Author's Notes: Greetings and sorry for the late update. Busy, busy, busy! Working in healthcare just doesn't leave time for much of anything these days, but I've been writing little by little. Fun fact! My chapter titles are all song titles (or lyrics, rarely) that inspired the chapter! Some have words, some don't, but they all give me motivation.
Anywho, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Happy reading!
Nocturne - Chapter Twenty One: Fated Encounter
Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha
o - o - o - o - o
He would not follow the mother of his child as she disappeared inside the manor. The time for reconciliation had come and gone. The woman claimed to understand the necessity behind his frequent excursions, yet acted another way entirely. She compounded the situation by blaming him for granting her countless years on top of her paltry mortal few.
Sesshomaru had laid the offer bare to her, and she had accepted enthusiastically. He was not to blame that she was unable to infer the duplicitous meaning.
He would not allow her to place guilt onto him. Not even her tears could sway him this time. Yet, the woman was as ephemeral as the sea. Crying one moment and becoming stoic with suppressed anger the next.
Sensing her emotions was child's play. The miko wore them on her sleeve, and even when she attempted to veil her feelings, Sesshomaru could sense them broiling just below the surface.
He knew that her distress, which had morphed to anger was genuine. The miko would come to accept what had happened, and eventually, she would thank him. Besides, he had not wanted to instill her with false hope. There was no guarantee the ningyo would work.
Until then, Kagome lashed out as best she could. Her announcement to travel to the village where his brother resided did not resonate with Sesshomaru. It was too far from the Western Lands to effectively guard, which left her and Setsuna's safety in the hands of his hanyo brother.
Inuyasha seemed capable enough. The half breed had managed to get this far in life despite the attempts of many enemies to put an end to him, Sesshomaru not included as he had not put his entire efforts into the deed. That, alone, did not ease Sesshomaru's worries.
Then, there was also the carnal part of him that wanted to rip his brother limb from limb for ever touching his woman, even before he could call her his own. Sesshomaru banished the thought from his mind before he sought Kagome out and forbade her from leaving. He knew that would not go over well, recalling a time in the past where he had made that same mistake, and the weeks it took for the woman to come back after laughing and leaving anyway.
While it chafed his pride to watch her leave, it may be for the best. Sesshomaru had not yet disclosed to Kagome that the rumors he was investigating were true after all. The past few months, there had been sightings of strangers with silver hair skulking about. He knew this was not a coincidence or fabricated tales, and now it was only a matter of time before their enemy struck.
The ones who had been sent were scouts, conditioned to probe the enemy for weakness and breaks in the line. Sesshomaru had mounted a rigid detail to patrol the borders and ensure that none made it through. That was easier said than done. It was improbable to expect a scout not to slip through since the whole premise of scouting was to move around undetected by the enemy.
The time for leisure had come to an end just as quickly as it had begun. Sesshomaru would allow his woman this small victory. She could go to the village with their child. Let her think she was punishing him. For the moment, until he could deal with the threat, she was better off away from the manor.
o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o
Kagome flew out to the village on the back of Rei with Setsuna tucked in front. The small nekomata had flourished in Kagome's care and was her close companion when Sesshomaru was not around. He didn't care for Rei much, being a feline and all, but he did well tolerating the nekomata for her sake.
Despite not being able to transform into his larger form when they first met, Rei was perfectly capable of doing so now, and Kagome knew that he was much larger than his mother had been. She would sometimes wonder how big he would have gotten had he not been the runt of the litter. Regardless, Rei was an excellent companion to both her and Setsuna.
The trip only took a couple of hours, and when they landed in the village, Sango was already outside with a hand shading her eyes and waving them in.
Rei dropped them off near the house of the taijiya and monk; he made a roar before transforming back into his smaller form. Kagome thanked him as he rubbed against her legs with a purr. He quickly ran inside the house, likely looking for the children to play with. He popped out just as suddenly once he realized the house was empty and made a beeline east. Rei sometimes seemed more like a puppy than a nekomata. His ubiquitous nature was an odd but cherished quirk.
Setsuna ran over to Sango and wrapped her small arms around the woman's waist. "Sango! Look at how big I've gotten!"
Sango laughed and squeezed the girl back before pushing her away and squatting to be eye level. "My, but you have grown since I've seen you last. You are nearly as tall as little Hiro, who is three years your senior."
"Ha!" Setsuna yelled triumphantly. "I knew it! Is he inside?"
Sango chuckled. "You'll find him with his sisters down in the training yard."
Setsuna immediately turned and ran off in the direction of the training fields towards the outskirts of the village. Since Kohaku had brought new taijiya, the town had all but transformed from a simple farming town into a thriving demon slayer haven.
It was much different than its predecessor, who's people were reclusive and secretive of their craft. Many of the recruits were people who had been slaying demons on their own for some time, looking to hone their skills or make a life with people of similar interests.
Kohaku and Sango took responsibility for training newcomers, some even who had been born and raised in the village. What made things exciting was the mixing of Miroku's spiritual training. There were a few people who had talents for both slaying and latent spiritual powers. Miroku and Sango's children were prime examples. All four had inherited Miroku's abilities, but only the twins had an interest in combining that skill with their mother's slayer training.
Those who were skilled in both were renowned and held in high regard by their peers. Outside of the twins, there was only a handful of older people who had sought the village out for training in both respects.
Kagome considered the village almost over-prepared if any yokai were to make the mistake of attacking. "Things seem to be going well here," she said, looking around.
People were coming and going about their chores, a number dressed in slayer gear either coming from or going to training.
"It's good to see you, Kagome. It has been too long." Sango pulled her friend into a brief embrace.
"Not that long," Kagome said.
Sango gave a friendly scoff. "A year is a long time, my friend."
"Has it really been that long?" Kagome questioned.
"A little longer, I'm afraid. But, come, let's go inside for some tea. I've only just come from training a bunch of youngsters, and I am sorely in need of a break."
They walked inside, and Sango prepared tea while they chatted to catch up.
"Kagome, you seem...troubled. what is it?" Sango asked. She passed a cup over to Kagome and began to pour from the kettle.
It felt selfish to unload her troubles on her friend after so much time spent away. "Let's save my troubles for later. They are not going anywhere." She gave her friend a beaming smile. "Tell me about you and everyone else. How are you?"
Sango sighed with contentment. "Busy." She took a long sip from her cup, continuing only after she relished the taste of her tea. "But some things have happened since the last time you visited."
"Oh?" Kagome leaned in, her interest piqued by Sango's expression.
"Well, you already knew that Inuyasha had taken Shizuka as a mate."
Kagome withheld a grimace. It was hypocritical on her part, but she had a hard time imagining her former love with anyone else. A selfish, darker part of herself wanted him to remain alone, but she made sure to shove that thought deep, deep down. "Yes, and it took him long enough."
"Shizuka could not be rushed into that. She needed time to heal from her internal wounds. I honestly think she needed more time." Sango nearly chided her friend.
Kagome did not know Shizuka as well as Sango, having not spent nearly as much time with her. She figured that if Sango liked her enough to defend her, she must not be that bad. Shizuka must be great if she could put up with Inuyasha.
Kagome warmed at the thought. "So, then what is different?"
Sango squealed with glee. "I'm going to be an aunt!" She said breathlessly. "It finally happened!"
Kagome grinned from ear to ear. "Really?! That's amazing!"
She and Sesshomaru had been invited to Rin and Kohaku's wedding a couple of years ago. Their pairing was expected, at least by Kagome and Sango, who had seen the couple making eyes at each other when they thought no one was looking. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, had taken the news as well as he could. He reacted indifferently, and Kagome had to take him aside to question why he couldn't be happy for the children he had protected years ago.
He'd told her that he was as happy as one could be for mortals who were binding their lives together impulsively. Kagome had laughed at him, and he gave her a cold stare. The daiyokai viewed Rin as a daughter, it was clear, and no man was good enough for her. Even one he had commended and lauded with as much praise as could be expected from Sesshomaru was not up to par.
Sesshomaru would never voice his opinion aloud to Rin, nor even Kagome, but she knew the truth. Ultimately, he had come to accept Rin and Kohaku's decision to wed, also gifting Rin with an elaborate shiromuku for her wedding day.
Kagome wondered how Sesshomaru would react to the idea of Setsuna marrying in the years ahead. Hopefully, with more grace than he had mustered for Rin, but Kagome knew that was a lofty dream.
"How far along is she?" Kagome asked. She had given her friend a congratulatory hug and was genuinely excited to learn of Rin's pregnancy. Kagome knew she would make an excellent mother.
Sango put a finger to her chin in thought. "I'd say by the rise of the next full moon. Not long now."
Kagome tried to recall what it was like to be in the late stages of pregnancy but was instead assaulted with spotty, but intense and horrible memories. She pushed them back down along with her ridiculous jealousy into the dark depths of her subconscious, hopefully never to rise again unbidden.
"That's great. I can't wait to see her." Kagome thought for a moment. "Perhaps I should stay to help with the delivery," she considered.
Sango gave her a strange look. "Stay? For over a month?"
"Yes," Kagome answered carefully. Sango still regarded her strangely. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"What's the real reason you've come, Kagome?" Sango demanded in a level tone. "Over the past few years, your visits have tapered off to barely an annual nod to our existence."
Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but Sango held up a hand to indicate she was not done. "I understand being Lady of the West is a time-consuming honor, and I am not displeased with your unannounced visit, but you have never stayed beyond a week and even then not without Sesshomaru coming to drag you back after a few days."
All that Sango stated was true, and Kagome felt twinges of guilt for allowing her new life to get in the way of her old one. Maintaining her friendships had dropped to the wayside of maintaining her family.
Sango now gave Kagome a small, knowing smile. "Trouble in paradise? Can't keep up with daiyokai needs?"
Kagome's cheeks flamed to hear Sangos insinuation. She moved around uncomfortably, looking at her skirts and picking away non-existent specks of dust. "No," she responded sullenly. "Nothing quite so incendiary."
A grin formed on Sango's face. The woman knew she'd struck close to home. "Then what could possibly be so bad that would make you run off and hide away for over a month? That's some punishment you are doling out."
Kagome forgot her embarrassment, and her cheeks burned for a different reason. She crossed her arms and set her jaw. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order?"
Sango's earlier smug appearance switched to a confused one as she watched Kagome get up and rummage through utensils until she gave a satisfied sound and drew up a small knife. "What are you doing with that?" Sango asked with concern.
Kagome held out her left palm to Sango and then casually took the blade and drew it against her flesh. Sango gasped when she saw the blood run freely from the fresh wound. Kagome winced at the pain but held her palm out to her friend.
"Are you crazy?!" Sango hissed. She jumped up and swatted the knife from Kagome's hand. It rattled to the floor, and Sango snatched up Kagome's left wrist to examine the wound on her palm. "You idiot, you've severed your tendon!"
Kagome tried to close her palm but was unable to do so. She'd pulled the knife down too hard and injured herself more than she'd intended. Admittedly, injuring one's self wasn't as simple as she'd thought and had overdone it. Oh well, she thought. It shouldn't matter.
Sango drug Kagome by the wrist to find something to clean the wound with. "I can't believe you would injure yourself! And to prove what?! Your descent into madness? Just because you live among demons does not mean you will gain immunity to mortality by association!" She chided while wetting a cloth with one hand.
Kagome could already feel the pain ease up and let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, she worried she had gone crazy, and her experience from hours earlier was a fluke.
With more angry mutterings, Sango took the wet cloth and began to clean the wound. She carefully blotted around the edges to clean away the blood. As she did, her brow drew together in disbelief.
"What in the Kamis name?" Sango questioned aloud and took the cloth straight to the wound, rubbing away now dried blood. There was nothing there: no wound or even an indication of injury on Kagome's palm.
Kagome pulled her wrist from Sango's grasp. "Now, you see why I am angry!" She said.
"What?" Sango replied in confusion. "You just healed. How?"
"I was given ningyo. Without my knowledge!" Kagome retorted. "Because apparently I'm too human for certain daiyokai."
Sango's mouth was slightly agape, but she quickly found words to fill the void. "Kagome...ningyo? Are you certain? That particular yokai...if its flesh is consumed...it is rumored that if one dares to do so, they will be granted eternal life." She continued to look at Kagome, almost in awe.
"Please don't look at me like that," she told Sango. The woman quickly cleared her throat and looked away at anything else in the room. Kagome felt like a sideshow freak as if she'd spouted an extra arm, but she knew she didn't look any different than before.
"Sorry," Sango responded. "I-I didn't realize that the flesh of a ningyo would also grant someone the ability to heal, either." Sango chanced a look at her friend. "I think it's best if you didn't tell anyone else about this," she cautioned.
Kagome pursed her lips. "Why's that?"
"Well, the reason more people aren't out hunting ningyo, looking for an extended lease on life, is because of the curse that surrounds it. You seem to have bypassed that somehow, or rather Sesshomaru did on your behalf, but others are not so fortunate. If people learn that you are now...," she paused as she searched for an appropriate word, "...blessed with eternal life and a healing factor akin to a yokai's...?"
"They would be filled with insane jealousy?" Kagome guessed.
"They would probably try to consume your flesh to access your new gift," Sango said gravely.
Kagome's eyes widened in horror. "That wouldn't work! Would it?"
"It certainly wouldn't stop the desperate fools from trying."
Kagome stood up and paced the room. She'd never considered the cost of eternal life. But Sesshomaru must-have. He would not have risked her life to grant her eternal youth. He was too calculated for that. She took some comfort in the thought and decided to place her worries aside for the time being.
Kagome stopped pacing and looked down at her friend. "Then I'm glad you're the one I told, Sango, but I'm still mad at him."
Sango gave a harsh laugh. "You're mad at him for extending your years to match his own? What about Setsuna? Now you can be with your child too, well into adulthood. Wasn't your mortality something you dreaded?"
Why did the woman have to be right? Kagome wondered. "That's not the point."
"Then what's the point, my friend?" Sango asked with humor.
"The point is that he lied to me! He told me he would be with me no matter what, and he didn't even have to worry about that because he'd already let me eat a mermaid!" Kagome spewed angrily. "He had no skin in the game."
"Can you blame him?" Sango asked.
Kagome felt offended. "Blame him? You're kidding, right?"
"Would you not have done the same if the situations were reversed?"
"I would have asked!" Kagome responded defensively.
"Maybe there's a reason he didn't. Maybe he wanted to be sure that you wanted him and not the promise of eternal life." Sango used her hand, pointing her finger for emphasis. "Look, I'm not trying to defend him. I'm definitely not saying he was right, all I'm saying is that there's probably more to it."
Kagome glowered at Sango. "You're supposed to be on my side."
"I am on your side," Sango asserted, her head cocking to the side. "I am happy and oddly perturbed at the same time, but as your friend, I also want you to think about this rationally."
Kagome sighed. It didn't seem as though Sango would commiserate right now. "Fine," she acquiesced. "But he still needs to learn that keeping things from me is wrong! So, I will be staying until Rin has her baby, if not longer. Plus, it will be good for Setsuna to enjoy the company of humans."
Sango chuckled. "If he's anything like Miroku, anything longer than a week will he torture."
"Good god woman, is the lecherous monk's appetite never satiated?" Kagome joked.
"I had thought after all these years he would settle down, but the man still hounds me daily. I couldn't tell you how many headaches I've had to feign to get a full night's rest."
Kagome felt her anger ease, and her mood lifted with their friendly banter. The pair sighed in contentment and continued to share their wifely plights. It was good to be away in a change of scenery. This was something they all needed from time to time, a reprieve.
"Mother?" Setsuna called hesitantly into the house.
Kagome turned to the sound of her daughter's voice. The young girl looked confused, and she rubbed her nose with one hand and holding up the screen with her other. Her white ears on top of her head twitched back and forth.
Setsuna stayed on the peripheral of the entryway, neither in nor out. She looked around outside, answering her mother without looking. "I smell something funny."
"What's that, love?" Kagome questioned. Her daughter was usually quite boisterous when excited, reserving a more serious side for when serious matters were at play, like her father's lectures. To see Setsuna so quiet and uncertain was worrisome.
"I don't know," she said softly. Her ears continued to swivel to pick up different sounds that only she could hear. "But it smells...wrong," she said.
Sango gave Kagome a questioning look, mouthing the words 'What's wrong?' Which she only received a shake of the head and shrug as a response.
"Come inside, Setsuna. You'll let all manner of insects in while you linger in the doorway," Kagome told her.
The young girl stayed put, looking over her shoulder, oblivious to her mother's words. Kagome hurried over to look outside as well. There was nothing as she peeked outside, and she could not smell nor hear anything unusual. The only difference was a feeling of foreboding.
"Sango?" Kagome solicited, concern evident in her voice.
The taijiya had already pushed the pair aside and went out to give a proper investigation. Nothing untoward was taking place to the naked eye. Villagers could be seen coming and going about chores and errands, and the noise of their movements and chatter could be vaguely heard, but something was different that none could quite put their finger on. "I see nothing," Sango said. "There are always strange sights and smells here in the village, little one," she consoled the rigid girl.
"No," Setsuna replied, "it's not that."
Sango grabbed Setsuna's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Just the other day, Rin attempted to cook, and there was the most horrible smell that permeated throughout the village." Her attempt to write off Setsuna's strange behavior was met with little resistance. Setsuna finally looked at her and her mother and smiled.
"I don't hear any birds. That's what it is. Maybe they were scared away by the smell, right mother?" she asked.
Kagome had a strange feeling but did not want her daughter to worry over anything. "Maybe they smelled you," she teased.
Setsuna laughed and ran inside; her earlier behavior forgotten.
Kagome followed her in, and Sango stood outside, giving the lane by her house one last look around to ensure nothing strange was around. Once she confirmed all was well, she came inside as well.
"So, what brings you back so soon?" Kagome asked.
She pouted, thrusting her bottom lip out in an overt fashion, and crossed her arms dramatically. "They won't let me play. They said it's unfair because I'm faster, and I'm a gooder smeller."
Sango sighed with annoyance. "Was it Hiro?"
"No, but he didn't say anything either. He's just jealous cuz I'm stronger than he is. But it was- it was a girl." Setsuna looked frustrated and and on the edge of tears. "She was mean and said I couldn't play with them and called me a half breed...Mother," she paused and turned her large, wavering eyes to Kagome, "what's a half breed?"
Kagome instantly felt rage swell in her chest. She'd done a damned good job at shielding Setsuna from people who would treat her child differently. Kagome knew she should have prepared Setsuna better for the cruelty of the outside world, but it was easy to forget that there were biased individuals out there when you lived in a bubble of protection. "Half yokai and half-human, love," she answered as gently as she could. "You know that your father and I are different. 'Half breed' is just a mean way of saying it."
"Don't let her words bother you; some people do not know how to appreciate the differences of others," Kagome assuaged. "If Hiro and the others are your friends, they won't care what that girl has to say."
Setsuna contemplated those words, trying to comprehend as best as a five-year-old could. "Father would have punished them," she replied angrily.
Kagome felt the urge to throttle someone right now, but the child offender wasn't the best choice, so she settled for being angry at Sesshomaru. "What good would that do?"
"Make them stop," Setsuna said, her little nose wrinkling.
"No, it would make them fear you." Kagome pulled the girl into her lap. "Fear only goes so far. Love and respect go so much farther."
Setsuna looked up at her mother, leaning against her chest. "I don't understand."
Sango chuckled, all too familiar with childhood antics, bullying, and the like. "It means that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar."
"You grownups don't make any sense," Setsuna groaned.
"Let's go see if we can talk to this girl. What's her name?" Kagome inquired. She rose, pulling Setsuna with her.
"Stupid-Mei," she supplied with a smirk.
Kagome rolled her eyes and tugged Setsuna along, pulling her outside. "Setsuna!" she scolded. "I'd ask what your father would say, but I'm afraid to hear your answer! We don't use that word: stupid."
Sango followed along, wanting to deal with the issue so that the behavior did not spill over into other matters. She wore a discreet and knowing smile as she followed.
Kagome made her way to the outskirts of the village, where she knew the local children played after they had finished training. Setsuna walked with her head held high the entire way, acting as if Kagome would give the offending child a sound lashing. Once they'd gotten nearly halfway, Setsuna stopped dead in her tracks.
"Don't stall, even if you're having second thoughts," Kagome warned.
Setsuna stood stock still, and her eyes seemed far away. "I smell it again, mother."
She was already on edge from earlier, and now Kagome felt her heart begin to pound. She watched as Setsuna started to look around wildly. There it was, out of the corner of her eye. Movement.
Sango ran in front of the pair; her right arm splayed out in a protective manner, and the other at her side where she kept a blade hidden. She'd seen it, too.
"What is it?" Kagome asked.
"We're being watched," Sango replied, nodding towards the side of a house.
Kagome could see nothing but trusted her friend's instincts and her daughter's heightened senses. Sango crept slowly and with the grace of one trained not to make a noise towards the backside of a house where Setsuna had glued her eyes. The taijiya had pulled her hidden blade out, brandishing it before her and put her back up against the house, ready to surprise the suspected interloper.
"What the fuck are you doing, Sango?!" a gruff, angry voice bellowed. The telltale red robe and white hair indicating Inuyasha appeared from around the corner, and he looked mad at having a knife pulled on him.
Sango looked guiltily down at her knife before tucking it back in her hidden pocket. "Oh, Inuyasha? Sorry, we...uh...we heard something."
He narrowed his eyes at her, "We?"
Setsuna broke from her strange trance. "Uncle Inuyasha!" she cried and sprinted towards the unsuspecting hanyo, jumping into his unsuspecting arms.
A broad grin replaced his grimace, and he lifted her into the air. "Well, if it isn't the runt?" he teased. "Bring your mom with ya?"
Kagome hurried over and pulled Setsuna from Inuyasha's grasp. "Please don't call her that."
"What? Runt?" he teased with a smug look. Inuyasha touseled Setsuna's hair and knelt in front of her. "She is." He defended against the girl's small but fierce punches. "Barely taller than me on my knees, this one."
"This is serious, Inuyasha!" Kagome chided. Leave it to him to make light of a situation when it did not call for it. She crossed her arms and took in a steadying breath.
"Keh, woman. You worry too much," he waved her off. He stood and looked over his shoulder before he was overcome with the look of a lovesick puppy. Inuyasha held out a hand, and it was taken by the delicately clawed one of Shizuka.
The hanyo woman looked around hesitantly but gave a small, secret smile once she spotted Sango. Her eyes became more apprehensive, though when she caught sight of Kagome.
Setsuna grinned and squealed with happiness before pulling Shizuka into a hug. "Aunt Shizuka!"
The quiet woman flipped her long hair behind her shoulder and knelt to look at Setsuna. She motioned with her hands, pointing at Setsuna and Kagome, and then placed her hands over her heart, smiling and tilting her head. Shizuka was a vision of loveliness, her silver hair was soft and long, her smile like a breath of spring, accenting her golden eyes.
Inuyasha looked down at her with a lovesick expression that Kagome found oddly sweet. He used to look at Kagome with that expression, and despite feeling jealous just earlier, Seeing them together was not as unbearable as she had thought.
"Inuyasha?"
He looked up to see an ungainly Rin, hand on her belly, ambling towards them. Her face seemed twisted with confusion. Once she caught sight of Kagome and Setsuna, though, a smile broke out, and she waved.
"Kagome? Is that you? It's been so long!" Rin called out.
Kagome hurried over to the heavily pregnant woman, and they hugged as best as possible to compensate for her large belly. "Oh, Rin, I can't believe you are going to be a mother!"
"Yes, it still hasn't quite sunk in yet, no matter how big I get!"
"It won't seem real until you hold that tiny babe in your arms; even then, it can seem like a dream," Kagome answered.
"While I'm happy to see you, I'm a bit confused," Rin admitted. She looked back at Inuyasha.
"What do you mean?" Sango asked, walking up to them.
"I just could have sworn I had seen Inuyasha a few moments ago back at the training arena. It was the most unusual thing."
"What are you talking about, woman?" Inuyasha demanded. "We just got here, Shizuka and me."
Rin seemed perplexed. "Right. I, uh, must be seeing things. I thought you looked different, and you were dressed differently, too."
Sango took up Rin's hands. "Would you like to sit down? Maybe the weather is getting to you?"
"I am fine," Rin assured. "It must have been the light playing tricks on my eyes." She shielded the sun from her eyes as emphasis, but everyone looked at her with concern.
Kagome thought it was too much of a coincidence to let slide. "Inuyasha, perhaps you could join me in taking a look?"
"Keh. Why would I do that? I'm busy," he growled in annoyance.
Infuriating as always, Kagome thought and set her jaw. "Please," she said through clenched teeth. "I would feel better if I knew it was nothing. Plus, Setsuna was acting strange."
Inuyasha looked down at the girl who was now conversing with Rin and grimaced. "Fine. Let's make it quick." He most assuredly remembered the events from five years back that had brought Shizuka to him and nearly taken Setsuna from her. Even though it had been much too quiet, he had to know that the underlying threat was still there just waiting for an opportune moment.
They walked silently towards the training arena with Inuyasha leading the way. Kagome knew how to get there, but the man tromped forward on a mission to get this endeavor over with as swiftly as possible.
Kagome ran her forefinger and thumb down the arrow string, ensuring her weapon was present and ready. She rarely went out without the bow. Just the thought of getting caught unprepared was a fear she did not want to face.
The area known as the training arena was more of a field than anything. The grass had been tamped down flat from constant use. There were dummies placed in a line along the north edge of the area where trainees could practice weaponry or combat moves. Many of them were missing their straw heads or limbs, showing the wear and tear. The arena was currently bare of any people, the day was nearing evening time, and most of the trainees and instructors had returned home for supper and rest from a long day spent preparing for an unknown threat.
Kagome looked around and saw nothing. Just the gentle swaying of distant branches as the wind passed through them. She looked towards Inuyasha, who had jumped over to the edge of the training arena. He looked back at Kagome and threw up his arms angrily, implying there was nothing to be found.
Perhaps it had been nothing, Kagome thought. Children were known to see things and hear things that were not there. Their innocent imaginations were always at play, causing them to confuse fantasy with reality. Kagome wanted to believe that was the case, but she knew deep down that Setsuna was no ordinary child who would have such notions.
Inuyasha's ears twitched back and forth on his head. Kagome glanced over and noticed that he'd frozen in place, similarly to how Setsuna had stopped in her tracks. He threw his hand to his side and grasped at air. Kagome realized that he hadn't brought Tessaiga with him. Why would he have cause to need it here where all was safe?
He growled and turned, wielding the only weapon he had on him. His claws were at ready and no less deadly, but they put Inuyasha at a disadvantage if a foe attacked with a weapon.
"Fucking coward! Bring your sniveling ass out here and face me!" He snarled.
Kagome had already drawn her bow the moment she saw Inuyasha reach for the missing sword. She looked around wildly, not seeing anything, but feeling something amiss.
Answering Inuyasha's call, a figure emerged from beyond the tree line. Kagome could no longer see Inuyasha's face, but she could only assume he wore an expression of disbelief that would match hers. A white-haired inu hanyo stalked towards them with a wicked grin plastered on his face, exposing long and deadly canines. This could be Inuyasha's twin if it weren't for long scars cutting down his cheekbones under each eye. The symmetry of the scars could only mean they were not coincidental and placed there by design. The scars looked angry and fresh, which could only mean that they were replaced each time the hanyo would heal.
"The fuck?" Inuyasha grunted. "What the hell are you supposed to be?"
The hanyo chuckled and crossed his arms beneath his chest, and his chin rose as his head smugly cocked to the side. He wore no weapons nor any armor, just simple clothing that could only be labeled as inconspicuous. "They told me to keep my head low, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the famed Inuyasha," he admitted.
"Keh. Should listen to your betters, huh?" Inuyasha challenged. His claws flexed menacingly by his sides. "Or you just too fucking stupid?"
The hanyo just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Nah, I'm just excited to meet you finally. Heard so much about what a badass you were." He started laughing with mirth, holding his sides. "I'm sorry, I can't-I can't..." he continued to laugh, taking deep breaths," can't keep a fucking straight face."
Inuyasha released a scoff of his own. "The fuck is this shit?" He gestured to the hanyo, who was bent over laughing.
Kagome looked from one hanyo to the next, her arrow trained on the stranger. Her tiny motion brought attention to her.
"Ya gotta be fucking kidding me?!" He yelled with glee. "The damn miko, too?"
Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder towards her. "I'm the one you gotta worry about, kid," he warned, drawing the hanyo attention back to him. "Whatdya want? Aside from a swift death?"
The hanyo whistled through his teeth. "Hnn." He splayed his legs apart and bent over to place a hand on the ground, looking as if he were readying to take off in a sprint. "Gotta catch me first, old man," he said darkly.
Her fingers ached to be free of the bowstring, and Kagome wasn't quite sure why she'd held on so long. This was not a friend to be reasoned with. She knew exactly what this was...a threat to be dealt with accordingly, and time was not on her side. Kagome loosed the arrow and watched as it flew to its target. She'd practiced frequently, as much to blow of worried stress as to keep in top form.
The hanyo looked up at her and smiled, seemingly amused at her attempt to incapacitate him. Kagome felt her pulse quicken, the adrenaline pumping through her veins at full speed the second she realized she had missed. Rather, the hanyo had moved, avoiding the spiritual arrow and fixing her with a nasty leer.
He leaped into the air and landed on top of Kagome, knocking her to the ground and the air from her chest. "Father will be pleased to learn that his miko has left the safety of her nest," he whispered into her ear. The rancid stench of his breath, coupled with the way he used the words 'his Miko', caused her to shudder despite herself.
The hanyo's grin never left his face even as he was lifted bodily off her with a roar and tossed away. Inuyasha stood over her in a protective stance. "Touch her again, and you'll lose the fucking hand!" He shouted.
The man had skidded several feet away and laughed at Inuyasha's threat. "Gotta catch me first, old man," he said before rocketing off.
"Old man?!" Inuyasha shouted in disbelief. He bolted off after the hanyo, growling loudly and leaving Kagome on her rear in the fields of the training arena.
She moved to her knees and stopped when movement registered at the corner of her eye. Kagome's head snapped up, and she saw two figures watching her from a distance. While she couldn't make out their features, the silver sheen of hair was unmistakable. Her heart dropped even as they disappeared into the trees. So they had been watching, she discerned. But For how long?