AN: Thank you again to everyone who stuck by this fic. This was definitely the longest fic I've written so far, and I had a lot of fun doing it. I hope you all enjoy. The final chapter will actually be the next one.
Pint Sized!
Ch. 10: Of Doppelgangers and Toxins
By Lunaticneko aka nekonobaka
Slowly she felt the hold on her leaving and as she fell to the ground she saw the naked form of Kikyou fall into Inuyasha's arms. When she hit the ground everything seemed to be back to normal, and she gaped for air. Kagome closed eyes against the pain, her body felt like it was on fire.
Slowly the burning sensation left her and she realized there was a hand on her cheek. She open her eyes to see who it was. "Sessh..?"
He only nodded and brushed back her bangs feeling her forehead, concern obvious only in his eyes. "Are you well?"
She thought a moment as she assessed her body. "Yeah, just tired." Glancing at the embracing couple. "Very tired." Sango's sob drew her attention as the woman knelt down next the her on her free side. Sesshoumaru decided to give them some space and leaned against a nearby tree. A part of him didn't want to be too far away.
"Oh Kagome." She sobbed. " I was so scared. When I saw you… I thought you were going to die." Sango grabbed her to her chest rocking her still immobile form.
Kagome raised a hand and gripped the slayer's shoulder. "Sango, I'm fine. But if you don't stop rocking me, I'm going to be sick." Sango laughed and stopped. She let go of her when she was sure Kagome wouldn't fall over. Shippou crawled into her lap and hugged her middle.
Miroku stood next to Sango. "I'm glad you are alight. But that could have gone really badly, Kagome~sama." He scolded lightly.
Kagome huffed. "I didn't even realize the jewel was reacting." At Inuyasha voice she looked up.
"Either way, thank you." There was a softness in his eyes and a full smile she had seen rarely since Kikyou's second death. She notice his haru was now covering Kikyou's form.
"You're welcome." Not knowing what else to say. She saw Kikyou glance at her and it occurred to Kagome that Kikyou's current attire wasn't the best way to travel. She remembered her miko clothes in her pack. Keade had always insisted she pack them just incase she needed spare clothing. Though she had tried her best to never wear them. She patted Shippou's head. "Hey, go play with Rin I'm fine."
He hesitated but eventually nodded and ran off. Slowly she got up and went over to her pack. While digging through it, she talked over her shoulder. "I have some clothes she can have. Found it!" She then turned and brought the clothes over holding them out to the previously dead woman. Kikyou just stared at her leaving her unnerved as she did before. "I never use them, and it's better than nothing."
Finally she took them from her, turning her gaze away. Muttering a "thank you."
Kagome just smiled and gladly left. She spotted the water bottles and quickly grabbed them. "Hey, Sesshoumaru come with me to fill the water bottles." He lifted a brow. "You know this place better than I do." He nodded and they went off.
When out of ear shot he asked. "Avoiding the wench are we?"
Kagome glared down at him. "No. ….well maybe. Anything is better than sticking around her. I might have wished her back, but that doesn't mean she doesn't put me on edge."
"Hn." He smirked.
"Oh, shut up. We needed water anyways." Kagome huffed.
"That may be, but you can't avoid her all the time, Kagome. What will you do? Will you continue to travel with them?"
"Of course. We still have our little mini mission to help you. I'm not going to back out on a promise just because I'm uncomfortable." Kagome spotted the river and rushed over.
He walked over and start to help her fill the water bottles. "And what of after the 'mini' mission?" He asked grabbing a second bottle.
She remained silent for a while before speaking. "I honestly don't know."
She shook her head trying not to think on it, and smiled over at him. "But I know one thing for sure. I'm going to miss you when you're gone."
He stared at her slightly shocked. "Miss me..?"
She quickly turned her head back to her work. A light blush staining her cheeks as she realized how he might take it. "Yeah, I enjoy having your company. What's so wrong with that?" She fumbled with the cap of the water bottle. "Besides now with everyone coupled up and the jewel gone, it is going to get really boring."
He chuckled, surprising Kagome to look back at him. " So you are worried you'll be bored without this Sesshoumaru."
"Well not just that." Worried she insulted him.
Sesshoumaru smiled at her. "I suppose I'll miss your antics as well."
She smirked at him. "You know you will be lonely without me." Gesturing with her hands. "Who would you fling worms at?"
"Ah yes." His smile grew at the memory. Though it left as a thought entered his head, and he pondered why he would even offer. 'No. Rin is enough. She would just draw trouble.' But then again he didn't mind the action. He watched her as she put the cap on the last water bottle, and smile over at him. 'Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. She may even be useful to this Sesshoumaru.'
"Well, we should head back." Kagome said as she gathered up the now filled water bottles.
"hn." He replied, still debating as he glanced at her. He mentally sighed. "Miko."
"Yeah?" Not even looking over.
"If you decide to continue traveling and are…bored of your group, you may travel with this Sesshoumaru." He said in a bored tone.
She stopped and turned toward him wide eyed. "Really?" She said hopeful.
Her response bothered him. "You'll still have to take care of yourself."
"Ok."
"Help out with Rin."
"Sure." She paused a minute. "Could Shippou come?"
He hadn't thought about that. "That is fine." The next thing he knew he heard a squeal of excitement and Kagome was on her knees squishing him against her.
"Thank you! You won't regret it."
'I already am.' The feeling of her flushed against him, had him blushing lightly against his will. Her hair was by his face allowing him to smell her without effort. 'At least her scent is pleasant.' To which he was thankful for. " And miko…"
"hm?" She said loosening her hold to look at him.
He thought on his wording carefully. "Please refrain from excessively assaulting my person." He knew with her it bound to happen anyway. The widening of her eyes made him smirk as he saw the realization of what she had done set in. 'So she hadn't realized it.'
Kagome quickly let go of him and stood as if he we're on fire. A blush staining her cheeks, as she muttered. "I'll try to remember that." She scowled as he continued to smirk. "Oh, let's just get back to camp."
What they came back to made Kagome want to giggle, as they heard Rin giving Kikyou the twenty question routine.
Rin " How come you look like Kagome?"
Kikyou stared at the child in shock. "I don't look like her, she looks like me."
Rin shook her head. "Not ah. Besides, I've never seen you, so you look like her."
Kagome wanted to laugh, but took pity on the newly alive woman. "Rin that's not polite. But if you really wanted to know, we share the same soul and the gods thought it would be funny if we looked similar."
Rin scrunched her face. "Well that's stupid."
Kagome laughed then, "Yes. But we have our differences too."
Rin. "Like your eyes."
Kagome smiled . "Yes."
"Her hair as well." Came a masculine voice. Kagome's eyes swung over to the youkai lord who was looking off to the side. "Kagome's hair has waves in it, while the other one's is straight." He turned to look at her. "Besides physical differences, their personalities are nothing alike."
Kagome couldn't help the warmth the lined her smile and heart at his words.
Inuyasha came to stand by Kikyou. "Hey. We should get moving. Were never gonna get him cured if we sit around all day."
The group nodded and got ready to head out.
Kagome glanced back at the couple. 'Well, everything seems to be going well.' Kikyou sent her a eerie look and she went back to looking start ahead. 'Well…as well as it could get.'
The two miko's walked on either end of the group with their respective dog youkia. Kagome and the children up front with the Daiyouki. Inuyasha and Kikyou in the back. Sango and Miroku acting as the buffer sandwiched for their friends.
It was then she sensed something. 'Are you kidding me? Why would the attack a large group? We don't even have the shikon anymore!' Kagome sighed. "We've got incoming."
It wasn't long till something could be heard thundering their way. A strange lizard youkai stomped out of the brushes on all fours growling at them. Green all over including with the exception to the purple quill like pikes in the creatures tail. Two others slightly more humanoid came rushing in behind the first.
The lower level youkai made something that seemed like a odd bark, and then the two higher levels charged forward. The two shot toward Sango and Miroku. Kagome was ready to take aim at one, when the lower youkai lifted it's tail and shot several quills at Rin and Shippou.
Doing the only thing she could think of, she ran and jumped in front of the them. She couldn't help the grunt that left her as the quills pierced her back. Hearing a growl she turned to see Sesshoumaru sock the youkai back into the woods. Inuyasha ran past with his sword out to finish the job.
Turning she frowned as she saw that Shippou still had managed to get some quills in his tail. "Hold still Shippou, I'll take the quill out." He only giggled his thanks, which made her raise a brow. Making quick work of them she started on her own, and felt strangely happy.
Looking back Sesshoumaru winced slightly watching as she pulled the thin spikes out that were protruding from her back. "Miko, do you need help?"
She only giggled and shook her head going back to pulling out the quills. She paused to examine one and giggled once more.
Raising a brow, he came over and pulled out a quill. His eyes narrowed as he watched an odd purple liquid drip off the end, sniffing it confirmed his suspicion. "Miko, you've been poisoned."
Kagome looked at him bright eyed and completely unfazed. "Really?"
"…yes." Out of the corner of his eye he saw the kit spinning in place. "Apparently the kit as well."
"Is it deadly?" She asked, all the while smiling like they were discussing the weather and not a potentially deadly substance running through her blood stream.
Taking another sniff. "Most likely not."
"That's good." She then turned to Rin. "You didn't get any quills right?"
Rin smiled. " Nope, you blocked them."
"That's good.." Kagome trailed off as she watched a blue bird fly off into the distance, and stared at where it disappeared. Then she muttered something about going over the rainbow.
Rin reached over and tugged on the Sesshoumaru's sleeve. "Sesshoumaru~sama, are they ok?"
He grimaced, "They will be."
All thoughts on their state were shoved aside as one of the humanoid youkai came back into their section of the clearing.
Kagome eyes widen and a look of horror overtook her face. "OH no! They're after my lucky charms!" The field went silent. After a moment a muffled laugh similar to a snort broke past her lips, before a giggling fit had her doubling over.
Sesshoumaru's eye twitched. "Woman, get a hold of yourself!"
Kagome took one hand off her stomach to wipe her eyes. "Sor-ry. Mmmhmhm… Funny." Then more giggling ensued. At his growl they became chopped laughter.
A humanoid lizard youkai charged toward their direction. Sesshoumaru leaped and used his claws to relieved the creature of it's head. Turning he slice down the middle of the still stumbling body, satisfied when the two halves hit the earth.
Looking over he saw his half-brother finish off the last youkai with a swipe of his sword.
After regrouping, Inuyasha eyed the still giggling miko. "What's so funny?"
Kagome. "mm- noth-ing..hehe.."
A scruffy eyebrow rose and eyes caught the kit pounding the ground in a fit of laughter. "Right…." Turning his eyes on the mini daiyoukai. "What's wrong with them?"
He actually sighed. "They were poisoned by the quill youkai." Panic crossed the hanyou's face. "But they will be fine, the effects are not permanent."
Sango watched her friend try to control herself. "Are you sure?"
He couldn't help glaring at her actually doubting him. "Yes. It's the creature method of disabling it's prey. Seeing as the poison didn't kill them, it's safe to say that it will wear off eventually."
The monk nodded his head. "Well then we should make camp early, seeing as those two currently unsuitable for travel.
Inuyasha watched as Kagome and Shippou started poking each other with sticks. "Alright, we'll set up camp."
Inuyasha saw Kagome staring off in deep thought at the edge of camp. Curious, he came besides her. "Hey, what are you thinking about?"
"I was just wondering how to fix Sesshoumaru and how long it might- " It was then a white butterfly traveled into her line of vision. "Oh." And she trailed after the fleeing flutter bug.
Inuyasha blinked as his friend started to wander off.
Shaking off his surprise he scowled "Hey, where are you going?"
Kagome scrunched up her face in thought, then pointed to the sky. "To the Moon, Alice! To the moon!"
She received blank stares all around.
Sango voiced part of her confusion out loud. "Who is Alice?"
The loopy miko looked thoughtful. "Alice…? Hmm. Like Alice that went down the rabbit hole." There was a pause as her eyes lit up with a thought, and a huge smile broke her face. " I'm Alice!"
"You're Alice?" Miroku was beginning to think this poison was worse than the youkai lord thought, and may very well be causing serious brain damage.
She focused on the ground as she thought while poking her lip. "Well, I'm like Alice. I fell down a hole into another world just like her. I even have a cat. Though I was dragged here by a centipede youkai, and she chased after a talking white rabbit. But basically the same thing!" Looking up at him, quiet happy with her explanation.
Miroku felt that this would be a good time to smile and nod. "Ah, I see."
She beamed and went to play with a giddy Shippou.
Sango sighed, Kikyou stared and Inuyasha groaned into his hand. "I'll be back."
The monk turned his towards the bewildered Daiyoukai. "And how long will this state last?"
Sesshoumaru watched as the miko and kintsune started throwing grass at each other while giggling madly. " Hopefully within a days time."
Watching his giddy companions, Miroku shook his head. "Let us hope you are right."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TBC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AN: That's it for chapter 10. I KNOW, I said this would be the last chapter. But as I began tweaking, and adding to it; I realized that this really should be two. There was entirely too much going on and more to develop. That and writing fight scenes, however brief, is not something I'm particularly good at or fond of writing.