Hey everyone I'm back with the ninth chapter of "Saving Her"! Don't get your hopes too high or the rest of the chapters being just as long as the last one because I can't write 8,000+ words for each chapter okay? ;P That last chapter was my apology for taking too long to update but that's it okay? lol
Oh and I'm taking a vacation next week so I won't be able to write any chapters then. Sorry! When I come back I'll try my best to make up for lost time.
Reviews please!
Chapter 9
As the group of five walked down the street, Kagome kept her head down while Sango didn't hesitate to look around.
Sango noticed that as they walked, with Izayoi in the lead, the crowds on the street seem to part as they walked through. Most of them even bowed their heads.
Sango leaned over to Kagome and whispered in her ear. "Kagome, it seems like we're protected if we stay with Lady Izayoi. No one's insulting us." Kagome tilted her head to look at Sango. Sango's face was just as awe-stuck as her voice. Sango's right eye sparkled as she looked around her. Her usual pride was slowly returning but Kagome would make sure that her pride stayed in check. Kagome feared that Sango's pride will bring horrible consequences one day if Sango goes over-board.
Sango was already used to calling Inuyasha's mother, Lady Izayoi since most people did in respect. Sango calls Inuyasha by his name since she had refused to call any demon master ever again. Kagome would flinch every time she did, but Inuyasha didn't seem to mind. Actually, he didn't seem effected at all.
Kagome, unlike Sango could see the villager's auras. Even though Kagome could only see their feet, their auras were like wisps of smoke that fluttered about them, spreading and retracting like snakes in the sand. Kagome tried to figure out the arrangements of colour:
Purple
This one was known too well. This surrounded Sango and pretty much the whole house when they served under their former master. When their master woke up and the slow, menacing and intimidating sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs would echo throughout the house, the purple smoke would become fire; it would spread, hiss and lick every inch of their surroundings. The source of this purple fire? Themselves.
'Purple…equals fear.'
Pink
Once again that afternoon, Kagome came across the colour pink again. What looked like calm waves of an ocean swept over the ground, fading as it reached a certain distance. But as Kagome and the rest of them kept walking, the pink was never seen again.
'Pink…equal serenity…and calmness.'
Black.
Kagome shivered. From the view of people's feet, the flood of black was just too deep. It hung around their ankles like vices and slithered around like worms. Instead of it fading like the others do, this one in particular settles like fog. Kagome watched as the smoke parted when her feet moved. Yes, she thought, like fog. This confused Kagome because this was different than the black aura produced by her master. But Kagome realised that it's not only the colour that defines the emotion, but the way it's produced. Kagome flinched as she saw a bright flash beside her. An aura sparked with electricity. Black bolts, sprung and stroked around them. Black lightning crackled and sparked. Kagome could almost feel her skin being fried. Yes, this was the one she was familiar with. Two different meanings…but Kagome couldn't figure the black smoke out.
'Black…equals anger…and…' Kagome narrowed her eyes in deep thought…but released them with a sigh when she couldn't think of it.
'That leaves blue and green. What could those mean?' Kagome summed up the rest of the colours she saw. 'Still no red though.'
Kagome remembered from last night the white that flared out around Inuyasha and Sango. Kagome giggled softly when she remembered how shocked Sango felt afterwards. Wait…that's it!
'White…equals surprised…or even confusion…'
Kagome felt drained as she worked her brain to sort out the colours. Now she has black, purple, pink and white. Anger, fear, calmness and confusion. 'I need more…there's so much more.' Kagome thought in frustration. 'I need to understand this…aura seeing that I have. I see the blue and green but what does it mean?'
Miroku and Inuyasha walked behind the three women side-by-side. Miroku, of course, would stop once in a while to greet some friendly women but Inuyasha would grab his collar and drag him away. One time, before Inuyasha could even touch the monk, he saw Miroku suddenly stand bolt-upright and hesitantly turn to look behind him. Inuyasha thought he was looking at him, but when he paced closer he noticed that Miroku was staring past him. Inuyasha turned to look behind him. He flinched as he saw Sango's angry glare. Inuyasha could swear that he saw fire around the woman. Miroku stopped greeting women from that point on.
"Say Inuyasha?" Miroku poked the dog-demon in the arm. Now it was Inuyasha's turn to glare at his friend. "What?" he said annoyed.
Miroku's voice suddenly turned serious. "What happened to Sango's face?" Inuyasha stopped glaring at him, sighed and turned his head to look straight ahead. "She had it injured."
"But by who?"
"I don't know exactly but Kagome and Sango both know the guy." Inuyasha growled quietly. "They call him their master."
"But I thought the girls called you master? Wait…are they slaves?" Miroku gaped. Inuyasha argued almost immediately. "They're people Miroku, just like you and me. They're not just slaves." Miroku looked rather shocked at Inuyasha's answer. Never has he seen Inuyasha so sensitive on the subject.
"Right…sorry, sorry." Miroku apologised. "But they're not yours?" Miroku avoided crashing into an open stand by walking behind Inuyasha. When it was clear, Miroku sped up to walked along his silver-haired friend again.
Inuyasha shook his head. "No, they're not mine." 'And they shouldn't belong to anyone.' Inuyasha stared at the back of Kagome's head. Miroku noticed this and smiled slyly to himself.
"So…how did you meet Kagome, hm?" Now it was Inuyasha who became stiff as a board. His face reddened a shade. He showed a fist in front of him. "Just what are you getting at?"
"Oh nothing, nothing. I just want to know how you came across her that's all." Inuyasha grumbled. "Yeah, yeah."
Inuyasha stuffed his arms into his sleeves and closed his eyes in thought. "It was already late at night. Mother stayed up to finish some house work and I was already getting ready for bed. While Mother walked from room to room to close the lights and come upstairs, the doorbell rang. She answered the door. I wanted to know what was going on so I came back downstairs." Inuyasha went back to staring at Kagome. "That was when I saw Kagome. She was lying, face down on our doorstep, drenched from the rain and half dead. Mother told me to pick her up and put her in the bathtub – I didn't take her clothes off you pervert!" Miroku was smiling slyly to himself and nodded absent-minded with the smile still plastered on his face. "Ah you have good fortune Inuyasha my friend." Inuyasha hit in on the head. "You lecherous monk, I didn't take her damn clothes off okay?" Miroku sighed happily. "Whatever you say Inuyasha."
Inuyasha mumbled something about cursed monks and stuffed his arms back in his sleeves again, trying to get serious again. "When I picked her up, she was light as air and all I could feel were bones and skin. Her whole body was covered in scars and she was bleeding in several places. Her clothes were covered in mud and soaked right through. When I filled the bath tub, I put her in…clothes-and-all. Did you get that you idiot?" Miroku laughed and patted Inuyasha on the shoulder which earned him a glare.
"Mother took care of the rest. Kagome was unconscious through the whole thing. When mother finished cleaning out her wounds and everything, Mother dressed her and told me to carry her to one of the guest bedrooms. It's a good thing she woke up the next day because Mother thought her injuries were too serious." his voice contained what sounded like relief.
Miroku then turned serious. "Inuyasha, you know that it's dangerous to keep a slave that belongs to someone else in your household right? Especially now that you have two of them." Inuyasha looked at his friend. Miroku wasn't joking and Inuyasha knew that he was right. "I know, I know…but how can I send either of them back to a place that did that to them? They'll be killed."
Miroku nodded. "I'm not saying that you should, but you have to be careful Inuyasha. You're taking a huge risk." Inuyasha said nothing.
Miroku continued to talk. "You said that you found Kagome on your doorstep…I'm just wondering, how did you find Sango?" Inuyasha sighed in exasperation. "I'm just wondering why you're so damn interested. You're certainly asking a lot of questions."
"I just want some answers that's all. Don't get all grumpy on me." Miroku fake pouted. Inuyasha groaned.
"The next night, a day later in case you can't figure it out in that air-head of yours, Kagome escaped. She left a note saying that she'll be back and telling me not to go after her. After that I couldn't sleep so I went downstairs to wait for her." He scratched his head in embarrassment. "I…uh…fell asleep again." Miroku shook his head in mock disappointment.
"When I woke up, I went to get a glass of water to drink. Then, I smelled Kagome's scent so I turned on the front lights and rushed to…uh…greet her." Miroku noticed that Inuyasha started to blush again. Miroku laughed. "I'm guessing you missed and went straight for Sango huh?" The monk kept laughing and Inuyasha's head snapped to look at him. "What…how do you know?"
"Oh it's a guy's instinct. You were worried about Kagome and wanted to show that but instead of reaching her, you missed and ended up with Sango right?" Miroku couldn't stop laughing at his conclusion. Inuyasha tried to shut him up but to no affect.
"So that's how you met Sango?" Inuyasha nodded. "When Kagome left, she went back to her master's house to get Sango and when she did, she came back here."
Miroku looked at Kagome thoughtfully. "Well, I do admire her for her bravery…and of course her stunning good looks." A bump rose on his head where Inuyasha hit him again. "Well, she did risk her freedom and her life just to rescue Sango." Miroku whined.
Inuyasha yelled at him again. "I didn't hit you because of that you idiot!"
Miroku rubbed his sore head. "But how did Sango injure the left side of her face?" Inuyasha cursed under his breath as his patience grew thinner by the minute. "I already told you that their master did that to her."
"Yes but it must have been a strong human to deform a beautiful face like that. Did she tell you how the man did that?" Miroku insisted. Inuyasha shook his head. "She didn't tell us how and for your information, their master is a demon." Inuyasha was growling from anger. No one treats Kagome like that. No one will ever treat her like that ever again. 'I won't let that happen again.'
"Oh I see…" Miroku said no more on the subject and Inuyasha sighed in relief, but not loud enough for the monk to hear or else he'll surely do something to purposely annoy him.
The group made their way to Totosai's hut where it was open and boiling hot. The smell of fire and smoke could be smelled houses away. A chimney spouted smoke though the roof and into the blue sky.
"Oh good-afternoon Lady Izayoi, what a pleasant surprise to see you here." The rough voice of an old man spoke to them from the depths of the hut. As they entered, Kagome and Sango took a good look around. Kagome was actually glad to finally be able to look up because her neck was starting to cramp. 'At least I won't make eye contact here.'
The room was pretty dark aside from a few lamps and candles. A huge fireplace dug itself into the wall at the back of the hut and a couple of furnaces were placed here and there, making the whole hut like a giant oven. The temperature was high and everyone in the group was already sweating. As they walked closer to the back of the hut were the huge fireplace was, Kagome and Sango could see an outline of a person hunched over a glowing piece of metal and once in a while, fire would shoot out from somewhere and engulf the metal in flames. The sounds of a hammer were deafening.
Totosai wasn't at all like Kagome thought. The man had a light-bulb-ish shaped head with a slightly wrinkled complexion. His head was bald aside from a short, slightly frayed, grey ponytail. He also had a grey mustash that parted in the middle (almost like whiskers thought Sango) and a grey beard. His eyes were huge and some of his teeth were missing. He had a skinny composure and he was wearing a big green and black striped kimono that was a little ripped and torn around the edges. The man overall looked like a normal elderly man…until Kagome watched him breathe fire.
She squeaked a bit and stepped back. Sango was wide-eyed and stared. Nobody else made any reactions.
"Just a minute my Lady." Everyone watched as Totosai brought down a huge forge hammer down on the shaped metal in front him what appears to be a sword. Steam hissed and rose ferociously as the man dunked the red and glowing metal in cold water. He walked over to a wall with other swords and weapons and set it down against the wall. Then he walked over to them, wiping his hands on an already soot covered cloth.
"So what can I do for you today Lady Izayoi?" Izayoi moved behind Kagome and Sango and placed a hand on both their backs, gently pushing them forward.
"Totosai I would like you to meet Kagome and Sango. Kagome and Sango, this is Totosai, a demon blacksmith and a dear friend to our family." Sango immediately stiffened. Izayoi rubbed her hand reassuringly on her back. Sango remembered their earlier conversation and tried to relax. Izayoi turned back to Totosai. "These girls want to train to become demon slayers. Would you be so kind as to make armoury and weapons for them?" Izayoi spoke with the same calming voice of hers.
"Hm…" Totosai studied the two girls. Sango looked at him straight in the eyes, never wavering, while Kagome refused to make eye contact. However, despite her appearance, Totosai sensed a powerful aura around her. And he could definitely tell that Sango was a determined person and would stop at nothing until her goals are reached. Finally, Totosai nodded. "Alright then, I'll be happy to make the armoury…but the girls must choose their weapons first."
He backed away from them and faced his body towards the weaponry wall. "Each person, demon and human alike, should have a weapon that speaks to them. The right weapon and the bearer must have a strong connection or no matter how hard or how long you train, you'll never be able to reach your full potential. So go ahead girls. Find your weapon. But choose carefully. A wrong weapon could end up disastrous."
Izayoi pushed them forwards. "Go ahead girls, take your time." She smiled encouragingly. The two walked towards the weaponry wall and studied it intensely. There was a large assortment of weapons. Axes, swords, maces, anything that causes damage in all sizes lined up against the wall.
Sango slowly paced around. Then, she noticed a giant, cream coloured boomerang that stood about the same height as her. Instantly, Sango felt something inside her click and say, 'That's the one.' She walked over to it.
"Hm…" Totosai hummed thoughtfully as he watched Sango. As Sango stood up to the giant boomerang squarely, he spoke. "That's Hiraikotsu. A boomerang bone made from the bones of many, many demons. It'll cut through basically anything in its path. It's quite heavy though. A human man can hardly pick it up." Totosai glanced at Miroku who sweat-dropped and chuckled sheepishly. He remembered how he had tried to show off and fight with all the weapons in Totosai's hut. When he tried to pick Hiraikotsu up, he stumbled around and almost toppled Totosai over when Miroku almost fell on him.
Sango looked back from Totosai to Hiraikotsu. The boomerang bone looked so graceful yet menacing to her. It was beautiful. Sango reached a hand over to pick it up. She picked up the strap on one end and pulled it towards her. The whole hut was silent as they watched Sango move.
Sango took a deep breath in, shifted her weight, raised her arm and…
Picked it up.
Kagome, Inuyasha and Miroku gasped and Totosai and Izayoi smiled. Sango couldn't help but smile like a fool as she looked at the graceful weapon in her hand. Of course it was heavy like Hell but she could pick it up! Sango suppressed a silly gleeful giggle.
"Good, good." Totosai praised. "Kagome, did you find anything yet?"
Everyone turned their heads to face the girl who was still gaping at Sango. When she felt everyone's eyes on her, she stared in at the wall and shook her head violently.
Kagome sighed and straightened herself out, vowing to find her weapon. She scanned the wall over and over again, but nothing stood out to her. Then, she decided to test her powers. She tried something she's never done. She closed her eyes and walked around the room. Everyone thought she was going crazy. As she walked closer to the fire where hot metals were lying around, Inuyasha tensed. Kagome was getting dangerously close to a hot rod. Everyone but Totosai reacted.
Kagome felt something getting closer, so she paused and manoeuvred around it…with her eyes closed. Boy, were people confused. Totosai closed his eyes in thought.
In the dark when her eyes were closed, Kagome could still see and mentally feel the colour of her surrounding's auras. Other than the colours of Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Izayoi and Totosai, she only saw objects…until a sudden flash of light caught her eye. Kagome's eyes flew open.
She had travelled to the opposite wall than that of the weaponry wall. She looked to her right where the fire place was. Something had flared out while her eyes were closed coming from that direction.
"What is it that you sensed Kagome?" Totosai spoke up. He was stroking his little beard thoughtfully. Everyone waited for her to react.
"I…saw…" Kagome stopped herself from saying 'oh I just saw a red light coming from over here.' No one but Sango would believe her so she didn't continue what she was going to say.
Then the red flare came up again. Kagome snapped her head to the corner of the room. Her eyes met a bow. A very simple, short-range hunting bow. The bow wasn't anything special and it looked really old, being chipped in several places, but Kagome couldn't ignore the red fire that burned around it. The room remained silent.
Kagome walked over and picked it up. The red flames licked around her scarred hand and Kagome could feel like it was pulsing in her hand…like it has a heartbeat.
Red…she finally saw the colour red in an aura…but what does it mean? Kagome was excited at her discovery, but grew even more frustrated because she couldn't figure out its meaning.
She didn't know how long she stood there staring at the bow, entranced, but finally, she turned towards Totosai, looking jut below his head and showed him the bow.
Totosai stopped stroking his beard and hummed again. "You've decided with this Kagome?" The girl nodded. "Hm…you've made an interesting choice. Not many choose the bow and arrow as a weapon for it is hard to perfect it. The art of archery isn't an easy one. That's why only ones with spiritual powers can master it…are you certain you want this weapon Kagome?"
"Yes…yes I do." Inuyasha's ears twitched and he looked over at Kagome curiously. She had spoken without hesitation for the first time since they met. Was she seriously serious?
Totosai nodded. He walked over to Sango with the bow in hand and asked for Hiraikotsu. Sango regretfully gave it back to him. He set them both down in front of the fire place and walked over to Izayoi where Inuyasha and Miroku have been stunned into silence.
"Well, the choices have been made but the girls need to gain back their strength and train. They wouldn't last a minute battling anything in their current situation. Not to mention that Sango has to wait until that eye of hers heal or else her aim for Hiraikotsu will be off. I'll come by in a few days to check up on them and bring their newly adjusted weapons." Izayoi smiled. "That would be wonderful Totosai. Thank you." The old man smiled. "Anything for you my Lady. Oh and before you go, Inuyasha, Miroku, wait for a few minutes." Totosai went back to the weaponry wall. He picked up a sword in its sheath and a staff.
"Ah, so you've repaired my Shakujou, Totosai? I didn't think that you would finish so soon." Miroku smiled as he accepted the staff. Totosai glared at him. "Who do you take me for? I'm a demon after all." Miroku chuckled. "I meant no disrespect Totosai." The old blacksmith nodded.
He handed the sword to Inuyasha. "I've fixed the cracks on it. Take better care of it Inuyasha, it's not a toy. Don't go breaking it before you've used it properly. Your father gave it to you for a reason."
"Keh, I already told you that it was an accident. I was just practicing after all." Inuyasha slipped the sword into his obi (or belt if you prefer). Kagome couldn't help but stare at the sword in wonder. 'His father gave him that sword? I wonder what happened to it that caused it to crack.'
Totosai caught Kagome staring at Inuyasha's sword. "That is the Tessaiga also known as The Sword of Men. It can slay 100 demons with one swing." Kagome lifted her head slightly in Totosai's direction. "Inuyasha's father asked me to forge it along with Tensaiga, the sword which is now in Sesshomaru's possession, also known as The Sword of Heaven. It can resurrect 100 souls in one swing." Totosai sat back down by the large fire and crossed his legs. "As the Great Dog Demon passed, his wishes were that Inuyasha receives the Tessaiga and Sesshomaru the Tensaiga. Sesshomaru was outraged. He had wanted Tessaiga in order to become more powerful but when he ended up with Tensaiga, he grew cold and his hatred grew. He's already tried several times to take it from Inuyasha, but he never succeeds."
"That bastard should get a reminder that he can't even touch the sword." Inuyasha retorted. Totosai continued. "That's right. My master put a barrier on Tessaiga that prevents anyone who despises humans to use it."
'That's right…Sesshomaru hates humans.' Kagome thought.
The room went silent.
"Well, then, I suppose that'll be all for today Totosai." Izayoi stood up from the seat she had settled on before. "Thank you again Totosai and we'll see you again rather soon I hope."
"That you will my Lady that you will." Totosai gave a final wave and turned back to the weapons. The clang of the hammer could already be heard before they exited the hut again.
Kagome was relieved to breathe fresh air again. The sweat on her forehead was wiped away with her hand and everyone was cooled down by the breeze immediately.
The group of five continued to make their way back to the mansion. As they reached the door way, Izayoi turned towards Miroku. "How about you stay for a while, Miroku, and join us for dinner? We could use some excitement." The Lady laughed. Miroku bowed. "I would be honoured to." Inuyasha grumbled again.
"Not to mention that you could help Inuyasha and the girls with their training." Izayoi said as she opened the door and travelled down the hall.
"Mother, I don't need any help from this idiot!" Inuyasha yelled after his mother. He slammed the door behind him as he was the last one to enter the house. Izayoi called from the kitchen. "With your impatience, you'll need all the help you can get!" Miroku's laughter was heard after the statement.
"Humph…"
~:~:~:~
Everyone was in the backyard of the mansion…well, it was more a huge courtyard surrounded by hedges, pine trees and rose bushes. Flowers of all sorts lined each perimeter. Kagome remembered how the view of her room's balcony was in this direction. She climbed down on this side of the house and had to circle around it to get to the front before she escaped that night. Behind the array of trees, Kagome could see a huge ocean of rolling hills and forests spreading as far as the eye could see.
There was a wooden door connected with a side of bushes that separated from the middle of the house. As Kagome walked closer to the side to peek over, Kagome saw a large covered pool on the other side. It had a diving board and several lawn chairs and patio tables along the edges. It looked like it hasn't been used for a long time. Dead leaves and dust balls rested on the canopy covering the pool.
"Kagome, are you coming?" Inuyasha's voice echoed around her. Kagome ran over to the little group gathered in the middle of the courtyard.
The four of them stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, all of them trying to think of ways to train.
"So…any ideas?"
"No"
"Nope."
"How about we just start with basic sword training? Even though Sango and Kagome might not even use a sword, it's a good way to strengthen them and you never know, if things get serious, they would know how to handle a sword with ease in case the situation gets dire." Miroku offered.
"You know Miroku, sometimes you're a pain in the butt when you start to become a smart ass." Inuyasha said. The monk laughed. "Why thank you Inuyasha. I'll take that as a complement." Inuyasha mumbled under his breath. "It wasn't meant to be one."
The group separated to find some wooden staves. When they all piled some branches and sticks in the middle of the field, Miroku and Inuyasha helped Sango and Kagome choose a stave that was right for them.
"Aren't you going to use one Monk?" Sango asked with a small glare. Miroku smiled his most innocent smile and took a few steps back. "I'll just use my staff for defence."
Sango shrugged, slung her wooden stave over her shoulder and walked towards Inuyasha and Kagome who where already waiting. Miroku breathed out a sigh of relief and followed her.
"We'll start with pairs today so that the others can watch while another group trains. We can switch partners after so that we can fight different people. Nobody fights the same. We'll start slowly, just basic technique for offence and defence, and then well go out into full battle." Inuyasha stated his voice full of experience and authority. He was quite pumped. This was what he was best at and he couldn't wait.
"I'll be with Kagome." shouted Miroku urgently as he pulled on Kagome's arm and held her hand. Inuyasha instantly flared. "What? I thought you wanted to be with Sango?"
Miroku did a little disconcerting wave and his most innocent smile as he said, "Well I think it'll be best to start off with someone who doesn't want to kill you." Miroku ducked his head behind Kagome's shoulder.
Inuyasha sweat-dropped and sighed with disappointment. Damn monk. "You're not still mad at him for this morning are you?" Inuyasha asked Sango. Sango responded airily with false approvement. "Oh no, no, I'm fine with whatever this lecherous monk does. It doesn't concern me." Inuyasha watched as Sango walked away and to the center of the field. Oh well, at least he'll be able to watch Kagome, thought Inuyasha as he followed Sango.
"Good luck Inuyasha!" Miroku called after him. Inuyasha's ears twitched. 'Note to self, kill him after you're finished this match.'
"Alright, Sango, when you hold a sword you would put your dominant hand closer to the hilt and your other, weaker hand behind it." Inuyasha began. Sango placed her right in front of her left.
"For defence, if I come straight at you and my sword it pointed at you, you would use your sword to push my sword away from your body. Here, come at me and I'll show you." Sango lunged forward with her stave pointed right into Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha swung like a batting movement and hit her sword to the side. The force made Sango let go in feat and the stave flew to the side, narrowly missing Miroku's head.
"Hey!" shouted Miroku after ducking. "Oh sorry Monk…I was aiming for your head but it's too bad I missed." Sango retorted. Inuyasha couldn't help but laugh out loud at Sango's remark. Even though he didn't like her very much, at least she put Miroku in his place. Sango went to get her stave back.
Inuyasha turned to Sango when she returned. "Don't ever let go of your sword just because you're scared. If you don't have a weapon, you're at a disadvantage bare handed. You'll be killed instantly. Always have a firm grip on your sword." Sango nodded as she readjusted her stance.
"Alright, let's try again!"
The afternoon continued like that as each of them battled one another. Inuyasha and Miroku would give pointers to help improve the girl's technique and the girls would learn and adapt quickly. Everyone laughed when Miroku got shoved to the floor by Kagome the first time they fought even though Miroku said that he wouldn't go easy on her.
The hours passed quickly and even though Kagome and Sango were almost collapsing from exhaustion, they insisted on continuing to train. But finally they stopped when Kagome's knees buckled and Inuyasha had to catch her before her head hit the ground.
Lady Izayoi called from inside the house that it was dinner and the group headed inside using the sliding doors to clean up. Inuyasha had to carry Kagome because she could barely walk.
"Don't push yourselves girls because you've only spent about two days in this house with proper nutrition and care. You're both still quite weak and you can get seriously injured if you don't take it easy. You're body won't be able to handle the sudden stress of exercise. You'll be eating everyday now and getting a good night's sleep too. You will need time to gain back your strength, you heard Totosai." Izayoi pestered as she set the table with all sorts of food. "Now all of you go clean up."
All of them went one by one to the washroom to clean themselves up. When they finished they all sat down at the table, the boys on one side and the girls on the other. Izayoi sat at her usual place at the tip of the table.
All of them dug in, especially the four that have been training all afternoon. The plates and bowls were cleared in minutes. Kagome and Sango got up to help Izayoi with the dishes and Inuyasha and Miroku sat back on the chairs with a full and content sigh.
"You two are no better than a pack of wolves." Izayoi laughed.
"Well how can we resist when you cooked with such care and put your love into every meal?" Miroku praised. Inuyasha groaned.
Lady Izayoi left her thanks with the girls for cleaning and washing the dishes as she sat down at the table again with the two men. "So Miroku, where are you planning to stay for tonight?"
"Well Lady Izayoi, I was wondering if I could rest here for a couple of days like usual. I think it'll be best if I don't travel for a couple of days like I normally do and stay here. If Kagome and Sango are worried about their master coming for them, I think it would help if I stay here, you know, for extra protection?" At this, Inuyasha almost hit Miroku again until he saw the serious look on Miroku's face. In the end, Inuyasha just said, "You better not do anything perverted again you hear?"
"I wouldn't dream of it." Miroku smiled.
The sun was beginning to set as everyone piled upstairs to get ready for bed. Kagome continued to wear her sky-blue cotton night gown and Sango wore her silk one. When Kagome left her room to go into Sango's room, she met Inuyasha along the way and whew, what a sight. (Girls, who love Inuyasha, prepare to drool!)
Inuyasha was wearing a plain, white tank top that flattered his finely toned muscles with great intensity. He wasn't freakishly ripped but it was obvious that Inuyasha was strong for his arms and chest was broad and toned. His abs were beautifully figured through the material of his tee. With every stride, his muscles flexed and relaxed gracefully and oh, so beautifully. As for his pants, he was wearing a red pyjama bottom.
The only thing Kagome could think of when looking at nothing but his abs, since she avoided his face was, 'OH…MY…GOODNESS…' She was stunned by his brilliance. This made avoiding his face even harder as her own face burned. Her heart sped up immensely and Kagome felt light headed. It was making it hard to not sway around.
Inuyasha noticed and couldn't help but smirk at Kagome's bashfulness. "Well, see you in the morning Kagome." Kagome's face deepened in colour as she nodded and bid him good night. She speed-walked into Sango's room.
Inuyasha closed his door behind him and walked out onto his own balcony. As he looked up into the sky, he stared at the full moon. It was almost the night of the new moon. Inuyasha cursed. How was he going to explain to Kagome and Sango? He hated admitting that he had a weakness. He'll get his mother to explain again. She did before.
But that wasn't the only thing he was worried about. He remembered Kagome's restlessness that morning while eating breakfast and the fact that she didn't even touch her plate. As Inuyasha stared up into the stars, he could feel that restlessness Kagome had felt. He could feel that trouble was stirring and it made the hair on his neck stand up.
Worriedly, he entered back into his bedroom, closed and locked his balcony door, closed the curtains, climbed into bed and prayed that he wouldn't dream another nightmare.
Okay well that's chapter 9 for you! Please review because I love all of your reviews! Tell me what you think okay?
So another reminder that I won't be able to write/post anything next week since I'm not going to be even near a computer .
Until next time,
WanderingDreamer4Ever