Hello again, thanks for waiting I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
In the darkness of her lair, Sugoireidou rejoiced, showering the tiny spy who had found Naraku's servant with praise... even sending a token thank you to all of her children who had searched equally hard with no success. So filled with elation over the fact that very soon she would know the identity and location of her hated enemies most feared adversary, she felt uncommonly generous.
In anticipation of soon having the information she sought, the queen began to lay a very special egg. A great deal of energy went into its construction, tiring her, but in the end it would be worth it, of that Sugoireidou was certain.
As they made their way from the well to the village, Kagome trailed as far behind Inuyasha as their joined hands would allow. She was scared of what was to come and feeling more than a little guilty about leaving her family again so soon, especially Sota. Despite her repeated promises to be back before sunset, and his brave attempt to hide it, he'd still been visibly upset. Her mom had sent her off with another one of those smiles that didn't reach her eyes, while Gramps had barely been able to look at her. Kagome didn't know how she was going to leave them for the weeks it would likely take to hunt down the ants, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it... for now she had Kaede to deal with.
When they reached the entrance to the priestesses home, Kagome froze as a wash of paralyzing fear overcame her.
'What is Kaede going to think about me once she knows the truth?'
Inuyasha stopped as well and turned to look at her. Some of what she was feeling must have shown on her face, because he quickly moved closer and pulled her into his arms. In full view of any villagers who might walk by, he held her. He didn't say anything or try to make her hurry, he just stood there, moving his hands in small comforting circles over her back until she was calm enough to continue. After a long quiet moment, she slowly pulled back and nodded to let him know she was ready, then Kagome moved ahead and stepped inside.
Her eyes where still adjusting to the dimly lit interior of the hut when Inuyasha moved up beside her. His fingers started to twine themselves around hers once again, but abruptly he pulled his hand away with a angry growl that was followed almost instantly by the slapping sound of a palm striking flesh.
"Damn it Myoga! I swear one of these times I'm going to squash you so flat you'll stay that way!"
"That's so like you.... to deny me a meal after I went through all the trouble of rushing here to warn you! It's almost enough to break this poor old flea's heart. But luckily for you, I am far more loyal then I am vindictive."
Inuyasha had no patience for the flea demon's posturing and tightened the hand that held Myoga slightly.
"Warn me about what?" He demanded angrily.
Myoga cleared his throat and, with an air of self importance, quickly started to explain. "Totosai will be here tomorrow as promised, but he won't be alone... as you asked, he sent a message to his sis.." The flea's explanation was abruptly cut off when Inuyasha's fist closed tightly around the tiny demon.
"We'll talk outside.... Kagome wants to visit with Kaede." Glancing up at the old woman, with her worn face and battered eye patch, Inuyasha told her with his gaze that this was no casual visit. "That means you need to clear out too, Miroku." He added turning away from Kaede to face the monk resting against the back wall of the hut.
With a sigh Miroku stood and made his way across the room. As he was passing by Kagome, he paused and raised one hand to her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze before he vanished outside.
Still holding Myoga in one fist, Inuyasha lifted his other hand to Kagome's face, brushing his fingers along her jaw then up over her ear, tucking a single lock of her untamable hair behind it.
"I won't go far.... All you need to do is call my name and I'll be here in an instant." He assured her softly.
Kagome forced a smile and reached up to catch and hold his hand against her face a moment longer, needing just a few more seconds of his touch before she let him go.
Seeing the turbulent emotions in her eyes, Inuyasha looked away, angry that she had to go through this. He glanced over at a rather bemused Kaede before caving under the weight of his instincts and once again pulled Kagome into his arms. To hell with what the old hag thought... his Brat needed him, and that was the only thing that really mattered.
Clinging to Inuyasha, Kagome breathed deeply of his scent. She might not have his keen nose but she could still find peace and comfort in the masculine and fresh musky smell of her beloved.
Drawing in one last deep breath she pulled back and managed to give him a true smile.
"I'm ready now.... thank you." She said in a soft, but calm and steady voice.
"You're sure?" He asked with concerned eyes.
"Yes.... now get going before I change my mind. Remember we have to go back through the well before sunset, I promised Sota."
Inuyasha stood there a moment longer... his reluctance to leave clear to see, but finally he nodded and leaned forward, pressing his lips softly against her cheek. Kaede might as well get use to it, because now that he had the right to do it, Inuyasha had no intention of ever leaving Kagome's side without giving her a good bye kiss, and definitely not when she was upset.
Rigid with fury over the fact that he could do nothing to protect her from the talk with Kaede, Inuyasha spun around and silently walked out of the hut. Not once looking back, he knew deep down that if he dared to do so he wouldn't be able to leave at all.
Kagome stood staring after him for a long time, long after the screen that covered the door had stopped rocking back and forth, settled back into place.
"So I take it ye have something of importance to discuss?" Inquired the elderly Priestess gently when Kagome remained silent.
Swallowing heavily Kagome slowly turned to face Kaede She nodded very faintly and opened her mouth to start the story, only to choke on a sob instead. Hurrying across the room, she dropped down to the floor beside the woman who had become like a grandmother to her and threw herself against Kaede, clinging to the soft well worn fabric of her robes and wetting them with tears.
At a loss, and disturbed by the strong young girl's collapse, Kaede wrapped her still sturdy arms around the weeping child and rocked them both, humming a soothing tune under her breath.
'I knew when Miroku refused to say anything more then that Kagome was well and would return from her time soon to speak with me with his far too solemn eyes, that something of great calamity had occurred. But what could have caused so much pain in one such as Kagome?'
"Koga..... he....... I......" Kagome forced out between sobs.
When Kaede's arms tightened and the rocking increased in force just a moment later, Kagome knew that the wise old woman had heard enough to guess, and her crying doubled in force.
"I'm sorry I d..di...didn't train..." She choked out once she had breath enough to do so. "I should have listened to you, been more diligent." She added a moment later as the tears began to slow.
"That's enough of that kind of thinking.... It appears that ye have done what I would have said was impossible had ye asked me only yesterday. Never in all my years have I heard tale of a human who endured the nightmare I suspect ye have who did not lose their souls to the demon that inflicted it."
Kagome sniffed loudly and sat up, pulling free from the comforting embrace of the elder Priestess. "That's what Sango said.... that humans always ended up marked. She said it was because they could not help but give into the fear and pain..... they lost hope. But I was lucky, I had something to hold onto. Even during the worst moments I always knew Inuyasha was coming. I never stopped believing he would save me, and that kept me from giving up."
With an even softer look in her one eye then she normally wore, Kaede took one of Kagome's hands within her own and spoke. "I think I know what has transpired, but if ye can speak of it, will ye explain in more detail? Then perhaps ye would also do me the kindness of telling me how it is that Inuyasha has become so tender in his words and actions."
As Kaede had hoped, mentioning the hanyou who'd so clearly lost his heart to the girl that had freed him from his enchantment brought a faint smile to Kagome's lips.
"We talked a lot after he saved me.... and now there is no more confusion or secrets between us. He knows what's in my heart and I know what's in his. He doesn't feel like he has to put on the tough guy act to protect himself anymore, at least not around me. Inuyasha has always been tender hearted, but now he doesn't hide it as much.... that's all." Answered Kagome haltingly.... she didn't want to say more then Inuyasha would mind anyone else knowing.
"I see... Long have I believed Inuyasha's temper and anger was used more to hide a softer side of his nature then anything else. It is gratifying to learn that in this I have not been mistaken" Replied Kaede before turning back to less pleasant conversation.
"Is it within your power to speak of what occurred yet?" She inquired.
Grim faced, Kagome slowly told the Priestess the story. Starting with the abduction and everything Koga had done. She hid nothing about the time before Inuyasha came for her. Even telling Kaede about her thoughts when she had stood looking out from the cliffs edge, though she quickly moved passed it, and on to the arrival of Inuyasha. Stone faced, she described the events that lead to Koga's death, as well as his final act of apologizing. She skimmed over most of the private moments that had happened between her and Inuyasha during their journey home... mentioning only that it was thanks to his insight she had been able to forgive Koga. Kagome then went on to tell the elderly Priestess about the reunion with their friends, the encounter with the Demon ants, Sango's trip back to the Slayers village, her decision to not tell her family about what had really happened, and Inuyasha's insistence that she be checked out by a healer they both trusted.
Feeling wrung dry of emotion, but freer because of it, Kagome ended her dialog with the request for help with training.
Kaede stared into the cooking fire, letting all she had heard settle in her mind for a few seconds before she spoke.
"I see.... Inuyasha was right to insist ye speak to me. How uncommonly wise of him. Fortunately, I think given how much time has passed we can determine weather or not lingering harm was done to ye without the more invasive methods ye may have feared. Have ye felt pain or a wrongness in your womanhood at any time in the last week?" She asked with a calm frankness that was surprisingly soothing.
Kagome thought it over and shook her head. "I was in pain for days after the first time, but after that it only hurt for a few hours after......." Kagome dropped her gaze to the floor and curled in on herself a bit.
"That is good.... not the event itself of course." Kaede hastily added when Kagome looked up at her with wide shocked eyes. "What I meant was that if the pain did not linger longer then that it is likely you have healed as completely as any woman can after the loss of her maidenhead. If ye will stand up for a moment, we can determine if there is any reason not to dispense with a more direct exam."
Deeply relived to hear that she might make it out of this without having to let Kaede actually look at her, Kagome quickly stood.
After bending and contorting into numerous positions, Kagome was instructed to sit back down.
"Should something start to trouble ye come tell me at once, but if ye are able move with such ease without discomfort it is unlikely your body was damaged badly enough for it to not have healed properly on its own." Said Kaede with no small measure of relief. "As for your training, I agree that it is long overdue, but ye must not blame yourself overmuch for that. I see now that I should have been more insistent about it, as ye were already burdened with so many responsibilities it is no wonder ye did not see a way to make the time. I admit that your natural talent made me lax in my duty, but I failed to note that ye only use your powers by instinct. What ye must now learn is how to use them deliberately. However I feel confident that one with your abilities will be able to learn such things with all due haste. As I fear ye must, for if what ye have said is true and the Ant Demons have returned they will be sorely needed. Never in my lifetime have we been plagued by them, but stories of their destructiveness are well known. They will be a formidable opponent."
Kagome stared at Kaede in silence for a long time.... searching for some sign of blame or disgust, some change in how the older woman looked at her, but there was nothing like that. Kaede truly didn't blame her for what Koga had done... nor did she hold it against her. Tears filled Kagome's eyes once again, but this time they were tears of joy. Laughing and sobbing in relief, she hugged the older woman yet again.
When her emotional outburst had run it's course, she sat back and gave the Priestess a grateful look. "Where do we start?" She asked.
And with that her training began.
More than halfway across the village from the old hags hut, and still striding determinably away, Inuyasha pressed his ears flat to his head when Kagome's first sob came, but still they burned with the sound of her tears.
Heart raging, every beat screaming its fury painfully inside his chest, he stopped with a deep growl, and spun to go back to her. However, shortly before arriving he faltered as her first choked out words pushed their way through the weeping.
It took every bit of his self control, but he turned once again and made his way towards the river instead, hoping the sound of the rushing water would muffle what Kagome was saying.
Inuyasha was so distracted by the gut wrenching sounds of those tear filled confessions that it wasn't until after only the faintest hum of her voice could be heard, a sound too faint for the words to be discerned, that he noticed the muffled plaintive cries coming from somewhere a great deal closer.
With a start he lifted and opened his hand, finding a blue faced Myoga gasping for air and crumpled up in a misshapen heap on his palm..
Reaching up to scratch his head with his other hand in embarrassment, Inuyasha looked away. "Sorry about that.... ummm.... well... anyways, what was it you came here to warn me about?"
Myoga, who was now breathing, and looking, a great deal more normally, glared up at Inuyasha. "In all my years of service to your father he never once treated me so shabbily! It would serve you right if I left you to deal with Mistress Mahouekaki on your own with no warning at all.... let's just see what your idea of the proper way to treat your elders would earn you then!" He huffed out red faced and fuming.
Contrite Inuyasha hung his head. "I said I'm sorry, alright!" He snapped out a moment later. "You almost blew my surprise for Kagome back there and then I forgot you were in my hand.... I could still hear her.... I didn't mean to hurt you, okay?"
Surprised by Inuyasha's apology, Myoga stared up at the half demon in shock. "I can't believe what I'm hearing... can it be true? Master Inuyasha did you really just tell me you were sorry?"
Inuyasha growled. "What of it!?! Just get to the point already! What did you come here to warn me about?"
Realizing that pushing any further about the marked difference in his young lord's behavior would only result in raising the hanyou's ire, Myoga leapt out of his hand to sit on a much safer, temper and crushingly-strong-finger free, rock. Once he was satisfactorily situated he began to explain. "As I started to tell you before..." Myoga paused to shoot a glare up at Inuyasha. "Totosai sent word to his sister, but instead of the return message he had been expecting, she herself showed up yesterday! It seems she is eager to meet you and intends to travel here with her brother tomorrow. I confess I had forgotten how much she cared for your father.... she is very excited about meeting the son of the great Dog Demon and his beloved Izayoi. Mahouekaki was quite fond of your mother as well."
"That's what you needed to warn me about! You made it sound like something terrible was about to happen. So the old fart's sister will be here too... that's a good thing. The sooner I can talk to her the sooner I can get Kagome that.... ummm.... thing I wanted to get her." Inuyasha blushed and looked away. "I don't get what you were making such a big deal about." He added a bit harshly a moment later.
"My lord you don't yet understand.... Mistress Mahouekaki, Totosai's sister, is.... ummm... more easily offended then most. If you were to say something that she took badly it is certain that she will never speak to you again and she would most assuredly not aid you in your goals to have a gift made for the lovely Kagome. Master, I implore you to show restraint when you meet her.... she will try your patience greatly, but her powers are without compare. If you truly want her to make some magical present for Kagome you will have to endure her antics."
Inuyasha groaned. "First I have to be nice to Kagome's school prince-a-pull, now this Mahouekaki...... what next!? Fine I'll be nice to her! But I'm not going to like it!" Snarled Inuyasha.
Just how much groveling was he going to be forced to do tomorrow?
"Thank you, my lord... I have every faith that you can show the necessary restraint... if you try...." The flea didn't sound as sure as his words suggested. He pressed both pairs of his hands together nervously before adding. "Also... umm... well, Mahouekaki is quite enamored with compliments... the more you give her the better."
Inuyasha's leaned forward and stared down at Myoga angrily. "Don't push it." He ground out.
"I only seek to aid you my lord! Mahouekaki has been highly sought after by both man and demon for longer than I can remember because of her skill, and during that time she had been flattered greatly by those who wished her services. She has grown use to being praised and takes it as a slight if compliments are not given to her. I know that such things are against your nature but for one day can you not try?" Begged the old flea in a voice so filled with entreaty it only served to make Inuyasha roll his eyes, but then Myoga's face lit up and he jumped to his feet, bouncing up and down excitedly as he remembered something else.
"I can't believe I almost forgot.... My lord I am delighted to tell you that I do have some good news to share with you as well. Mistress Mahouekaki is bringing something with her that she wishes to give to you. What it is I know not, but she said that it had been commissioned by your father and was intended for your mother. Sadly though, he died before he was able to claim it. Would you not like to know what that is? Is it not worth a few hours of controlling your temper and tongue to find out? As well as gaining a gift of both beauty and magic for your Kagome?"
Inuyasha fell silent, a thoughtful look on his face, for Kagome's sake he was already resigned to playing a fool for this Mistress Mahouekaki.... but... what could she possibly have to give him that should have been his mother's? And why in the hell hadn't she given it to her anyway? How well had she know his parents? For that matter how well had Myoga?
"Myoga... what do you know about the relationship between my father and mother?" He asked softly.
Myoga looked up into Inuyasha's eyes in surprise, not having expected such a question. Fidgeting he tried to think of something to share that would please his young lord.
"I know that your father loved the Lady Izayoi very deeply.... he was willing to turn his back on all that he had known to live at her side. He was also incredibly proud of the fact that she would willingly bear his child." Myoga sighed deeply, sorrow thickly coating the faint sound. "My Great Master had planed so many things for the two of you to do while you grew. There was so much he wanted to teach you, so many things he wanted to show you. He wanted so much to be a part of your life... as he was denied the right to be with Sesshomaru. Had your father lived, no one would have ever dared to make you feel less because of your half demon status... not even your brother. He wanted you to be proud of both halves of your nature, just as he was."
Eyes suddenly shining with emotions he refused to give into, Inuyasha considered the fleas words.
He pushed the sudden questions that filled his head about his bastard of a brother to the side. They could wait for a later time, but he did promise himself that they would be asked before Myoga left again.
Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, a seemingly arrogant pose, but this time it was instead a tactic to hide the way his hands were shaking "Then why didn't he claim my mother as his mate?" He finally asked.
Myoga hung his head. "That I know not.... he was rather secretive about his relationship with your mother... and choose not to share much about it with me. Not that I can blame him... at the time I was less understanding of his decision then I can defend. I tried to make him see the error of his ways often enough that I lost his confidence. My actions and comments during that time still shame me."
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in anger. "You didn't think my mother was good enough for him?"
Myoga dropped into a low bow. "Please understand my lord.. I had nothing against your mother personally... in fact I thought she was most admirable for a mortal, but at the time I still did not believe that any human could be equal to my lord. My prejudice cost me your father's friendship, we still spoke, and I still served him as his vassal, but it was clear I was no longer his confidant. Ever since then I have tried to overcome such small minded thinking. Your Kagome for example... she is a most powerful and honorable human, a worthy match for you. Even you yourself are proof that human blood does not lessen your stature, despite what some might think. For while you are not yet a match for your father in his prime, and in all honesty you may never be his equal, nor will Sesshomaru I think, but you have surpassed the power he had when he was as young as you are now. My Lord, I swear to you that if I had known then what I know now I would have supported their love and happily given them all of my blessings."
Inuyasha wanted to be angry... he wanted to blame Myoga for thinking a human wasn't good enough for his father, but he couldn't. It wasn't all that long ago that he to had thought humans were lesser in status then demons, so much so that he had wanted to use the sacred jewel to become fully demon... forsaking his human blood forever.
"Whatever......... Just hurry up and tell me what kinds of things I need to say to keep the old fart's sister happy." Snapped Inuyasha.
Myoga groaned in despair and with a sense of inevitability tried to instill some basic manors and a few general compliments into his loutish lord.
'Maybe I can entreat Mistress Mahouekaki to be forgiving... tell her of Inuyasha's tragic childhood? That may win my lord some leniency.' The idea had some merit. Pleased with it, Myoga brightened and continued his lessens with more confidence.
Nearly two hours later, when the sun began to dip low and the sky took on a rosy glow, Inuyasha gratefully called a halt to Myoga's ramblings. Kagome had not called for him but he knew she wouldn't want to be late getting home either. Eager to see her, and escape the endless dictations about 'good conduct' from Myoga, he raced through the village to Kaede's hut.
Long before he reached the dwelling, the faint tone of Kagome's voice grew clear, and he was once again able to make out the words. Relief and joy filled him when he noted that her voice no longer echoed with tears, but was instead excited and pleased.
"Did you see it, Kaede? Oh why didn't I do this sooner? I can't wait to show Inuyasha!"
"Show me what?" Asked the hanyou in question as he pushed his way inside.
Turning starry eyes his way, Kagome grinned brightly.
"This." She announced as she straightened her back, folded her knees gracefully beneath her, and lifted her hands out in front of her, palm facing palm with a few inches of space in between. Closing her eyes, Kagome took a deep breath and after a few seconds, a small glowing dot of pink light burst into life between her hands.
With his jaw dropped low, Inuyasha watched as she slowly pulled her hands apart wearing a look of intense focus on her face, and as the space between them grew, so did the ball of light.
Her hands moved farther and farther apart, and as the sphere grew it melted right through her and out the other side. She didn't seem to notice though and simply kept moving her hands steadily apart until she was holding her arms straight out to her sides with the light surrounding her completely.
Kagome dropped her arms and opened her eyes, looking up at Inuyasha. Her face more radiant with pride then he could ever remember, not even when she did really well on those stupid tests of hers.
"It's a barrier! I made a barrier! A real barrier! Ok so it isn't all that strong yet, but Kaede said if I learned to make one this quickly it won't be long until I can make one so strong that nothing will be able to get through." Kagome laughed. "Maybe not even you and the red Tetsusaiga." She teased.
Inuyasha cocked a brow. "I'll admit that's impressive. I'd never have guessed you'd learn so much in one day, but don't get too full of yourself... there's no way I'd ever let a barrier come between us."
"Oh really? Well try to get through this one, if you can!" Taunted Kagome with another grin. "No sword." She quickly added. "I'm not that good yet."
Hesitant to damage her new found confidence by breaching the shield too quickly, Inuyasha slowly made his way closer. He lifted a hand and pressed gently against the wall of the sphere that surrounded her. It didn't give. Surprised, he pushed harder and still it held. Grinning himself now, he struck it lightly... for him, and it bowed slightly under the impact but bounced right back into shape.
Curious to find out just exactly how strong it really was, Inuyasha hit it again and again, increasing the force with each strike. The barrier caved under the hits but did not break, and as soon as he drew back to try again, the wall righted itself. Finally, he put his full weight into the next punch and the shield cracked open, breaking apart at last, but not before proving it was strong enough to keep out any lesser demons.
Inuyasha rushed forward and swept Kagome up into his arms, swinging her around. "That was amazing! Kagome do you know what this means? Now no small fry demons can touch you, and if you get any better I don't think even the strongest ones will be able to! You'll be able to protect yourself! Even better than I can!" Some of his excitement faded as he realized that meant that soon she might not need him to protect her at all.
His thoughts were so easy to read that Kagome answered them rather then his words. "I'll always need you to protect me... I still have to be calm and really focus to make a barrier, so I don't think I could do it in the middle of a fight yet. Even when I master my power and can make such a strong shield that nothing can get to me I won't be able to hold it forever. I'll still need you around to make it safe enough to come out again." She assured him, banishing the slightly lost look that had taken over his face.
Stretching up and wrapping her arms around his neck she added in a whisper. "Besides... even if I was so strong that I could protect us both from anything for any length of time... I would still want, and need you, always, in everyway, and beyond description."
Inuyasha's arms tightened around her even as his head pulled back. For a moment he gazed down into her eyes, drinking in the sincerity in them, then he kissed her. No soft brush of lips on the cheek so that he didn't offend Kaede this time, this was a kiss filled with fire and emotion. One of his hands made its way up her back to clench a thick handful of her hair, tugging gently to urge her head back further. Once he was happy with the angle, he sighed his pleasure against her lips and plundered her mouth, caressing and tasting every part of it. Her flavor was like the sweetest of drugs, it filled his senses, made him moan in delight, and left him craving more. Eternity wouldn't be long enough to lessen the hunger.
This woman, this amazing, sweet, powerful, brave, and beautiful woman was his. The knowledge floored him anew, it both humbled and strengthened him, gave him more serenity then anything else in his entire life ever had, while at the same time inciting a firestorm of volatile emotion. Even after weeks of knowing she was his, it still felt too good to be true, but it was, and NOTHING was ever going to take her away from him.
'Mine.'
"Ummm... am I interrupting? I can come back later if that would be better for you but seeing how Kaede gets to watch, I don't see why I can't enjoy the show as well." Teased Miroku from the doorway.
Taken by surprise, Inuyasha whirled on the monk, pushing Kagome behind him in the same motion.
'How in the hell did that heavy footed lecher sneak up on me?'
Red faced with both anger and embarrassment, Inuyasha let loose a low and savage growl. "What's the matter, Miroku? Having such a hard time winning Sango over you need to get your kicks by watching others?"
When Miroku flinched and looked away, successfully holding an utterly blank expression on his face, but not quite hiding his bleak eyes, Inuyasha's anger at the monk flickered and died.
"Damn it all to hell! I didn't mean that........ but you do have the worst fucking timing ever!" Huffed Inuyasha, hoping it would be close enough to an apology to take that look off his friend's face.
"So it would seem.... forgive my intrusion..." Murmured Miroku as he turned to leave.
Inuyasha winced when Kagome poked him sharply in the ribs with a softly whispered scolding. "You can do better then that... what you said about Sango was uncalled for."
Cracking his neck and breathing deeply, Inuyasha fumed, but he also called out to stop the monk from leaving.
"Miroku... get back here. I'm not finished yet!"
With one hand holding the screen over the door open, Miroku turned and looked back at Inuyasha with polite indifference.
Suddenly feeling even more guilty then before Inuyasha hurried to make amends.
"I shouldn't have said that...... I'm.... What I mean to say is that I'm..."
Kagome pressed up against Inuyasha's back and reached forward to catch one of his hands, squeezing it encouragingly.
"I'm sorry." He barked out.
Miroku's eyes widened in surprise and he took a step back into the hut, letting the door cover drop.
"It is forgotten... I should have considered my own words more carefully as well." Acknowledged Miroku in appeasement, holding out his hand.
Inuyasha reached out and clasped the offering, gripping it firmly with the hand that Kagome wasn't holding. A look passed between them that Kagome could not understand, one of those purely male communications, but she was content just knowing that all was well again... until she noticed the color of the sky. Letting loose a shriek of shock, she jumped away from Inuyasha and spun to give Kaede a low bow.
"Thank you so much for everything today, but we really have to go... oh man, Sota is going to kill me!" Rushing for the exit and dragging Inuyasha behind her, she called out to Miroku as she went. "Bye.... see you tomorrow sometime."
Miroku followed the pair to the door and chuckled as he watched Inuyasha clumsily try to match Kagome's frantic pace, only to give up and scoop the girl into his arms, running back to the well and Kagome's home.
'You have been well and truly captured, my friend, but I think this is one entanglement you have no wish to escape. I only pray that fate will be as kind to me as it has to you.'
Hey all.... well life is..... life... LoL. My last day of work is Tuesday, but by some quirk of fate I have enough money to live on for the next few months, even if I don't get another job right away, and so long as I stay well away from e-bay. Thank the higher powers for unused vacation time! I will still be job hunting though, no waiting till the last minute for this girl, I like having a roof over my head and my cats like to be feed.
Anyway... on to chit chat about the chapter. Particularly Kagome learning how to make a barrier lightning fast. Which, believe it or not, isn't as much of a stretch as it seems at first glance. You see barriers are one of the easiest magical feats to pull off, hence why Kaede started with them... that and the extremely useful aspect of being able to create one. They are simple and very straightforward. The hard parts are gathering the needed energy and maintaining focus. Kagome has power that most magic users, spiritual or otherwise, couldn't even dream of, so, no need to learn how to build it within herself or siphon it from an outside source. It's just there waiting for her to use it. Therefore hard part one, null in her case. The second tricky part is being able to keep the energy focused....... usually by holding an image of what it "looks" like in the casters mind. Again null in Kagome's case as her power is so through the roof you actually CAN see it... making holding the image child's play.
Anyone else jealous?
As she herself said, the part that will take her time is learning how to hold onto her barrier when things aren't so calm, and how to make one when she isn't calm. As well as gaining the confidence and mental strength to create a much stronger one.
I swear I didn't suddenly make her much more powerful than before... in truth all she did was perform, what for her was, a very simple magical feat, under controlled and calm circumstances. If she had ever bothered to train before she would have learned how to do it ages ago. I've seen all of the anime and movies but only parts of the manga... Did she EVER train? You know, before the end of it. I know she learned a lot about herbs and such but that's not the same thing.
Sorry, but that kinda bugged me... when Kagome used her powers it was always so impressive, but quite often she lacked the confidence to take action. Instead she let the others do the lions share of the fighting (Though she was getting better about that) and maintained her place as simply the shard detector... much as she might have complained about it. Now I'm not saying she wasn't brave, because she really was, I'm not even saying that she did it on purpose, but I do think it is safe to say that if she had trained she could have been nearly undefeatable. She just kept thinking about herself as an ordinary girl who happened to have fallen into this whole thing, when that couldn't have been further from the truth.
Wow ramble much did I? LoL
Ok moving on... to the newest vocabulary word: Mahouekaki, once again I used a combination of two words to form the name. In this case,
Mahou = magic, witchcraft, or sorcery.
Ekaki = artist or painter.
Seeing as she creates magical art... it fit, and was enough of a mouthful to suit her. I do hope I've peaked peoples interest about Totosai's sister. I'm really looking forward to her arrival... she's going to be fun to write.
As always I look forward to hearing what you all think. Thanks for reading and sticking with me through the delay. You are the best readers a fanfic writer could have ever asked for!
