The Pain Behind The Mask

Note: I'm sorry its taken me so long to update. I've been moving all of my stuff to my Dad's house in the Twin Cities, looking for jobs, & well-just trying to settle down really. I register for RNA classes on Nov. 3rd though ha. I'm excited. Anyways, here is the long awaited chapter. I'll try to make it as long as possible. I have to be up early in the morning to help my brother put his makeup on for Halloween before school for him starts!

Remember:

"talking"

'Thinking'

/telepathic/

Chapter 8

Their nap felt like it didn't last long enough before they heard a shrill scream of 'Kagome', indicating that the hanyou had finally arrived at Totosai's cave. Kagome groaned and used her tail to cover her eyes in irritation. 'Wait…Tail? I don't remember having one before I left for InuYasha's time.' She thought to herself before she opened her eyes to look at it. Sure enough, there was a tail swaying back and forth in front of her face. It was fluffy and black with a white tip and it was incredibly soft. She rubbed it against Shippo's face, noticing that he was trying to go back to sleep. He jumped up and flexed his claws with a small warning growl emitting from his throat before he looked at Kagome in confusion.

"When did you get a tail 'kaa-san?" He asked kneeling before it to tug on it, apologising when she yelped in pain as he pulled too hard.

"I don't know. I just woke up and it was just…there.. Oh well. I like it." She chuckled when Shippo rested his head on it. /Apparently you like it to./

/Hai, its incredibly soft./ He nuzzled it before sighing.

InuYasha ran into Totosai'a cave, red faced and panting. "Damnit..Kagome (pant) can't you stay (pant) in one place for just a second?" He managed to weeze out as his heart began to slow down.

"Not really." She replied, standing up to stretch her body with a huge yawn spliting her lips apart. Lips, InuYasha noticed, that seemed to have gotten a lot more tempting to kiss. He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts as she began to speak.

"What do you want?" She asked, dusting her sleeves off with the back of her hand, looking like she really didn't care what he wanted.

"Why were you gone for so long? Why did the runt go with you? And why do you look like a demon?" His questions came out in a rush, making it almost difficult for Kagome and Shippo to understand what he was saying.

"I was gone because I was training with my Father in the future. Shippo came with so that he could train with me and so that we could create a blood bond between us with my Father's help. And, last but not least, I'm a demon because my Father is a demon. A shape shifting Kitsune to be precise, of the Black Fur Kitsune clan. Anymore questions InuYasha?"

"I don't think he can close his mouth long enough to ask anymore 'kaa-san." Shippo spoke, a smirk of amusement dancing on his face.

At his comment, InuYashsa snapped out of his trance to glare at Shippo before he noticed that he had grown quite a bit in his absence. "How did you grow up so damn fast runt?"

"My name is Shippo, not runt, InuYasha. I use your name. I expect you to use mine." He responded in a monotone voice, staring at InuYasha in challenge.

"Feh."

"Kagome, yours and Shippo's weapons are ready." Totosai said, walking to the entrance of the cave with a blanket wrapped around the weapons so they couldn't see them.

"Sweetness!" Kagome said, a giant smile on her face, showing her excitement. She rushed to his side, Shippo hot on her heels to see what weapons he got. InuYasha followed, slightly curiousas to what weaons the old demon was talking about.

Totosai took the blanket off to revel their swords already in their sheaths that he made. He never told anyone but he had stashed a bit of the old demon trees wood for just such an occasion (could someone tell me the tree's name? I don't remember it).

All four was pretty much the same height but they each had their own signature aura that Shippo and Kagome could pick up on. "You have to be kidding me old man. Those look and feel just like any old sword. You have to be fuckin' with us." InuYasha practically screeched out, waiting for Kagome to join with his on this argument. Not hearing her agreement, he turned his head to look at her. Eyes wide, he watched as she reached her hand out in wonder to rub it across the cool wood of the middle sword that lay on the ground. "So beautiful." She murmured, her hand dancing through the colors that she saw. When her hand touched the weapon, the colors, green, white and black, wrapped around her in a warm embrace before being sucked into the sword. The same happened to the second one she touched. "I'm guessing these two are mine." She stated, turning her inquiring gaze on the pleased older demon.

"Indeed young one. They are."

Shippo's pretty much happened the same way, only his colors were blue, green and red. "I feel so much more complete now that I have them." He said as he strapped one on each side of his hips. Kagome put them on her back in a criss cross fashion.

"That's natural, considering they are technically apart of you." Kagome replied for Totosai, before turning to the entrance of the cave after bowing to the old demon. "I appreciate-"

"Ah, that is not all Lady Kagome" Totosai interupted her, watching as a small tick throbbed on her temple by her left eye. 'So just like her Father.' He thought to himself. "I am to tell you that there is a shop in the Edo village that you need to visit, to get more weapons I would imagine."

"There aren't weapon shops in Edo, are there?" Shippo asked, curiousity shinning in his eyes.

"Oh yes they are. You just have to look, child." He spoke, smiling at them before they bowed again, thanking his and taking their leave, InuYasha following them.

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/Back to the Edo village I'm guessing?/ Shippo asked his mother.

/Yes. If Totosai said that we should go there, then its probably important. Especially if it has to do with more weapons. We can't just rely on just two swords. Er-well I guess we could but I guess we're meant to have more./ She replied, sweat dropping when she remember that she really didn't need more now that she was a demon.

"Would you two slow down? And why are you two so quiet all of a sudden?" InuYasha yelled, making the Kitsunes wince at the shrillness of his voice.

'And I used to find that voice sexy?' Kagome asked herself, shaking her head at her stupidness.

"No we can't slow down InuYasha. We have to get the to where we need to go as soon as possible because we have important business to handle." Shippo said, his voice monotone once again.

"Yeah the jewel shards. We managed-"

"No not the jewel shards. Not yet anyway. I have to check on my Father's lands to the north." Kagome spoke, narrowing her eyes at the white streak that she saw at the corner of her eye. /Damn. The other Inu is here./ Shippo nodded at her statement.

/I know./ "And we're quiet because we can speak to one another through telepathy now that we're bonded and shit." Her son explained, exasperated about how stubborn Inu's really were.

"Fine. Find us when your ready to come back." InuYasha said, his voice clank of any emotions but they could read him easily. He figured that if he gave up, made them guilty, they'd turn around and go back with him. But Kagome was no longer the stupid human she once was. She knew his games and she didn't like them.

"Ok. It shouldn't be more than 2 days." She said, not looking back when he scoffed and stopped running with them to run to the east west, where he left the group.

/Good god. I can't believe I actually thought I was in love with him Shippo. He's so.. Immature that is kills me./ She spoke, grimicing mentally.

Shippo gave a mental laugh before replying. /When you tend to go through the changes you did, you probably wake up a lot faster than you would have if you were human./

/Tell me about it. Now we just have one more Inu to worry about./ She pointedly glanced in the direction that Sesshomaru was, even though he thinks they don't know he's there.

/Wow, the nerve of some demons. He's got to be really arrogant to not notice that we've noticed him./ Kagome shrugged, cutting off communication for a couple for minutes now that they were back in the Edo village.

They pointedly ignored the stench and the stares of the humans that they were getting as they walked down the beated path to get to the weapons shop that they could now see. Keade smiled at them as they walked by, shouting out, "Welcome back Shippo, and Kagome. Hope you find all that you need before you leave."

The two waved back, much to the shock of the villagers. They were beginning to think that the old miko was losing her mind. Then they all thought they were losing their minds when Kagome and Shippo just vanished into thin air right before their eyes! Discussion broke out among them.

/Wow look at all the weapons!/ Kagome opened up the link again, gazing around with admiration at all the walls that were decorated with lots and lots of things that were created to hurt and kill others. A young man, unnoticed with the gawking visitors, chuckled at them, causing them to jump like they were caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"Welcome to my shop. My name is Katasuki, do you need help looking for anything today?" He asked, his hands knit together in front of him.

Kagome was about to answer him when a swirling aura caught her vision in the far left corner of the shack. "No I think we'll be finding everything just fine. Thank you though Katasuki." She mumbled, already headed over to where she was the black aura.

"Yeah." Shippo agreed, taking off to the right side where he was staring at some throwing knives that were wrapped in his red aura. He found the holster for them and starpped it around his upper right arm, since he was left handed, before placing the 6 throwing knives in their respective place. The red arua was absorbed in the weapons so he didn't see it anymore but he felt like he had just found another part of himself and it made him feel much better.

Katasuki smiled in a secretive way as Kagome lifted up a silver bow that has inticate black designs on the wood. They seemed to be burnt into it which made it more delicate looking. The minute it touched her hamd though, not only did the arua vanish, but the bow became much smaller. Small enough to be tied to her waist so she didn't have to make room for it on her back. "Cool" She breathed out when the quiver full of arrows that was sitting next to the bow did the same thing. So she tied them with a string to her waist and moved on.

Shippo walked around the store some more, noticing two shinning objects that had his red aura around them. They were silver sai, and the ends actually looked like they were dipped in blood before they were shipped off to this place. Picking them up, he spun them on his fingers and smiled when they felt like they belonged in them. He took those, sheathing them in the small of his back in a criss cross fashion.

Kagome didn't have to go far before she found her other weapon. Ninja stars in a black pouch sat in front of her and she tied it around the top of her right thigh, sighing when she felt more at peace as the black arua vanished.

Kunai were the last weapons that both found. They each had a set of 8 that were in holsters that Kagome tied on her upper left arm and that Shippo put on his upper left thigh. The ones they had strapped on their thighs, the straps were underneath their hakamas so that it didn't restrict the cloth they were wearing.

After they searched the store a little more, they came to the comclusion that they had all the weapons they needed and proceeded to Katasuki to pay for them. They were quite shocked when he told them that they were a gift from him to them.

"Don't worry about it. I knew that you two were coming in here before you did. Its fortold that way." He laughed as they exchanged looks between one another. "Never mind. Go on. Perhaps I shall see you in the future, eh?"

He shooed them out of the store and the minute they left, the shack vanshied and the villagers began to get louder. Kagome an dShippo just reappeared in the same place! "Whats going on Lady Keade?" One villager asked, scratching his chin in confusion.

"Its beginning. That's all." She replied with a smile before turning to head back to her hut, leaving an even more confused villager behind.

Kagome scratched the back of her neck before turning to look at her son. /That was werid./

/Yes it was but I feel totally complete now/ He told her, giving her a mental picture of him hugging himself to show her how happy he felt so he didn't have to show it.

She almost burst out laughing, but she managed to smother it so all that came out was a small snort. /Come. We should head out to the Northern lands. I still want to check on the property, get a feel for the layout before we take it back./ She said before jumping into the air and running towards her destination, still well aware of Sesshomaru who was still following them.

/Goddamn Inu is never going to give up is he?/ she asked Shippo, placing her ear bugs back into her ears and mentally starting it up so it played Sacrament of Wilderness by Nightwish.

/I can't see that coming from the Western Lord 'kaa-san./ He replied, starting his at Keep Away by Godsmack.

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He was going to find out what was going on with these two even if it killed him. Damn Kagome. Damn curiousity. Wait they just vanished?

He kneeled down on a branch hanging above the spot they disappeared, his head cocked to the side in wonder. He didn't feel anything around the area that they went to. Hmmm. Curious.

Just like that they were back. He narrowed his eyes when Kagome snorted and watched as they took off to the north. It seemed like they never communicated but it also seemed like they knew what they other was thinking… There's one mystery solved. They can communicate with telepathy. Smart Kitsunes. That's a rule with your enemies. Never let them know what your saying.

Guess he was going to follow them again. He didn't realize he could be this curious about a woman. One that used to be human, no doubt.

Now he knew without a doubt that she couldn't have placed a spell on her. It was his own nature and wonder of her that was drawing him to her. He'll just follow her to see where she's going, that's all. The he was going to head back to his group so that he could bring them back home. Then, he decided, he was going to join Kagome's little group. That way, he can watch her better.

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There you guys go. I have to go to bed. Please tell me if you enjoyed the chapter via review! HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!