move to the next. His form was nearly perfect, but he added a few touches here and there to make the style his own. He had total concentration when he fought, nothing could distract him. But Kagome detected a small flaw in one of his routine forms, so she called a halt to his sparring match to walk over.
"You shouldn't do that," he warned as she padded over. When in her room ,she had changed to sweatpants and ditched her boots. She was comfortable now, even in front of others. When it came to clothing, comfort always came first for Kagome. Even above modesty.
"It's ok Mom," she said, pushing all thoughts of her mother from her mind. "I'm only trying to help you out. Grams told me to instruct, so I am." He scoffed and turned away from her, folding his arms.
"Whatever you have to say, save it." Kagome walked right over to him, not saying a word. She bit her bottom lip for a second.
"Miroku," she spoke suddenly. "Could you please take your beginning stance, facing Inuyasha's left?" Miroku did as she requested. Inuyasha tensed. Was she going to have him attack?
"Inuyasha, please take you beginning stance as well." He grudgingly did as she asked, but only because she had said please first. Miroku and Inuyasha faced each other, waiting for Kagome to do or say something. She walked to Inuyasha's left and kicked him hard in the side. He fell over, clutching his ribcage.
"What the fuck!" he yelled, breathing hard to regain balance as he leapt up. Sick or not, she was still a bitch. "What the hell was that for?"
"You always leave your left side wide open in your stances. Anyone could come along and attack you that way." She didn't look phased by his anger. In fact, she smiled slightly. "Here," she said, standing next to him. As she had with Rin, Kagome positioned Inuyasha's body in a new stance. She moved his left leg farther from his right, to give him greater balance, and brought his elbow out more, protecting the tender ribcage. Inuyasha was stiff as Kagome's hands traveled up and down his arm and leg. It was an awkward situation for him, but she was only instructing. It was all innocent...right?"
"There you go!" she said, proud o herself. "Try using this stance more when you start off. It should prevent anyone from figuring out your left side is your blind spot." Then she went back to her seat against the wall, slumping a bit. Her head was feeling dizzy again. It was getting later. Soon the sun would set, and her pain would stop.
"I lost my head in the clouds,
When will the haze go away,
I never wanted this,
Now it's all I've got"
Kagome called the session to an end when Kaede sent the last of the children from her class home. The four martial arts team members went upstairs to change and Kaede helped Kagome into the kitchen once more. "It's almost time, dear," Kaede said, glancing out the window at the red sky.
"I know, I can feel it," Kagome replied. Her bones began humming when the sun set. Her blood pumped faster. It was beginning. Finally. "I'll go into the weapon room. If the others ask, say I went out for air or something." Kaede nodded.
"I'll tell them to take the kitchen exit. And Rin?"
"She'll know. If she wants to stay, then let her stay." Kagome shrugged it off, getting to her feet. Her balance was back and she was starting to feel her health returning. "Come and see me later Grams," she called, closing the door behind her.
"Alright honey," Kaede called, sighing to herself. She busied herself with making a meal for them both when the martial arts team bounded down the stairs. Miroku was in the lead, running for his life and Sango chased after him. Inuyasha was laughing hysterically at Miroku's face, stained with three hand prints already. Rin looked amused, yet pensive. She walked over to the dojo master.
"Where is she?" Rin asked quietly. Inuyasha's ears heard everything, but hopefully he was too preoccupied to notice.
"In the other room. Or taking a walk," she added for good measure. One could never be too sure what Inuyasha might hear. "She needed some air." Rin nodded. "She said that if you wished to stay, you are welcome to. And you are, Rin dear." Rin smiled and nodded, taking a seat at the table.
"That's it, I'm going home!" Miroku cried, running out the door. "See you tomorrow Inuyasha, Rin! And if you see Kag, tell her I said later!" But then Sango was kicking him out the door.
"I'm going too. Tell Kagome I hope she feels better. Good night all." The sounds of slapping and laughter was heard in the kitchen until Miroku and Sango finally left the parking lot. Inuyasha shook his head, stuffing everything into his duffel bag.
"Well, I should be off too. Don't want Mom to get worried ya know," he said casually. But as he swung the bag over his shoulder, he stopped, sniffing the air. His body tensed. Rin and Kaede were looking at him intensely.
"Inuyasha?" Rin asked, getting to her feet. "What's wrong?"
"Mistress Kaede," Inuyasha whispered to the old woman at his side. His head was in the air and he took a few deep sniffs. "There's a demon in the dojo, and I don't mean me."
"Impossible. I would sense another demon in my own dojo," Kaede insisted. She looked a little worried though. Inuyasha could see it in the crinkles of her eyes. Rin also looked worried, but not about a demon. Rin was worried for Kagome.
"I'm going to check it out. The scent is coming from the weapon room." Kaede looked like she wanted to stop him at first, but then let him go. There really was no way to stop Inuyasha. What he would find, he would find.
The said half-demon crept into the weapon room, inhaling deeply. The scent of demon was in the air, but it was also mixed with a flowery scent, the scent of Kagome. She had been here recently...had she met the demon? Rin followed him closely, squeezing into the weapons room behind him and freezing at the sight before her.
Inuyasha was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw a figure on the far side of the room removing a sword from the wall. "Hey!" he called out. "What are you doing?" The figure turned slightly. It was a female demon, with bone-white hair that was brighter then his own that was held up in a messy bun. The ears on her head were similar to his, but longer and narrower, like that of a cat. (Think Youko Kurama from YuYu Hakusho, only as a girl with green eyes.) The girl demon clutched Kagome's prized sword in her hand.
She didn't reply as she turned to face him fully. Her hands clutched tighter at the sword, her face passive. Inuyasha looked her over quickly, but his gaze settled on her eyes. They were a deep, leafy green. A strange color for a demon's eyes. It didn't look like he was going to get anything out of this demon, so he cracked his knuckles as he moved in closer. "I'll repeat the question. What the fuck are you doing, bitch?"
The demon girl drew the sword from the sheath. This was not the sword that Kagome had practiced with. That was old and kind of beat up. This sword was long, polished, and looked eerily like a huge fang. There was a rim of fur at the edge of the sword, where the blade met the hilt, right above where the demon girl clutched at the hilt. She looked ready to strike if he took another step. Inuyasha was readying a blow himself.
Suddenly, he was roughly pushed aside as a black and white blur rushed past him and planted herself spread eagle in from of the demon. Rin blocked the demon from Inuyasha's attacks with her own body, a smoldering look in her eye. "Rin, what are you doing?" he asked.
"Leave her alone Inuyasha," was Rin's reply. It was low with warning.
"Why should I?" he said haughtily. "She broke into the dojo." The demoness behind Rin looked at them both strangely, sheathing her sword.
"Christ Rin," she said in an oddly familiar voice. "Don't just leap in front of me like that. I could have cut you by accident!"
"Sorry," Rin said apologetically, relaxing her human shield. The green-eyed demon turned to Inuyasha.
"And as for you. You scared me to death Inuyasha!" she ranted. Suddenly Inuyasha's amber eyes widened incredulously.
"Kagome?"
Kagome sighed and then flashed him one of her signature smiles and Inuyasha was floored. But then her smile turned into a scowl as she stormed passed him and yelled "SIT!" Before he could react, Inuyasha was face first in the floor. He got up stuttering in rage.
"Y-y-you....BITCH!"
But Kagome was ignoring him completely now. She marched over to the old woman who had suddenly entered the room. "What the hell Grandma?!" she yelled.
"Kagome, I ask you to watch your tone when you speak to me," Kaede warned. Kagome took a deep breath and bowed in apology.
"Forgive me Grandmother, but why did you let them in?" Her voice was whining and she looked very annoyed.
"There really is no stopping that boy," Kaede said with a wave of her hand. She beckoned to Rin who had been helping Inuyasha up from the ground.
"If you've been scheming..." Kagome said with a glare. "If you think that by telling him about this will help anything, you've got another think coming Grams," Kagome growled in a low voice.
"We'll see, Come Rin dear," she said, the other girl followed her into the kitchen.
"Where are you going?!?" Kagome yelped.
"You have explaining to do," Kaede said, slamming the door behind her. This left Kagome and Inuyasha in the weapon room together, alone. Kagome gripped the hilt of her father's sword as she turned to look at him. Inuyasha sat pensively on the floor.
"Someone else is keeping time,
I think I'm falling apart,
If you were me would you do it like I do,
So don't wait for the sun"
Rin and Kaede left Kagome and Inuyasha to themselves. Rin took Kagome's abandoned seat at the kitchen table and took out her cell phone to call her mother, saying she'd be late. Kaede busied herself with the task of making dinner for four. It was assumed that Inuyasha would be staying for dinner.
"Kaede," Rin said lightly after she hung up with home. "Why 'did' you let Inuyasha go into the room? I know you could have stopped him and you knew Kagome was in there in her transformed state."
"Kagome needs someone like Inuyasha," Kaede said, holding out a cup of tea to Rin.
"But surely you know why Kagome is in the city!" Rin objected. She was fearful for her friend's life, but even more so for her cousin's sanity."
"Yes, I am well aware of Sayaka's objective for Kagome. But even if it had nothing to do with him, I would want Inuyasha and Kagome to bond." Rin was confused, but interested.
"Why?"
Kaede was thoughtful, choosing her words carefully as she stirred a pot of Ramen. "Well, both Inuyasha and Kagome have had hard lives. Both of them have been wounded, and not only by this war. Kagome needs someone who can understand her feelings. As much as we love her, Rin dearest, we just aren't enough to keep her here."
"And you think Inuyasha is?"
"I know Inuyasha very well. I know that he is a strong young man who only needs acceptance and compassion. He could protect her and she needs that. Kagome needs to be weak sometimes, she needs to be a girl. She needs to cry." Rin looked down into her tea and sighed. Kaede sighed. "I believe that they can help one another, if they can put aside their differences."
"But even with differences aside, Inuyasha doesn't know why Kagome's here or who she really is."
"In time, I hope that changes. I can already tell that Kagome does not want to carry out her mother's mission. But the time she gets to know Inuyasha, and his family, I don't think she would be able to carry it out even if she wanted to." Rin was thoughtful. "As for who she really is...Rin, my dear, one's name and parentage really has no bearing over one's heart. Kagome is Kagome, regardless of her mother or her last name."
Rin nodded and smiled. "So you letting Inuyasha into the weapon room was part of an elaborate plan?" Kaede smiled with a mischievous glint in her brown eyes. It was all the answer Rin needed.
"Don't wait for the sun,
Don't wait for the sun"
"Why are you a demon?" Inuyasha asked bluntly. Kagome sighed, sitting in an identical position across the room from him.
"I guess you could call it my lingering gift." Inuyasha watched her with one amber eye as she let down her long mass of white hair and ran her clawed fingers through it. She looked put out, but not nearly as panicky as she had been when he first confronted her.
"Gift of what? From whom?" he asked. Suddenly he was very interested. She seemed like she was going to actually start talking to him, actually giving him some answers.
"From my father," she said nonchalantly. She stretched out her legs and leaned back on her elbows, looking up at the ceiling. "Papa was a hanyou, a half-demon, like you."
Inuyasha's jaw dropped in shock. He had never suspected such a thing. She'd had no smell of demon on her at all, for as long as he'd known her. He felt a twinge of guilt and winced from the comments he had made about her being prejudice against demons. She was part demon herself! Inuyasha found himself looking at her in a new light. She smiled up at the ceiling, oblivious to him, lost in a memory.
"Papa was a panther hanyou. He looked human, like you, but he had claws and cat-ears on his head. He had the fangs and the eyes of a cat." She laughed a little, remembering all the times in her childhood when she had sat upon her father's shoulders, playing with his ears for hours on end. But he found his revenge on the nights of the full moon, when she grew ears of her own.
"A panther huh? He must have been strong," Inuyasha commented, not wanting to break this fragile truce that seemed to have descended upon them.
Kagome smiled at him. "Yes, Papa was a beautiful fighter. My grandfather, he was a full panther demon. He had this sword forged for my father when he married my mother. It only transforms when used in the defense of a human or the sword's master." Inuyasha thought back to when she had drawn the sword on him earlier, how it had suddenly changed.
"Is that why it was so strange when you drew it before?" Kagome nodded.
"You startled me. It's not like I've really had a chance to smell you properly, so all I got was a whiff of demon and I panicked, drawing the sword before I saw who was there. You see, the sword only transforms for me when I'm like this. It can only transform for stronger demon blood then I have in my human form."
"How often do you change?" Inuyasha asked, moving so that he was now sitting beside her.
"Once a month, on the full moon," she replied. "You know how hanyous loose their powers once a month?" She paused for confirmation, but he gave her more.
"I become human on the nights of the new moon." Inuyasha shrugged. He was seeing her secret, she was telling him about it. Telling her his vulnerable night seemed the least he could do. Kagome rewarded him with another of her striking smiles.
"I'm kind of the reverse. I'm human all of the time, except I become a hanyou every night of the full moon." She blinked her green eyes and laid back, propping her head under her hands. "Souta, my little brother, doesn't transform. My father thought that there was something in my miko powers that pushed my demon blood to the surface once a month." Kagome lapsed into silence for a while.
"Is that why your eyes are two different colors normally?" Inuyasha inquired, thinking on her unique eyes. Usually, only one of them were green, the other was a deep brown. But now both of them were demonically green.
"Yep. I have a lot of my father in me, or at least that's what Grams says." She smiled to herself, her eyes welling with tears that would never fall.
"Is Rin...?"
"No. Our fathers are half brother. They had different fathers, but shared a mother. The opposite of you and your brother."
"You know about my brother?" Inuyasha asked, surprised.
"Rin told me," Kagome said quickly, cursing herself for letting her guard down. Suddenly she looked at her companion and scowled. "Don't think that just because I told you about this, we're going to be all buddy-buddy now." Inuyasha shrugged. What had he expected? But to salvage his own pride he added, "Like I would want to be friends with a bitch like you."
Kagome laughed. She actually had the audacity to laugh! "Thanks Inuyasha!" she said while catching her breath. He looked at her like she had lost her mind. "For a minute there, I almost forgot we were enemies." He scowled, getting up. That silenced her fast.
"Why 'are' we enemies Kagome?" he asked her.
"Cuz we can't get along," she replied, getting up too. Unexpectedly, Kagome tossed him her sword. Inuyasha caught it in one hand, looking down at it. "Unsheathe it," Kagome urged him, a bit of a dare in her voice. Inuyasha met her eyes as he began to pull the sword with his other hand, never breaking eye contact. As the sword exited the sheath slowly, a yellow light engulfed the blade. When Inuyasha extended it fully, the sword was completely transformed, as it had been when Kagome had drawn it before. Kagome's eyes widened when she saw this. She took a step back, mouth opened in her shock.
"What's the big deal?" he whispered, but he was too in awe of the sword he was holding in his hand to make jokes.
"Tetsusaiga," she breathed, making him shiver. "It only transforms for those it chooses. My father was the only person I've ever seen who was able to fully master the sword. I can only wield it on the full moon, when I'm hanyou. It's never transformed for anyone else before." Inuyasha could feel a great power surging from the sword and up his arm as it echoed through his body like a shock wave. It gave him a warm, determined, confidant feeling. As long as he held the sword, no one could defeat him. But this wasn't his sword, and no matter how much he would have liked to keep it, Inuyasha sheathed the Tetsusaiga and handed it back to Kagome. She took to sword in her clawed hands, looking from it to Inuyasha.
"Hey dog-boy?" she whispered.
"What bitch?" His voice was just as soft. Kagome felt it run down her spine, leaving a tingling feeling in its wake.
"Would you like to spar with me?" The offer was too tempting to Inuyasha. She stood fidgeting, obviously embarrassed by her question. Inuyasha saw the eager glint in her eye and knew he couldn't refuse.
"I won't go easy on you, so don't expect it," he warned with a grin, taking a stance.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." They smiled at each other, and began.
The fight was never decided because they had been interrupted by Rin announcing that dinner was ready. Inuyasha stayed, as if there had ever been any doubt that he would. The hanyou was never one to pass up free Ramen. Kagome ate in silence, but then retired herself to train more. On her hanyou nights, she never slept. She only paused to 'wish dog-boy a pleasant evening of howling at the moon' and to call her brothers. Most of her night was spent in memories of her father. But the last thing that entered her mind that morning as the change took her back to human, was the sight of Inuyasha's face when she confided to him. His beautiful amber eyes were gentle and his smile held the offer of comfort.
"It could turn black any day,
You're all that I wanted."
Ah, Chapter 5 is complete! Yay! Surprised? Muhahaha! I want to address that I hope you all noted that I will now be incorperating the term 'hanyou' in this story. I won't add muhc more Japanese for the fact that I don't know a lot of Japanese, I only like this word because it relates good. But I'l sticking with the traditional word of demon cuz I like that better then youkai. I'll get 6 too ya soon, don't forget to review. Shout-out time!
pruningshears: Ha! Now you know the secrets! Was it a surprise? I hope so, I kept that bit under wraps to blind-side the readers, muhahah! Thanks for the reviews, and remember that this story will be around a while!
Jaded Hanyou Girl: I'm glad you like this sotry, and American Hi-Fi goes highly recommended by me! No, I hate Timberlake, he's such a little bitch. And yes, Avril is a weird girl. Have you ever noticed in her video of 'I'm with you' that she's belting about how cold it is, but she's wearing capri pants? I'll never understand...must be a Canadian thing. Oh, and would you mind if I stole that quote? It's really good, I think I'll put it in the story! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Sprout: Ha, I didn't go into detail in the spar during this chapter, but they do fight later on where I'll describe it more. I'm glad you love my fic. (So do I!) Keep reading!
Lil-Moe: Sorry, didn't update quick enough for you (my beta was busy, sorry!) But I'm glad you think my fic rocks! You rock for thinking my fic rocks! yeah...lol. Thanks for reading!
Death to Needless Angst!: Yes, this fic is sad. I was going for sad and angsty, because I've been feeling angsty...dunno why. But I'm really into this story, and I think it's really got potential. I read a lot of angst too, lol. I'm updating as soon as my beta can edit for me, lol. I'm a few chapters ahead of her. I want you to know that I'm a romantic, and I love--and need--a happy ending. Does that answer your question? But as I said in my Rurouni Kenshin fic, I quote Shakespear when I say, 'The course of true love never did run smooth' so expect a lot of bumps and turmoil along the way to happiness. Thanks for reviewing.
Rosemary: Thanks, I think it's good too. Yeah, I made it so everyone should feel sympathetic to Kagome. She's trying to do the wrong things for the right reasons though. Which is why I don't want anyone to pity her. She'll pull through, of course, because she's a bouncy character. And her mom--I know is not that bad because I love Mrs Higurashi!--but I needed to make her an ice-queen bitch in the beginning.
Thanks again all! ~~Jesse the Wolf Demon~~
Chapter 1: Built for Speed
Chapter 2: Gold Rush
Chapter 3: The Art of Losing
Chapter 4: Another Perfect Day
Chapter 5: Don't wait for the Sun
I think that's all I wanted to address. Oh, for all those who read Surviving a City, only two more chapters to go, so be prepared! Enjoy Chapter 5 and stay tuned for shout-outs at the end of the chapter.
Disclaimer: Alas, they are not mine....*sigh* but if they were, Inuyasha could do my food shopping!
Whyndancer Sez:
Get ready for a surprise. If anyone saw this coming I'll give them a cookie. I sure as heck didn't.
Chapter 5: Secrets of the Full Moon
"I don't need to know why,
Cause tomorrow I'll be fine,
I should learn to be still,
If I close my eye I'll realize what I meant"
Kagome woke up the next morning with a huge headache. She put on a cheerful face for Kaede and her friends at school. She still felt raw about what happened the day before. Although she wasn't really in the mood for salving wounds, she made it a point to apologize to Hojo first thing in the morning. Kagome hung around his locker until she saw him coming. She gave him a hesitant smile that he returned shyly.
"Hi Hojo," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.
"Hi Kagome, how are you feeling?" he asked hesitantly.
"I'm better." It was awkward silence between them for a few moments, then Kagome continued. "Listen Hojo, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I let off on you and I shouldn't have. It wasn't a good day for me, and I'm just sorry."
Hojo beamed at her happily. "Oh, it's alright Kagome. Really! I kind of figured you weren't yourself because you're so much nicer then that." He blushed and Kagome smiled. "Listen Kagome, I was hoping that maybe, if you aren't doing anything on Saturday, maybe you'd like to go see a movie with me?"
Kagome was shocked. Did he just ask her out on a date? No way! She was so shocked she could only stammer. "B-b-but H-h-Hojo! You d-don't even kn-know me!"
"I'd like to, I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. But I'd really like you to!" He was still blushing, but he looked so sincere that Kagome didn't have the heart to refuse.
"Okay, I guess."
"Really?" His face broke into a beaming grin. "Okay, I'll pick you up at your place on Saturday at two, alright?"
Kagome smiled shyly. "Okay."
There was a mutual blush, then they shyly parted ways. Kagome shook her head at her stupidity. 'I can't believe I just got asked out! But at least it's by Hojo and not anyone else.' Somehow, somewhere, she was disappointed that her first date was with Hojo and not with the boy who she was feeling the first twinges of a crush on. 'I am such an idiot,' she thought, shaking those thoughts away.
She ran shaking hands through her hair as she was flanked suddenly by Sango and Rin. "What was that all about?" Sango asked slyly, raising an eyebrow.
"What was what?" Kagome asked defensively.
"That little moment with you and Hojo," Rin said with a sinister smile. Kagome shrugged, a pretty blush staining her face.
"He asked me to a movie, that's all." Both girls looked surprised.
"You said yes?" Rin asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Kagome was a little uncomfortable now, squirming under both girls' stares. And things always go from bad to worse because it was just that moment that Inuyasha and Miroku chose to fall into step with them. Kagome groaned a little, really not wanting to deal with this today. Her head ached, and her body was starting to feel stiff.
"Well, it's just that...I can't see you going out with him," Rin said to Kagome with a shrug.
"Going out with who?" Miroku asked, always the nosey one.
"Kagome's going on a date with Hojo," Sango filled in. Inuyasha raised both his eyebrows and looked at Kagome. The girl in question was walking with her head down, a blush staining her cheeks, and her sunglasses once more blocking her eyes from view.
"Why would you wanna go out with Hojo?" he asked her suddenly. Kagome's gaze snapped up to him and she scowled.
"There's nothing wrong with Hojo," she said with a frown. "He's a nice guy and I didn't have the heart to say no after the way I treated him yesterday." Her voice conveyed deep regret.
Inuyasha snorted. "So this is a mercy date," he said. Kagome glared at him and took a few faster steps, leaving him behind. Rin sped up to catch her cousin. Sango was too busy whacking Miroku's head against a locker because it was too early in the morning for him to be grabbing her ass.
"Kag, wait up!" Rin called, falling into step with her. "Don't listen to Inuyasha, you know how he is."
"No, I don't," Kagome said quietly. Rin looked up at her and felt her breath catch. Kagome had taken off her glasses and looked back at her cousin with sorrowful eyes that filled with tears. Tears Rin knew would never fall. Kagome was incapable of crying anymore, and the sight of her in such a state made Rin's own eyes burn. "I don't know anything about him really. I'm supposed to get close to him. I'm supposed to...to..." Kagome took a few deep breaths, trying desperately to control herself again. She pressed a hand to her forehead.
"It's the full moon, isn't it?" Rin asked quietly, taking her cousin's arm and steering her into their homeroom. Rin sat her down at the desk and took Kagome's hands in her own. "It's ok. Try not to get upset, you know it only makes it worse."
Kagome nodded, like a small child needing to be reminded. "I didn't have time to get an aspirin this morning," she said in a soft voice. "My head is pounding."
"I have some in my bag," Sango said as she walked over to them. "Is that why you're upset? Do you have a headache?" Kagome and Rin both nodded and gratefully excepted the small white pills that would ease Kagome's throbbing head. Rin put an arm around Kagome until she felt better, thanking both girls and apologizing several times for falling to pieces the last two days.
Rin was used to things like this. She knew all of Kagome's secrets, she was family after all. The effects that the full moon had on her cousin were nothing short of agony for the girl herself, so much that it was hard from Rin to even watch. This was Kagome, after all. The toughest, smartest, most spirited person Rin had ever known. Kagome was brave and beautiful and confident, everything Rin wished she could be. Everything Kagome told her that she was. In a lot of ways, Kagome was more like a sister to Rin then a cousin. Although she had Sango and Miroku and Inuyasha, Rin would never be closer to anyone than Kagome.
"I'm okay Rin, really," Kagome told her as the bell rang and everyone else filed in. Kagome put the glasses back over her eyes and flashed a wan smile at Rin. "I'll be right as rain by tomorrow, you'll see." Rin nodded, but made the decision to stay by Kagome's side the rest of the day. Her monthly lunar effects seemed to take more of a toll on her now that she was getting older.
Kagome was truly touched by Rin's concern. It was such a new feeling to have someone care about you. Sure she had Souta and Shippou, who both loved her madly, but they were so little. They needed to be taken care of. It was nice to have someone take care of her for a change. Not only was Rin looking after her, but also Kaede, and even Sango. Kagome liked the feeling of having friends, of having a new place. For once in her life, Kagome pushed aside the guilt that she was feeling and decided to be selfish this time. She would embrace this new life and all it had to offer. But then again, her human reason was giving way to freer instincts. Tonight, she would sell herself to the devil for a chance at freedom.
"Don't wait for the sun,
It could turn black any day"
"Kagome dear, you look unwell," Kaede said when Kagome announced her arrival at home. Sango and Rin had opted to drive over, letting Kagome have some alone time to drive herself. She made the decision in the road to snub training until after sunset, when she was more relaxed.
"I have a wicked headache Grams. I think I'll pass on training until after dark, ok?" Kaede pressed a cool hand to Kagome's forehead and felt the light tinglings of a fever. She nodded solemnly, taking Kagome's backpack and setting it next to the stairs. She then steered Kagome to a seat at the kitchen table, and brewed her some herbal tea. Kagome was suddenly feeling very hot, like her blood was on fire. She shed her warm leather duster, revealing the tight red tank top she wore underneath. She pulled her hair up from the back of her neck in a sloppy bun, stray locks falling around her face and sticking to her sweating body.
"Are you sure you don't want to lie down?" Kaede asked, handing her a steaming mug of herbal tea, laced with a few herbs to lessen pain and cool her blood. Like Rin, Kaede knew that her granddaughter's curse was getting worse on her the stronger her miko powers became. Once she became High Miko, what would happen?
"No thanks Grandma," she said quickly, sipping the tea and relaxing her muscles. The herbs in the liquid eased the pressure in her head and quenched the heat, but she still felt weak and achy. It was like she had been in bed with the flu for a week, and was only just getting around once more. By simply looking at her, one could never tell she was healthy as a horse just the day before. Her face was pale and her hands shook. Her eyes were dull and her skin glistened with sweat.
Sango and Rin entered through the kitchen exit and rushed to Kagome when they saw her.
"Kag, are you alright?" Sango asked worriedly.
"You look awful," Rin cried, patting her hands. Kagome smiled up at them.
"You two are too much!" she laughed. "I'm just sick, I'll be fine! You still have to practice, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to do much until I'm feeling better."
"Come on girls, give Kagome some air," Kaede said, shooing them upstairs to change while she refilled Kagome's tea. "You can rest in the kitchen or come into the dojo to watch the training if you want. Just try to take it easy until sunset, sweetheart," Kaede said with a smile, setting knuckles to Kagome's temples. Kagome moved toward the touch. Kaede inwardly sighed, knowing how little physical contact her granddaughter had received in her younger days. Kaede patted her cheek lovingly before heading into the dojo to prepare for her afternoon class.
Kagome sipped her tea, squirming uncomfortably. She was not a girl who was sick often. In fact, Kagome never got sick apart from her monthly side effects. She was so engrossed in watching her tea swirl around in her mug that she didn't hear Miroku and Inuyasha enter the kitchen, arguing about something. They both stopped when they saw her.
"Kagome?" Miroku said, moving toward her. All perverted thoughts forgotten at the sight of her sickly countenance. "Are you alright? You look sick!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Of course she was sick! But that's Miroku for you, the king of stating the obvious. Kagome really did look terrible though. She was hunched over in her chair and looked like she barely had the strength to stand.
"Hey bitch," he said, but not unkindly. "You should be in bed or something. You look like you're about to fall over dead." Kagome turned her eyes to him and he froze for an instant. They looked distant, so unlike her normally. But then he shook his head. He barely even knew this girl! And he was off trying to figure her out, all because he saw her break down the day before. All because he saw her in such a sad state that he couldn't help but want to help her in some way. Here she was, the smart-mouthed girl who traded insults with him since the day they met, looking very small.
Kagome broke into a smile when she looked up at Inuyasha. He was looking down at her with slight concern and that warmed her in a place long frozen. She couldn't stop herself from thinking he was cute like that, head cocked just a bit to the side, his ear twitching slightly. "I'm fine, just not up to practice today. Sorry dog-boy, looks like I can't make you sit." He snorted, looking away, but still shot glances her way from the corner of his eye.
"Slackers!" Kaede called from the front room. "Get changed and get to the weapons room! I have a class in front today, Kagome will be leading your lesson. The girls should be down in a second." Kagome looked out to where her grandmother's voice was coming from. Had her foggy brain caught that right? Did she just say that she, Kagome, was instructing them?
"Looks like I get to be drunk on power," Kagome mused, pushing back in her chair and getting up. She teetered slightly, but strong hands caught her by the shoulders before she could fall. Kagome looked up, startled to see that Inuyasha was the one holding her up.
"You shouldn't do that if your sick. Falling head-first into the floor never helps anything," he commented, remembering the times when Kagome had pulled her little 'subduing spell' on him. And yet here he was, holding her up so she wouldn't fall. She smiled up at him in a dazed way. Inuyasha suddenly felt guilty for touching her so he directed her to the stairs just as Rin and Sango appeared. Kagome smiled weakly at her friends.
"Rin, Sango, could you two help me to my room?" she asked the girls. They rushed forward, one to either side of her as they helped her up the stairs. Kaede's tea was helping, and when Kagome came back downstairs fifteen minutes later, she was fine to walk on her own. She still looked very unwell, but Kagome knew her limitations. She sat cross-legged on the floor in the weapon room and watched the others practice.
Kagome reminded Rin to keep both her arms up when defending with her knives. She also got to her feet and showed Rin an easier stance for when she was throwing. The shift helped her to better adjust her aim, resutling in a marked increase in the accuracy of her throws.
Sango needed little instruction. She was a born athlete, and had been training in martial arts for some time under the guidance of her father. They came from an old line of demon exterminators and a few of thier techniqueshad survived the test of time to be passed on to this day. Kagome only had to warn her about leaving her right side open, an easy target for a hand-to-hand attack even while weapons fighting. Sango graciously accepted the tip and tried harder to keep herself protected.
Miroku had the habit of letting his eyes wander to the swordswoman across the room, letting Inuyasha take him down every time. Kagome didn't see how she could help with that, but she did give him a useful pointer on how to faint better to catch his shifty opponent off guard. After a few attempts, Miroku actually pulled one over on Inuyasha, and laid him out on the floor.
Now for Inuyasha...Kagome watched him fighting closely. She watched his displays of strength and the way his muscles seemed to glide from one move to the next. His form was nearly perfect, but he added a few touches here and there to make the style his own. He had total concentration when he fought, nothing could distract him. But Kagome detected a small flaw in one of his routine forms, so she called a halt to his sparring match to walk over.
"You shouldn't do that," he warned as she padded over. When in her room ,she had changed to sweatpants and ditched her boots. She was comfortable now, even in front of others. When it came to clothing, comfort always came first for Kagome. Even above modesty.
"It's ok Mom," she said, pushing all thoughts of her mother from her mind. "I'm only trying to help you out. Grams told me to instruct, so I am." He scoffed and turned away from her, folding his arms.
"Whatever you have to say, save it." Kagome walked right over to him, not saying a word. She bit her bottom lip for a second.
"Miroku," she spoke suddenly. "Could you please take your beginning stance, facing Inuyasha's left?" Miroku did as she requested. Inuyasha tensed. Was she going to have him attack?
"Inuyasha, please take you beginning stance as well." He grudgingly did as she asked, but only because she had said please first. Miroku and Inuyasha faced each other, waiting for Kagome to do or say something. She walked to Inuyasha's left and kicked him hard in the side. He fell over, clutching his ribcage.
"What the fuck!" he yelled, breathing hard to regain balance as he leapt up. Sick or not, she was still a bitch. "What the hell was that for?"
"You always leave your left side wide open in your stances. Anyone could come along and attack you that way." She didn't look phased by his anger. In fact, she smiled slightly. "Here," she said, standing next to him. As she had with Rin, Kagome positioned Inuyasha's body in a new stance. She moved his left leg farther from his right, to give him greater balance, and brought his elbow out more, protecting the tender ribcage. Inuyasha was stiff as Kagome's hands traveled up and down his arm and leg. It was an awkward situation for him, but she was only instructing. It was all innocent...right?"
"There you go!" she said, proud o herself. "Try using this stance more when you start off. It should prevent anyone from figuring out your left side is your blind spot." Then she went back to her seat against the wall, slumping a bit. Her head was feeling dizzy again. It was getting later. Soon the sun would set, and her pain would stop.
"I lost my head in the clouds,
When will the haze go away,
I never wanted this,
Now it's all I've got"
Kagome called the session to an end when Kaede sent the last of the children from her class home. The four martial arts team members went upstairs to change and Kaede helped Kagome into the kitchen once more. "It's almost time, dear," Kaede said, glancing out the window at the red sky.
"I know, I can feel it," Kagome replied. Her bones began humming when the sun set. Her blood pumped faster. It was beginning. Finally. "I'll go into the weapon room. If the others ask, say I went out for air or something." Kaede nodded.
"I'll tell them to take the kitchen exit. And Rin?"
"She'll know. If she wants to stay, then let her stay." Kagome shrugged it off, getting to her feet. Her balance was back and she was starting to feel her health returning. "Come and see me later Grams," she called, closing the door behind her.
"Alright honey," Kaede called, sighing to herself. She busied herself with making a meal for them both when the martial arts team bounded down the stairs. Miroku was in the lead, running for his life and Sango chased after him. Inuyasha was laughing hysterically at Miroku's face, stained with three hand prints already. Rin looked amused, yet pensive. She walked over to the dojo master.
"Where is she?" Rin asked quietly. Inuyasha's ears heard everything, but hopefully he was too preoccupied to notice.
"In the other room. Or taking a walk," she added for good measure. One could never be too sure what Inuyasha might hear. "She needed some air." Rin nodded. "She said that if you wished to stay, you are welcome to. And you are, Rin dear." Rin smiled and nodded, taking a seat at the table.
"That's it, I'm going home!" Miroku cried, running out the door. "See you tomorrow Inuyasha, Rin! And if you see Kag, tell her I said later!" But then Sango was kicking him out the door.
"I'm going too. Tell Kagome I hope she feels better. Good night all." The sounds of slapping and laughter was heard in the kitchen until Miroku and Sango finally left the parking lot. Inuyasha shook his head, stuffing everything into his duffel bag.
"Well, I should be off too. Don't want Mom to get worried ya know," he said casually. But as he swung the bag over his shoulder, he stopped, sniffing the air. His body tensed. Rin and Kaede were looking at him intensely.
"Inuyasha?" Rin asked, getting to her feet. "What's wrong?"
"Mistress Kaede," Inuyasha whispered to the old woman at his side. His head was in the air and he took a few deep sniffs. "There's a demon in the dojo, and I don't mean me."
"Impossible. I would sense another demon in my own dojo," Kaede insisted. She looked a little worried though. Inuyasha could see it in the crinkles of her eyes. Rin also looked worried, but not about a demon. Rin was worried for Kagome.
"I'm going to check it out. The scent is coming from the weapon room." Kaede looked like she wanted to stop him at first, but then let him go. There really was no way to stop Inuyasha. What he would find, he would find.
The said half-demon crept into the weapon room, inhaling deeply. The scent of demon was in the air, but it was also mixed with a flowery scent, the scent of Kagome. She had been here recently...had she met the demon? Rin followed him closely, squeezing into the weapons room behind him and freezing at the sight before her.
Inuyasha was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw a figure on the far side of the room removing a sword from the wall. "Hey!" he called out. "What are you doing?" The figure turned slightly. It was a female demon, with bone-white hair that was brighter then his own that was held up in a messy bun. The ears on her head were similar to his, but longer and narrower, like that of a cat. (Think Youko Kurama from YuYu Hakusho, only as a girl with green eyes.) The girl demon clutched Kagome's prized sword in her hand.
She didn't reply as she turned to face him fully. Her hands clutched tighter at the sword, her face passive. Inuyasha looked her over quickly, but his gaze settled on her eyes. They were a deep, leafy green. A strange color for a demon's eyes. It didn't look like he was going to get anything out of this demon, so he cracked his knuckles as he moved in closer. "I'll repeat the question. What the fuck are you doing, bitch?"
The demon girl drew the sword from the sheath. This was not the sword that Kagome had practiced with. That was old and kind of beat up. This sword was long, polished, and looked eerily like a huge fang. There was a rim of fur at the edge of the sword, where the blade met the hilt, right above where the demon girl clutched at the hilt. She looked ready to strike if he took another step. Inuyasha was readying a blow himself.
Suddenly, he was roughly pushed aside as a black and white blur rushed past him and planted herself spread eagle in from of the demon. Rin blocked the demon from Inuyasha's attacks with her own body, a smoldering look in her eye. "Rin, what are you doing?" he asked.
"Leave her alone Inuyasha," was Rin's reply. It was low with warning.
"Why should I?" he said haughtily. "She broke into the dojo." The demoness behind Rin looked at them both strangely, sheathing her sword.
"Christ Rin," she said in an oddly familiar voice. "Don't just leap in front of me like that. I could have cut you by accident!"
"Sorry," Rin said apologetically, relaxing her human shield. The green-eyed demon turned to Inuyasha.
"And as for you. You scared me to death Inuyasha!" she ranted. Suddenly Inuyasha's amber eyes widened incredulously.
"Kagome?"
Kagome sighed and then flashed him one of her signature smiles and Inuyasha was floored. But then her smile turned into a scowl as she stormed passed him and yelled "SIT!" Before he could react, Inuyasha was face first in the floor. He got up stuttering in rage.
"Y-y-you....BITCH!"
But Kagome was ignoring him completely now. She marched over to the old woman who had suddenly entered the room. "What the hell Grandma?!" she yelled.
"Kagome, I ask you to watch your tone when you speak to me," Kaede warned. Kagome took a deep breath and bowed in apology.
"Forgive me Grandmother, but why did you let them in?" Her voice was whining and she looked very annoyed.
"There really is no stopping that boy," Kaede said with a wave of her hand. She beckoned to Rin who had been helping Inuyasha up from the ground.
"If you've been scheming..." Kagome said with a glare. "If you think that by telling him about this will help anything, you've got another think coming Grams," Kagome growled in a low voice.
"We'll see, Come Rin dear," she said, the other girl followed her into the kitchen.
"Where are you going?!?" Kagome yelped.
"You have explaining to do," Kaede said, slamming the door behind her. This left Kagome and Inuyasha in the weapon room together, alone. Kagome gripped the hilt of her father's sword as she turned to look at him. Inuyasha sat pensively on the floor.
"Someone else is keeping time,
I think I'm falling apart,
If you were me would you do it like I do,
So don't wait for the sun"
Rin and Kaede left Kagome and Inuyasha to themselves. Rin took Kagome's abandoned seat at the kitchen table and took out her cell phone to call her mother, saying she'd be late. Kaede busied herself with the task of making dinner for four. It was assumed that Inuyasha would be staying for dinner.
"Kaede," Rin said lightly after she hung up with home. "Why 'did' you let Inuyasha go into the room? I know you could have stopped him and you knew Kagome was in there in her transformed state."
"Kagome needs someone like Inuyasha," Kaede said, holding out a cup of tea to Rin.
"But surely you know why Kagome is in the city!" Rin objected. She was fearful for her friend's life, but even more so for her cousin's sanity."
"Yes, I am well aware of Sayaka's objective for Kagome. But even if it had nothing to do with him, I would want Inuyasha and Kagome to bond." Rin was confused, but interested.
"Why?"
Kaede was thoughtful, choosing her words carefully as she stirred a pot of Ramen. "Well, both Inuyasha and Kagome have had hard lives. Both of them have been wounded, and not only by this war. Kagome needs someone who can understand her feelings. As much as we love her, Rin dearest, we just aren't enough to keep her here."
"And you think Inuyasha is?"
"I know Inuyasha very well. I know that he is a strong young man who only needs acceptance and compassion. He could protect her and she needs that. Kagome needs to be weak sometimes, she needs to be a girl. She needs to cry." Rin looked down into her tea and sighed. Kaede sighed. "I believe that they can help one another, if they can put aside their differences."
"But even with differences aside, Inuyasha doesn't know why Kagome's here or who she really is."
"In time, I hope that changes. I can already tell that Kagome does not want to carry out her mother's mission. But the time she gets to know Inuyasha, and his family, I don't think she would be able to carry it out even if she wanted to." Rin was thoughtful. "As for who she really is...Rin, my dear, one's name and parentage really has no bearing over one's heart. Kagome is Kagome, regardless of her mother or her last name."
Rin nodded and smiled. "So you letting Inuyasha into the weapon room was part of an elaborate plan?" Kaede smiled with a mischievous glint in her brown eyes. It was all the answer Rin needed.
"Don't wait for the sun,
Don't wait for the sun"
"Why are you a demon?" Inuyasha asked bluntly. Kagome sighed, sitting in an identical position across the room from him.
"I guess you could call it my lingering gift." Inuyasha watched her with one amber eye as she let down her long mass of white hair and ran her clawed fingers through it. She looked put out, but not nearly as panicky as she had been when he first confronted her.
"Gift of what? From whom?" he asked. Suddenly he was very interested. She seemed like she was going to actually start talking to him, actually giving him some answers.
"From my father," she said nonchalantly. She stretched out her legs and leaned back on her elbows, looking up at the ceiling. "Papa was a hanyou, a half-demon, like you."
Inuyasha's jaw dropped in shock. He had never suspected such a thing. She'd had no smell of demon on her at all, for as long as he'd known her. He felt a twinge of guilt and winced from the comments he had made about her being prejudice against demons. She was part demon herself! Inuyasha found himself looking at her in a new light. She smiled up at the ceiling, oblivious to him, lost in a memory.
"Papa was a panther hanyou. He looked human, like you, but he had claws and cat-ears on his head. He had the fangs and the eyes of a cat." She laughed a little, remembering all the times in her childhood when she had sat upon her father's shoulders, playing with his ears for hours on end. But he found his revenge on the nights of the full moon, when she grew ears of her own.
"A panther huh? He must have been strong," Inuyasha commented, not wanting to break this fragile truce that seemed to have descended upon them.
Kagome smiled at him. "Yes, Papa was a beautiful fighter. My grandfather, he was a full panther demon. He had this sword forged for my father when he married my mother. It only transforms when used in the defense of a human or the sword's master." Inuyasha thought back to when she had drawn the sword on him earlier, how it had suddenly changed.
"Is that why it was so strange when you drew it before?" Kagome nodded.
"You startled me. It's not like I've really had a chance to smell you properly, so all I got was a whiff of demon and I panicked, drawing the sword before I saw who was there. You see, the sword only transforms for me when I'm like this. It can only transform for stronger demon blood then I have in my human form."
"How often do you change?" Inuyasha asked, moving so that he was now sitting beside her.
"Once a month, on the full moon," she replied. "You know how hanyous loose their powers once a month?" She paused for confirmation, but he gave her more.
"I become human on the nights of the new moon." Inuyasha shrugged. He was seeing her secret, she was telling him about it. Telling her his vulnerable night seemed the least he could do. Kagome rewarded him with another of her striking smiles.
"I'm kind of the reverse. I'm human all of the time, except I become a hanyou every night of the full moon." She blinked her green eyes and laid back, propping her head under her hands. "Souta, my little brother, doesn't transform. My father thought that there was something in my miko powers that pushed my demon blood to the surface once a month." Kagome lapsed into silence for a while.
"Is that why your eyes are two different colors normally?" Inuyasha inquired, thinking on her unique eyes. Usually, only one of them were green, the other was a deep brown. But now both of them were demonically green.
"Yep. I have a lot of my father in me, or at least that's what Grams says." She smiled to herself, her eyes welling with tears that would never fall.
"Is Rin...?"
"No. Our fathers are half brother. They had different fathers, but shared a mother. The opposite of you and your brother."
"You know about my brother?" Inuyasha asked, surprised.
"Rin told me," Kagome said quickly, cursing herself for letting her guard down. Suddenly she looked at her companion and scowled. "Don't think that just because I told you about this, we're going to be all buddy-buddy now." Inuyasha shrugged. What had he expected? But to salvage his own pride he added, "Like I would want to be friends with a bitch like you."
Kagome laughed. She actually had the audacity to laugh! "Thanks Inuyasha!" she said while catching her breath. He looked at her like she had lost her mind. "For a minute there, I almost forgot we were enemies." He scowled, getting up. That silenced her fast.
"Why 'are' we enemies Kagome?" he asked her.
"Cuz we can't get along," she replied, getting up too. Unexpectedly, Kagome tossed him her sword. Inuyasha caught it in one hand, looking down at it. "Unsheathe it," Kagome urged him, a bit of a dare in her voice. Inuyasha met her eyes as he began to pull the sword with his other hand, never breaking eye contact. As the sword exited the sheath slowly, a yellow light engulfed the blade. When Inuyasha extended it fully, the sword was completely transformed, as it had been when Kagome had drawn it before. Kagome's eyes widened when she saw this. She took a step back, mouth opened in her shock.
"What's the big deal?" he whispered, but he was too in awe of the sword he was holding in his hand to make jokes.
"Tetsusaiga," she breathed, making him shiver. "It only transforms for those it chooses. My father was the only person I've ever seen who was able to fully master the sword. I can only wield it on the full moon, when I'm hanyou. It's never transformed for anyone else before." Inuyasha could feel a great power surging from the sword and up his arm as it echoed through his body like a shock wave. It gave him a warm, determined, confidant feeling. As long as he held the sword, no one could defeat him. But this wasn't his sword, and no matter how much he would have liked to keep it, Inuyasha sheathed the Tetsusaiga and handed it back to Kagome. She took to sword in her clawed hands, looking from it to Inuyasha.
"Hey dog-boy?" she whispered.
"What bitch?" His voice was just as soft. Kagome felt it run down her spine, leaving a tingling feeling in its wake.
"Would you like to spar with me?" The offer was too tempting to Inuyasha. She stood fidgeting, obviously embarrassed by her question. Inuyasha saw the eager glint in her eye and knew he couldn't refuse.
"I won't go easy on you, so don't expect it," he warned with a grin, taking a stance.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." They smiled at each other, and began.
The fight was never decided because they had been interrupted by Rin announcing that dinner was ready. Inuyasha stayed, as if there had ever been any doubt that he would. The hanyou was never one to pass up free Ramen. Kagome ate in silence, but then retired herself to train more. On her hanyou nights, she never slept. She only paused to 'wish dog-boy a pleasant evening of howling at the moon' and to call her brothers. Most of her night was spent in memories of her father. But the last thing that entered her mind that morning as the change took her back to human, was the sight of Inuyasha's face when she confided to him. His beautiful amber eyes were gentle and his smile held the offer of comfort.
"It could turn black any day,
You're all that I wanted."
Ah, Chapter 5 is complete! Yay! Surprised? Muhahaha! I want to address that I hope you all noted that I will now be incorperating the term 'hanyou' in this story. I won't add muhc more Japanese for the fact that I don't know a lot of Japanese, I only like this word because it relates good. But I'l sticking with the traditional word of demon cuz I like that better then youkai. I'll get 6 too ya soon, don't forget to review. Shout-out time!
pruningshears: Ha! Now you know the secrets! Was it a surprise? I hope so, I kept that bit under wraps to blind-side the readers, muhahah! Thanks for the reviews, and remember that this story will be around a while!
Jaded Hanyou Girl: I'm glad you like this sotry, and American Hi-Fi goes highly recommended by me! No, I hate Timberlake, he's such a little bitch. And yes, Avril is a weird girl. Have you ever noticed in her video of 'I'm with you' that she's belting about how cold it is, but she's wearing capri pants? I'll never understand...must be a Canadian thing. Oh, and would you mind if I stole that quote? It's really good, I think I'll put it in the story! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Sprout: Ha, I didn't go into detail in the spar during this chapter, but they do fight later on where I'll describe it more. I'm glad you love my fic. (So do I!) Keep reading!
Lil-Moe: Sorry, didn't update quick enough for you (my beta was busy, sorry!) But I'm glad you think my fic rocks! You rock for thinking my fic rocks! yeah...lol. Thanks for reading!
Death to Needless Angst!: Yes, this fic is sad. I was going for sad and angsty, because I've been feeling angsty...dunno why. But I'm really into this story, and I think it's really got potential. I read a lot of angst too, lol. I'm updating as soon as my beta can edit for me, lol. I'm a few chapters ahead of her. I want you to know that I'm a romantic, and I love--and need--a happy ending. Does that answer your question? But as I said in my Rurouni Kenshin fic, I quote Shakespear when I say, 'The course of true love never did run smooth' so expect a lot of bumps and turmoil along the way to happiness. Thanks for reviewing.
Rosemary: Thanks, I think it's good too. Yeah, I made it so everyone should feel sympathetic to Kagome. She's trying to do the wrong things for the right reasons though. Which is why I don't want anyone to pity her. She'll pull through, of course, because she's a bouncy character. And her mom--I know is not that bad because I love Mrs Higurashi!--but I needed to make her an ice-queen bitch in the beginning.
Thanks again all! ~~Jesse the Wolf Demon~~