A/N: Sweet Possum- lol, I'm getting to enjoy the little Shippo moments now actually, I'm glad you're enjoying my story;)
Kattana- yes, I'm going to answer all those question a little later in the story:)
Everyone else, thank you for reading and reviewing, I'm glad it seems enjoyable:D
Chapter 26: Fall
Inuyasha smiled cockily as he positioned his sword sideways just below his chin in front of him.
"This is going to be way too easy," he said.
Across from him stood Miroku, his staff pointed at Inuyasha with an equally satisfied grin, "I would be wise not to judge my strength Inuyasha," he replied smoothly.
"Feh," Inuyasha said, "you can't possibly think you can beat me, monk."
"You're good with your words, but this isn't an insult dual," Miroku said, raising his eyebrows while keeping his cocky image.
That's when they heard giggling.
"Kagome," Inuyasha turned with a frown towards the hut, "you're supposed to be on my side," he growled, she was totally ruining the mood.
Kagome, who was sitting on the hut porch, covered her mouth to hide her laughter, "Sorry Inuyasha."
Just then Miroku managed to knock Inuyasha's sword from his hand. By the time the half demon turned around, Miroku had used his staff to trip Inuyasha so that he fell forwards and as he got out of the way, Miroku placed a sutra on his shoulder before half rolling to the other side of his defeated friend.
Inuyasha growled, his ego bruised more than his body, "This is all your fault Kagome," he barked, trying to stand.
"Miroku, what did you do to me!" he yelled, not able to get up.
As Miroku stood up and dusted himself off he answered, "I placed a binding sutra on you so that you are unable to move."
"WELL GET IT OFF OF ME!" the half demon hollered louder angrily.
By this time Kagome couldn't stop laughing. The hut door opened and out came Sango, wondering what was so amusing.
"What's going on?" she asked, sitting beside Kagome.
"Oh, Sango," Kagome said, surprised, "Inuyasha lost the dual," she explained, still laughing.
Miroku put a foot on Inuyasha's back as if claiming a trophy, "Sango," he called, "your man has just battled a ferocious demon and has conquered it in your honor," he said with his head held high.
Inuyasha growled.
Sango blushed. Kagome raised an eyebrow at her friend, wondering what she was so embarrassed about.
"Miroku!" said Inuyasha, "if you don't get this off of me, you're going to regret it!"
"Will I now?" replied Miroku, taking his foot off of his friend, "very well then, I think I have proved my point."
Before Miroku had time to pull the sutra off, Kaede, with Shippo on her shoulder, exited the hut. Kaede walked up to the men, "Ye are supposed to be practicing if a demon attacks, with Kagome and Sango both unable to battle, we need to take all the precautions," she told them in her wise and calm tone.
Shippo however was laughing so hard at Inuyasha's predicament that he fell off of Kaede and rolled around on the ground holding his middle as though it would bust from all the laughing.
"I'm going to the fields to pick some herbs and vegetables, I will be back in a while," Kaede told them, heading off. Shippo jumped back on her shoulder, turned, put his hands to the sides of his face and stuck out his tongue at Inuyasha, making a raspberry noise.
"MIROKU!"
"Alright, alright, sheesh," Miroku said as he bent down and removed the sutra, "There."
At once Inuyasha stood and glared at Miroku, growling at him, "Don't..do..that..again," he said, greeting his temper.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said, getting up and heading over to them. She placed her hands on her hips, "You need to start watching your temper."
Inuyasha looked at her with a frown, "Yeah, why's that?"
Kagome sniffled and put her hands to the side in upsetting fists, a clear sign her hormones were back with vengeance.
"No, no," Inuyasha waved his hands in front of him, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, jeez, I didn't even say anything wrong."
"Oh, so now I'm over emotional?" Kagome asked in a choky voice as she put her hands back on her hips and glared at him. Sango, who was slightly behind Kagome, waved her hands in front of her and shook her head, warningly.
Inuyasha glanced at Sango then back at Kagome, "Uhhh."
"Forget it and sit," she said. She then turned and headed back to the hut with a 'humph' attitude.
"Well you did it that time," Miroku said as Inuyasha picked himself up off the ground.
"What does she want from me?" he questioned, frustrated. The half demon let out that frustration in a huge sigh and made his way to the hut where he went into.
Miroku smiled at Sango, "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'm ok," she told him, looking at the ground as if she was trying to avoid his gaze.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he then asked.
Sango looked up at him, clenched her fist beside her and nodded her head.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said, seeing her sitting on the floor, going through her things. He reached a hand out towards her; he hoped this wasn't one of her plans to leave him again.
But then she looked up at him with a huge smile. Inuyasha backed up a little frightened at her psycho expression. He gulped, was this a trick or something?
"I'm sorry Inuyasha, I don't know what came over me," she said.
Inuyasha looked around the room, debating on whether to reply to that or not.
"Come sit next to me," Kagome said patting the floor beside her with that psycho smile. Inuyasha gulped, but did as she said and sat down beside her doggie style, wondering what was next.
Kagome began drawing circles on her now five month and growing abdomen as if it was the most amusing thing in the world.
"Uh, Kagome.." Inuyasha spoke, raising an eyebrow.
Kagome sniffled again. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, what did he do now?
"Hey, what is it?" he asked, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I miss my family and now I'm getting to big to travel back and forth," Kagome cried, putting her hands over her tearful eyes.
Inuyasha looked at her sympathetically, "Do you want me to go back and get some things for you, tell your family you're ok, or something?"
Kagome looked at him and her face lit up, "Oh, Inuyasha," she said before hugging him, "thank you."
Inuyasha blushed, surprised at her sudden embrace, "Uh, sure."
Kagome pulled from him and grabbed a pencil and paper from her backpack, "Just give this list to my mom and she'll get the stuff for me," she started writing, but then stopped and stared ahead to the other side of the hut.
"What'd you stop writing for?" asked Inuyasha, puzzled.
"I miss my mom," Kagome sniffled as a couple of fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. Inuyasha slowly rolled his eyes, got closer to Kagome and started rubbing her back to calm her down.
He cleared his throat, a little embarrassed, "Are you alright now?"
Kagome nodded, rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and continued writing.
"Alright, I'm off, I'll be back later," Inuyasha called after Kagome had straightened out her list. Kagome waved goodbye, now outside, then turned to Sango and Miroku who had also bid their goodbyes before Inuyasha left for the well.
Kagome gave Sango a huge smile, "Do you mind if I talk to you Sango?" she asked.
"Uh sure, what about?" asked Sango.
"Oh, you know, just girl stuff, you don't mind do you Miroku?" Kagome said.
"Go right ahead, with everyone gone, I can use this time to rest," Miroku replied, heading to the hut.
"Come on," Kagome said, pulling Sango by her sleeve. Sango walked with her, 'She sure is in a good mood,' she thought, wondering if this had anything to do with her pregnancy hormones.
"So what did you want to talk about Kagome?" Sango asked as they walked through the village.
"Well I was wondering since we are pregnant together that we can share things about it, you know like what's going on with you and the baby and so on," Kagome smiled goofily, it was as if she had had too much caffeine.
Sango had never been one to share her personal life much with anyone, so she just said, "Um, nothing's going on, really."
"Come on Sango, aren't you excited, isn't it amazing how there's life actually growing inside you?"
"Well yeah, I didn't mean it wasn't amazing, I would just rather not talk about," Sango said, shrugging her shoulders. By this time they had walked outside of the village. The leaves were falling from the trees in their usual season ritual.
Kagome wondered why she didn't want to talk about being pregnant together, but she respected her space and changed the subject, "I love the fall," she said with a deep inhale of the fall air, "it just feels so nice and all the leaves are pretty colors, right now in my era we would be celebrating with all sorts of fall colors and decorations," she sighed with a sad smile, thinking of home again.
"It is nice," Sango said, gazing up at the trees. Kagome smiled and nodded, at least she was saying something. Kagome bit her lip, wondering if she should ask her next question, finally she just decided to ask it, "So how are you and Miroku doing?"
"What?" Sango asked, confused.
"Well you know, I just figured with a baby on the way, you two must be pretty happy, unless something's happened," Kagome looked at her worriedly.
Sango looked away from her, she was uncomfortable not only with the topic, but her look as well, "Everything's the same really," she tried not showing her blushing cheeks to Kagome, the mention of Miroku had warmed them to a nice shade of red.
Finally Sango said, "You don't have to worry about me Kagome, I am a little worried about you though."
"Me?" repeated Kagome.
"Yeah, I mean, you find out that somehow Kikyo got pregnant and well you never did say how things went when you and Inuyasha talked that day, how could you just forgive him like that?"
Kagome's face fell, "I guess the way you did with Miroku and his womanizing."
Sango looked uncomfortable again, "Uh I guess so," but unnoticed by Kagome, Sango clenched her fist as she thought about the deceiving two-timer.
Kagome looked over at Sango, she had been worried about her ever since Kaede had told them they needed to keep an eye on her. Yeah for the past couple of weeks, she seemed to be doing fine, but Kagome couldn't help, but worry, and though he knew Miroku could put on a brave face, he was just as worried, if not more.
Suddenly, Kagome put a hand on her abdomen. Sango looked at her surprised, "What is it?"
"The baby," Kagome smiled, "the baby's kicking, I used to only feel little flutters, but that was a small kick, wow."
Sango smiled. Kagome grabbed Sango's hand, "Feel, right here, see, did you feel that?"
"Wow, Kagome," said Sango, feeling the slight kick to her side.
"That's so cool, oh, I can't wait until you can feel your baby kick you for the first time," Kagome said happily as she continued walking. Sango stood there, her face fell for a moment, then she looked down at her own abdomen and rubbed it gently, with a small sigh.
---
Back in the forest, in the same area, under the same tree, sat Kikyo, leaning up against the tree as soul collectors circled above her. She let out a deep breath tiredly. Her soul collectors dropping in souls one after another.
Kikyo took deep breaths, as her eyelids closing and opening in momentary patterns. One of her soul collectors floated down next to her and she let it perch on one her index finger. With the other hand she took the soul that it carried. The soul collector then took off to gather another soul.
Kikyo looked at the soul as if examining it before bringing it to her middle and causing it to go into her abdomen. She closed her eyes and let the soul wash over her body, more importantly the life she had inside of her. She felt a moving motion inside her from the baby and she smiled before opening her eyes.
"Kikyo," she heard Naraku's voice, taunting her again.
A protective force field suddenly surrounded Kikyo, her soul collectors huddling in on both sides of her. Kikyo stood, ready for a confrontation as Naraku began to appear as one of his puppets.
He laughed, "Kikyo, have you not got it through that head of yours that you can't defeat me, why do you protect that baby, it is futile."
Kikyo tightened her fists in rage. She quickly grabbed the bow which had been lying beside her against the tree with an arrow ready to fire. She aimed it right at the puppet, "Naraku, leave now and heed my warning when I tell you not to come looking for me again," she said, ready to do anything to protect this tiny life inside her.
Naraku began to disappear, "You can not get rid of me so easily, you nor that half breed Inuyasha, I shall destroy you all."
Kikyo lowered bow and the force field vanished. A leaf fell slowly right at Kikyo's shoulder. She watched as it reached the ground. She blinked then glared up at where she last saw Naraku.
"As long as I am able Naraku, I will protect this life inside of me, if it's the last thing I do."
A/N: yeah, this was a long one, lol, and probably the rest of the chapters will be long like this, I'm hoping;) please review, thanks:)