"Stay put, got it?"
"Oh, wait… She can't get outta there. Good. One less thing to worry about," he reminds himself. "Least she ain't making a fuss this time. Must be because the boy's in there too. Feh, lil shit just doesn't want to be left by herself, I guess."
The last time he trapped her like this, she'd almost clawed his face off in her efforts to avoid being tossed in a cave. At the time, Miroku had to place the first sutra for the barrier and brace himself to place the second. Once he was ready to drop the scroll Inuyasha had thrown the pup towards the back of the cave and by the time she'd regained her wits, the barrier was up and the gang heading out.
She stopped talking to him for a solid two days after that.
Look, it's not his fault that he has to leave her behind. She doesn't know how to fight yet. Shippo's got a couple of tricks up his sleeve that he can use to get himself out of a tight scrape until Inuyasha's able to jump in and help. She doesn't have anything beyond her claws and, while those suckers can hurt, they aren't equipped to kill anything bigger than her yet. He's not about to put the pup in danger just to avoid an argument. Until she has some kind of way to defend herself he has to walk into each fight calculating what he thinks the pup can handle. His hands are already full with Kagome and she has her spiritual powers.
He can't protect everyone at once, especially when they are heading towards the overwhelming odor of Naraku, so sacrifices must be made. It just so happens that keeping the kid behind somewhere safe is the easiest solution.
Kiyomi peers up at Inuyasha from behind the barrier that Miroku has constructed. He's hidden her inside of a small cave that smells like moldy bread. Apparently, whatever the group is up to today is supposed to be very dangerous and he doesn't want her to come along. Same with Shippo, which is actually a little unusual. She's figured out that Inuyasha worries less about Shippo than he does her. Shippo usually gets to follow along with them no matter what. Whatever they are going to be fighting must be real nasty for them to leave Shippo behind.
She can't wait to check it out!
She looks at Inuyasha and sticks her tongue out. "Hmph!"
'Good pup!' he rumbles to her before turning around and leading the others away. He'll make it up to her later, all he's got to do is give her some kind of snack and he's usually forgiven.
He's starting to get the hang of this whole pup thing after all.
Shippo watches them depart nervously his eyes wide and pulse quick. Kiyomi sniffs the air patiently. He always gets nervous without the grownups but she doesn't mind it. She spent a lot of time without grownups around so she's used to having to be a little resourceful. She's not scared, not one little bit. Shippo had better not ruin this for her.
"Kiyomi?" Shippo asks, looking at her. "Can we do it now?"
"SHHHH!" She turns to him with her finger pressed to her lips. "They might still hear you!"
She wants to wait until Kirara's scent is gone. Then they can go. The seconds drag like minutes while the scent is fading slowly from her sharp nose. Good, they are far enough away… Now all she has to do is find a way out of this barrier. She turns to Shippo mischievously. They've had this plan set in place since they'd overheard Inuyasha and Miroku planning out how they were going to be putting the kids behind a barrier a couple of hours ago. On her own, she doesn't stand much of a chance getting out, but with Shippo…
"You ready?" she calls out, her brows furrowing excitedly.
"Yeah!" Shippo answers.
Stupid Inuyasha should know better than to lock both of them up like this. He's the one that always complains that they are nothing but trouble when they put their heads together. Shippo bounces off to the corner of the entrance where Miroku had placed the sutra scrolls. All he's gotta do is catch a little corner of one with his foxfire and the barrier should go down. With a snicker, he summons a little flame to set the scroll ablaze. Kiyomi is looking over his shoulder excitedly as the little slip of parchment smolders.
As planned, the barrier disintegrates and both children run free. Kiyomi's nose is immediately immersed in the dirt, eagerly trying to pick up Inuyasha and the other's trail. They shouldn't be far; the last time Inuyasha made her hide behind a barrier Shippo had told her that they had been fighting close by, which had really only added insult to injury. She'd been so close to the action after all!
"This way!" she informs the kit once she's found the scent.
She's glad she has Shippo with her. He's a good buddy to watch her back, not to mention she'd still be stuck behind in that smelly cave if it weren't for him. She's gotta prove to Inuyasha and the others that they don't need to leave her behind like this. She's tough! She lived on her own for goodness sake! Inuyasha really needs to stop treating her like she's some helpless little girl and she's gonna prove that she's not one today.
Today's the last time they shove her in a cave and tell her to wait.
"What d'yeh think this demon is, anyway?" she asks Shippo quietly, nose in the air. He's right, they are close! "Think it's real big?"
"Uh, yeah," Shippo answers, looking at her like she's stupid. "It's Naraku."
She's learned by now just to ask when she doesn't know something. "What's a Naraku? Is that a type of demon?"
"Do they tell you anything?" Shippo deadpans. "Naraku is Inuyasha's arch enemy!"
"I thought that was Koga…"
She blushes when she thinks of the wolf demon. When they'd finally caught up with the group after meeting Koga for the first time Inuyasha had made it a point to tell her that Koga was not his friend but Kagome's and that she would be better off ignoring the wolf demon. It had made her feel a little bad because she's pretty sure she's in love with Koga. Mama always told her that she is beautiful and that she will be able to marry whoever she wants to when she grows up.
Well, she's decided that her husband will be Koga!
Shippo's voice interrupts her daydreaming. He says with a smirk, "No, that's Inuyasha's romantic rival. Not that Kagome is interested in him, mind you. Naraku is a really, really bad guy and he has a lot of incarnations too!"
"Hmph!" she scoffs, turning her nose up defiantly. "Well, I'm not afraid of him! I ain't scared of nothin'!"
"See, I'm not a baby! I'm brave and—What's that smell?"
~.~.~
He's never seen this demon before but, whoever she is, she gives Inuyasha the creeps. She smells like a buried body and every time the wind shifts her long, pale hair he catches a whiff of it. She's tried to hide it by dousing herself in rose-scented perfume and it might trick a mortal, but not him. The hem of her smokey-blue kimono is splattered in mud. Whoever she is, she's been traveling for at least a little while now. It reminds him of Kikyo only he actually likes Kikyo; whoever this bitch is, he don't like her.
Anybody hiding their face behind a mask can't have good intentions.
"Are you Inuyasha?" the demoness asks, her striking voice muffled by the kabuki mask she's hiding behind.
He plants his legs holding on to Tetsusaiga's hilt, waiting for her to strike first. "Who's askin'?"
She chuckles coldly, admiring her claws as if she's bored. "I was told you have something of mine. I'm supposed to kill you for it."
Feh, how powerful can she be if she's already been killed once? "I'd like to see you try. Go ahead, I'm waitin' for ya!"
He can't make out her face so he has no idea what her expression reveals. He does, however, hear a soft growl that reminds him very much of his own or Sesshomaru's. He throws out his left arm to protect Kagome. He'd be better off getting her out of this clearing altogether but there might not be enough time for that. This mystery demon is crouched low, that rumble growing louder. He'll have to have Miroku and Sango get her out of here. He'd feel better if someone went back to the kids.
This lady is giving him seriously bad vibes.
She's about to strike first, he can see her feet shift and her right hand flexes. Her claws begin to glow an ominously bright shade of magenta. He doesn't doubt that she intends to use those claws on him so he matches her crouch, brandishing Tetsusaiga. Taking down a once-dead youkai hadn't exactly been on the agenda. He'd been lured by the scent of Naraku—it's why he'd sealed the two kids out of trouble back there—only to find this demoness waiting for him as if she knew he'd be arriving. Now Naraku's scent has all but vanished. She circles him slowly, looking for an opening most likely.
Then the demoness gets a look at Sango.
"YOU!" she seethes, forgetting about her fight with Inuyasha entirely.
A startled Sango has only seconds to throw hiraikotsu in the demon's path. Neither of the two men responds well to this assault on their demon slayer; Miroku's demon slayer. The Lord Monk is seconds away from sucking the demoness into the void that lingers in his hand until Kagome warns him of the sacred jewel shard in the demon's chest. If he sucks her in, the jewel will go with her. Inuyasha lunges forward and blocks the demoness's path with his blade. Like hell! This was his fight just a moment ago. What had changed?
Before he can push the demoness back, Kagome's sacred arrow blasts past his face to burrow itself in the demoness's left shoulder. She hisses, her head now shifting towards Kagome. She knows that the girl can sense her jewel shard. Fortunately for her, Kagome has terrible aim. She had been unable to pierce it.
'Die. Hunt. Kill.'
Inuyasha's ears dart forward. He recognizes that sharp series of grunts for what it is: this is an inu-youkai. Could they be related to him or Sesshomaru? Is that what this is about? Either way, it doesn't matter; she is threatening his Kagome.
"Inuyasha! Help!"
His stomach drops. That voice he identifies instantly, Kiyomi's in trouble! Something must have broken through Miroku's barrier, but how? Shit. He can't turn his back on an enemy like this. It could kill Kagome if he's not there to defend her. His opponent has also heard Kiyomi's cries for help. Her head swivels, exposing her right side without even calculating the risk. He can use this as a chance to—
With a sharp keening whine, the demoness springs away from him. Oh, shit-fuck she is heading in the direction that Kiyomi's voice had come from.
~.~.~
Kagura is gripping the little girl tightly against her body while Kiyomi struggles as if her life depends on it. For all she knows, it really could! She keeps shouting for help, crying loudly for Inuyasha to show up and save her. Naraku had assured Kagura that the half-demon would be kept busy and that she'll have enough time to nab the girl.
Her orders are simple, bring the girl to him, he didn't elaborate on that. Not that she had expected him to…
"Oh, shut up, won't you?" she hisses through grit teeth.
It appears the kid has no interest in quieting down. Fine, she'll just have to take to the skies. It's long overdue anyway. She plucks her hairpiece with her free hand and, with nothing more than a breath, turns it into a vessel that will take them to Naraku. The little fox boy is going ballistic on the ground below, trying to fling green flames at them. They ascend quickly, hovering well above the trees within seconds.
"Lemme go! Inuyasha! Shippo! Help me!"
Kagura uses one arm to grip her tight and the other hand to clamp down on the kid's mouth. This shouting is going to give her a—
Kiyomi chomps down onto Kagura's middle finger as hard as she possibly can. Surprised, the woman pulls her hand away but Kiyomi's still got a good grip on her finger and she refuses to let go. She goes flying forward and off of the floating feather with a mouth full of blood. She's freed from the demon's grip but that fall is really going to hurt. She cringes, shutting her eyes tightly so that she can't see the inevitable crash that she's going to experience.
She's grabbed by her midsection. A familiar scent fills her nose as she's tucked into a warm torso, just under someone's armpit. They are gliding agilely through the air. But… who is this? It's not Inuyasha, she'd recognize that scent for sure! But it's not all that different from his. She's definitely smelled this person before…
Before she can fully grasp what's happening to her, she's wrapped in Sesshomaru's Mokomoko. Oh! It's Sesshomaru-sama! She's going to be okay after all!
'Friend!' she yips to him, relieved to see a familiar face.
He huffs but makes no other sign that he's even noticed her presence. It looks as if he didn't intend to rescue her. He lands on the ground softly, flicking her away from him with ease. He doesn't really care to be involved in such matters at all but, as it is Aika's progeny, he will intercede. Kiyomi eagerly scurries over to Shippo, whining loudly. Slowly, calculatingly, Sesshomaru shifts to stand between the children and the wind demon, watching her hover above them. How foolish of his brother to allow himself to be separated from the child. He's going to get the girl killed with his negligence.
He addresses the mistress of the wind. "Where can I find Naraku?"
Kagura knows when it is in her best interests to run. And now is definitely one of those moments. She scoffs, sending a spiral of wind between the two of them to serve as a diversion so that she can put some distance between her and Sesshomaru. If he is the only one strong enough to defeat Naraku, she knows that she doesn't stand a chance. She'll take her chances with Naraku's wrath on this one.
As Kagura floats away into the distance, Sesshomaru wonders if leaving the child with his bumbling mess of a brother is really the best idea. After all, he has Rin with him. Surely Jaken can handle two children. Perhaps, in the interest of honoring the memory of one of the few associates he's had, it would be best for him to take the girl. With a calm and cool stare, he whistles the girl over to his side. She complies immediately, scampering over to him despite the little kitsune's protests. She grins up at him when she reaches his leg, her head reaching just above his knees.
Aika birthed a runt, how unfortunate for her. Still, it can't be helped now.
"Come with me," he orders.
"Okay!" she chirps, looking back at her friend. "What about Shippo, is he coming too?"
"He is not," Sesshomaru answers pointedly. "What happens to him is of little consequence to me."
"Oh…" the girl answers, staying still despite his orders.
'Come! Alpha!' he grunts to her.
The triangular ears atop her head dart forward and her eyes go wide before she hops after him. Hmm, so she can be obedient with the right tactics. Good. Aika had at least begun to tame the girl's instincts before she perished. Even as a halfbreed he may be able to make a decent private guard out of the girl, it is likely the best status he can give a hanyou. She does not enjoy Inuyasha's status as the descendant of a powerful lord so her options are quite limited. For now, surely Rin will enjoy having another female child readily available for play.
"Where are we going?" his newly acquired ward asks. "Will that nice little girl be there? I'd like to play with her!"
His eyes shift down. The girl looks remarkably like her mother. It's disarming.
Aika had been a marvel of a demoness. Kane, her father, was not known to be a kind or even loving father so he's always wondered how Aika had been so… pleasant. He'd even say that he enjoyed her company, however begrudgingly. She'd always complained that he was too stoic and insisted that she would charm him into submission; a ridiculous notion.
His respect for Aika did not stem from her inviting personality, although his father had adored Aika before his untimely death, it came from her prowess on the battlefield. When her demon truly came alive was when she was wrapped in the carnage of warfare. She was hellacious when she took on an opponent. She'd survived the last war with the Pansā-Youkai tribe where two of her brothers had perished.
Prior to this, he had assumed women to be the fairer sex. Now, he understands just what a woman can become. When the dowry had been offered by Kane, Sesshomaru had tentatively accepted, regardless of the fact that he did not see Aika in such terms. The match, if anything, made sense in terms of offspring and he could easily think of worse people that had offered their daughters. At least he didn't dislike Aika. When he'd heard that she'd vanished he will confess he'd been curious. By the time he'd finally found her, she was already with child; this child.
And if this child is anything like Aika, she will be notably strong, even for a hanyou. He will not go as far as to say he will grow fond of the girl but he's certain he will be able to tolerate her. Provided he can train her to talk less. She looks away from him to watch her friend from over her shoulder. Her steps slow…
'Friend?' she burbles out to him, unsure. "Where are we going? I should go find Inuyasha…"
Part of her knows that Lord Sesshomaru was a good friend of her mother's so she knows nothing bad will happen to her. But she has a little feeling creeping in her stomach. It feels almost as if something inside her is warning her not to keep going. Her question earns her another blank, familiarly unfeeling stare.
After a pause, he responds, 'Friend. Come."
That seems to reassure her. Her apprehension is surprising to him. When he last saw her with her mother, the girl had been irritatingly enthusiastic towards him. Her mother had blamed it on her charming persona; claimed it had bled into the girl. He can recall her running circles between the two of them the last time he had seen her mother. She'd even spent a length of time trying to cuddle him while he and her mother spoke, he hadn't enjoyed that. The girl was almost a little too trusting towards him at the time.
He had never needed to reassure this girl before now. He blames his brother for this lack of trust. Surely that idiot has filled the girl's head with nonsense about him. He should have taken her sooner than this. He hadn't realized that his witless fool of a brother could not handle a task as basic and instinctual as rearing a pup.
"I get to play with your friend?" she asks, reaching up to grasp his left sleeve in place of his hand. She seems mollified and the scent of her anxiety is fading.
"SESSHOMARU!" a familiar and infuriating voice rings out behind him.
He does not spare a glance at his brother. He does not have the time to indulge in such idle behavior. He can hear Inuyasha unsheathing Tetsusaiga and racing towards the pair. He smoothly grabs the girl from the back of her jacket before his father's mistake can further harm her. Just as he'd thought, complete disregard for the child. Kiyomi looks positively thrilled to see Inuyasha. She squeals like a deranged piglet and begins to try and race to the hanyou's side. Sesshomaru does not let go. His brother is growling loudly, threateningly.
It is tiresome.
Her anxiety has returned, he can detect the sharp scent of her unease. "Please don't be upset with Inuyasha, I'm sure he's sorry that he cut off your arm."
"Let her go," his brother warns, eyes narrowing. Sesshomaru does not like it when he does that, it looks like Father. Another unfortunate reminder that they are, in fact, bound by blood. "Let her go before I take the other arm."
"You're not supposed to say that!" Kiyomi snips, chastising him for his rudeness.
Sesshomaru frowns. The girl should know better than to speak to an elder like that. That behavior will need to be stamped out. This he also blames Inuyasha for.
"Silence," he orders firmly. The girl looks up at him speculatively. "We are leaving."
That curious look turns into one of blatant fear and he can smell her adrenaline rising. His brother looks enraged by this. Not that he'd expected any other outcome. The boy has obviously been blinded by his instincts. Pity. He would care more if he hadn't left the girl to forage unprotected through the forest with an enemy so close by.
Had it been any other child than Aika's he wouldn't care in the slightest.
"Your claim to the girl is now forfeit." He looks up to address his brother. "You're presence is no longer necessary. I'll be taking the girl."
"NO!"
"You-you can't!" Inuyasha bleats, a look of unrestrained fear marring his face. Ah, that is a more familiar face, his brother's faux confidence is sometimes too easy to crush. "That's my pup!"
The words had come unbidden as the unbridled truth.
"Ttch!" Sesshomaru scoffs, pinching the back of Kiyomi's neck to reduce her struggles. "If this is how you treat the things you claim to care for then perhaps I should take Father's sword while I am here."
"You have no idea how I treat her! But I'll show you how good I treat the sword!" Inuyasha threatens, adjusting his stance to attack.
He'll die before he lets Sesshomaru leave with his pup.
"You leave the girl defenseless and you expect me to believe that you are capable of mentoring her? Her mother would not tolerate or forgive me if I allowed this to continue."
Before Inuyasha can come up with a retort, Kiyomi shouts, "It's not his fault! I-I went off on my own! M-me and Sh-Shippo did! He didn't know!"
"You what?!"
Inuyasha's outburst goes ignored. She's looking up at Sesshomaru with pleading eyes, he can feel her heart pounding through his grip on her shoulder. "I-I don't want to go with you! Please don't take me away!"
Interesting, the girl is indicating that she wants to stay?
Perhaps… Well, it is possible that they have bonded. It's not uncommon for inu-youkai to bond with children quickly but he'd always assumed that such a complex bond was too much for a hanyou to forge. He shows no signs of bonding with the orphaned boy. Perhaps since they are both inu-hanyous the bonds have formed where others would not? This truly does complicate things and irritatingly so. Prying the child from his idiotic half-brother now would be akin to him taking the girl from her mother or father. Her instincts have already blended those roles, caregiver and father, with his brother and there's precious little he can do to reverse that.
Besides killing him, that is.
She continues, her voice trembling, "I-Inuyasha! Help! I don't—I don't want to go with him! L-lord Sesshomaru, M-mama would be mad at you for making me cry!"
The girl's mother would be more apt to kill him for allowing her to stay with Inuyasha but that's beyond the point. The growls his brother is emitting are impressive, for a hanyou that is. With a scoff, he releases his hold on her shoulder. It would not suit him to kill Father's heir over a child who is not all that important to him. He owes no debts to Aika. He has no desire to suffer the consequences of pulling a bonded child from its… he'll use the word caregiver here. Kiyomi frantically runs to Inuyasha, yelping loudly. She throws one last frightened glance in his direction just before she lands squarely into his brother's chest, burying herself in the folds of his robe of the fire-rat.
With a final scoff, Sesshomaru turns to leave. Before he does, he decides to issue one final warning, "If you are incapable of properly minding the girl, make no mistake, I will take her."
Her mother would destroy him if he allowed her daughter to perish. Aika had many admirable qualities but she was also violent to a fault. There have even been times that he believed her to surpass his power. He will monitor this situation for now as she would have wanted. It's the least he can do. Perhaps the girl's place is with another inu-hanyou. Beyond that, he already has one child traveling with him.
Another would be burdensome.
As Sesshomaru disappears into the trees Inuyasha slides Tetsusaiga back where it belongs, his other arm hooked underneath the pup to hold her. He squeezes her tightly against him, softly snarling as if to warn the entire world that this is his pup and she's not going anywhere. His heart is pounding wildly. Sesshomaru, that asshole that keeps trying to kill him, almost took Kiyomi. He didn't know he could growl so loud honestly…
In the distance, he can hear Sango and Kagome approaching. They are worriedly talking amongst themselves about the two kids.
He whistles Shippo over to his side and the kit crashes into his leg. The boy looks nervous but he appears to be okay. The pup is trembling though, clinging to him worriedly and yipping between breaths. His elevated heart rate likely isn't helping this situation. He forces himself to breathe deep, inhaling the swirl of scents around the girl. It paints a picture that he doesn't particularly like. Two scents stand out: Sesshomaru's and Naraku. Is it possible that Sesshomaru had stepped in to save the girl? That's so unlike him… but it's not unlike him to try and take something that's his.
Why the hell can't he just go away and let him be happy, goddamnit?!
He pries Kiyomi's fingers from the robe of the fire-rat, putting her down on the ground to verify that she's still one piece. Yep, all of her limbs look like they're where they should be. Honestly, for someone with the type of smells on her that she has, he'd argue she looks great. There's blood dripping down her chin but it's not hers, at least he doesn't think it is? Gruffly, he grips her chin to pry her mouth open, worried she may have bitten her tongue or knocked a fang out. There's no sign of any wounds and she's trying to close her mouth in the wake of his assessment. She's crying again.
Is that all this stupid girl does? Get herself into trouble and cry about it?
"Are you hurt?" he asks quietly, trying to will his heart to stop pounding.
She's fine, she hasn't been taken. He would really like to calm down right about now. She shakes her head, strands of hair clinging to her wet cheeks. See? She's not hurt, she's right there… He allows his pounding heart to answer to another emotion now and that is irrita-fucking-bility. She's the stupidest child he's ever met in his entire life! Goddamnit, she'd almost gotten kidnapped by his fucking brother.
"Good," he says shortly.
If she ain't hurt then it's perfectly within his rights to do this.
He crashes a fist into the crown of both kid's heads. Albeit, he bonked her a little lighter than Shippo, the boy's got a thicker skull being a full demon. They both look up at him accusatorially while rubbing the little lumps that are forming. He scowls at them. How the fuck did they pull this off? He thought Miroku said that she wouldn't be able to get out of that barrier.
"Out with it," he snaps, "how'd you get out?"
Kiyomi looks guiltily at Shippo and bites her lip tellingly but she doesn't tattle. Ah, just as he suspected. She'd been unable to escape the last barrier and the only thing different this time was that Shippo was with her. He grabs the kit by the ear, the boy yelping before he poofs out of his hold and darts towards what is undoubtedly Kagome's footsteps. Feh, coward can't even face him like a man! He'll skin him alive for this!
"GET BACK HERE, SHIPPO!"
"Wait!" Kiyomi cries out, grabbing his hand just as he's about to make a run for the kit. "I-it's not his fault! It was my idea! I told him to—OUCH!"
She's interrupted by another fist to the top of her head. He'll deal with her later. Shippo knows better than to pull this kind of shit. Then again, so does Kiyomi. He can hear Kagome's relieved voice not too far off. The kit's caught up to her. Of course, Kagome's not going to let him take out his perfectly justified rage on the boy. Instead, he turns his frustrations to the girl who's withering under his stare.
"Get over here," he snarls, gripping her shoulder roughly and pushing her forward.
What the hell is he going to do with these goddamn kids? If this keeps up he's pretty sure he's going to start losing hair.
~.~.~
"Inuyasha, don't you think we should—"
Sango is cut off by Inuyasha's dark look over his supper. He'll be eating his fill this evening, thank you very much. And he's not going to be shy about it! No, he's going to boast about how full he is and how warm he's going to be by the toasty fire. He's going to sing it loud and proud!
He's separated Kiyomi and Shippo—he's not letting those two put their heads together for a long time—so that they are sitting on opposite ends of the camp and both are several feet from the campfire. And they are not going to move. He'd know; Shippo's already tried once and he did not enjoy the consequences. He can feel both of their stares on each side of his head. Feh, damn kids act like they're bein' neglected over one meal. It wouldn't be so bad but every so often Kiyomi will whimper. He is having a tough time ignoring her woeful stare.
But he's got to take care of this now. He can't have a pack that doesn't listen to him. It's bad for the rest of the group. How many times have they had to hold everything else up because the pup doesn't want to listen? And, he won't lie, he's still pissed that Sesshomaru almost took her.
Goddamnit, he does not want to feel that way ever again.
A little voice whines to his right. 'Hungry! Pup hungry!'
"Feh," is the only response he allows. "Told you both to keep quiet."
"Don't you think it's a little cold?" Kagome ventures, watching Inuyasha carefully.
"Dunno," he answers, digging into his rice. "I'm nice and warm."
Miroku, as usual, is making it a point to keep himself out of the conversation. He's got a good reason to, of course; he always has a good reason to avoid conflict if he so chooses. He just has to wait until Kagome manages to distract the testy hanyou long enough to offer respite to the hungry children who've been ostracized. Yes, they definitely shouldn't have broken through his barrier this afternoon but he's sure it's not fair to let the littles go to sleep without something in their stomachs. The plan is to get Inuyasha to venture out for some more firewood or some water.
"Inuyasha," Kagome warns, "enough's enough! I'm sure they've learned their lesson."
Inuyasha rolls his eyes. He ain't letting the girl off the hook that easily and Kagome's letting the boy get pudgy if you ask him. They'll survive one night without dinner. To be frank, he's going easy on them. If his ma had been the one looking out for them they'd be facing way more than just a night outside of the pack. He doesn't really feel comfortable smacking them though, they aren't really his kids.
"That's not true," he reminds himself, "the pup's mine now."
There's no disputing that fact, at least not to himself. He would have killed Sesshomaru this afternoon if that's what it took. That knowledge is actually pretty grounding, believe it or not. He can stop with the wondering and just go on with knowing that the girl belongs with him. What he can't figure out is why he feels like that. He doesn't with Shippo, not even close. Maybe 'cause Shippo is a fox? Don't get him wrong, he'd save Shippo too. But it wouldn't have the same heart-pounding effect that this afternoon had on him.
"They've learned it when I say they've learned it," he huffs, chomping down on more rice. He's actually full but he's going to keep chowing down to prove his point. "'Til then, no one's movin'."
"At least let us feed—" Kagome begins.
"No!" he interrupts. "They'll live, Kagome. Go read your books or somethin' and pretend they ain't there!"
"They can't spend the night in the cold. At least let them come to bed."
"Fine," he concedes, "Shippo when Kagome goes to bed you'll follow her. Till then stay—"
"That's not fair!" Kiyomi complains, her hands clamping into fists. "Why don't I get to leave?!"
Even Kagome, who's learned how to navigate Inuyasha's infamous temper, is unnerved by the glare that he sends Kiyomi's way. Honestly, this is a little mean. Or at least she thinks it is… Sure, what they'd done was wrong but it's a bit much to completely banish them overnight. The dirty looks are overkill in her opinion.
For a look so intimidating, his response is simple. "You were the ringleader so you'll do more time. All night, pup. Get comfy."
The camp is quiet after this and, despite everyone's best efforts, Inuyasha remains undeterred in his efforts to punish the now extremely repentant children. Turns out that precious little improves behavior quite like a missed meal. They had also been unsuccessful in their attempts to smuggle food over to them. He hadn't budged at any of Kagome's suggestions.
He'd expected them to try, after all. They're too damn lenient with these kids. No wonder she doesn't listen to them.
When Kagome announces that she's going to sleep, with a sympathetic look in Kiyomi's direction, Shippo shoots into the sleeping bag. The rest of the night he is curled up next to Kagome and he's practically purring in her arms. Feh, the damn kit never would have survived if they hadn't come along. He's too soft for his own good. Kiyomi, if she feels anything, it doesn't show. She's figured out pretty quickly that her pouting isn't doing her any favors and it's not worth the effort. It's late now and she's curled herself in her allotted spot as comfortably as she can. Inuyasha's watching her patiently, waiting for her to finally knock out. She's been moping all night.
Good, maybe she'll finally learn something now.
Within an hour, just as everyone else is drifting off, her breathing changes. It's heavier and her face has finally lost that frustrated pout she's had for the majority of her isolation. Thank the gods for that, if she'd kept it up any longer he might have caved and let her join them. His eyes sweep the camp, carefully. It looks like he's clear. No one is gonna wake up unless there's some sort of emergency. Noiselessly, he rises and shuffles over to the pup.
"This damn kid is gonna be the death of me," he complains to himself.
He used to think it was going to be Kagome but now he's all but certain the kid is going to be what does it. Hell, he even feels older. He hadn't meant for that to happen at all. He growls softly as he crouches down to lift her off of the ground and bring her back to the rest of the pack.
He can't help it, okay? He used to have to sleep alone and it sucks.
He'd planned on bringing her over to the fire from the start but the kid needs to start acknowledging that he's serious about her not listening to him. If he doesn't then she could really end up seriously hurt or worse. It's not like when she lived alone, they live a dangerous life, and if she doesn't pay mind to what he says it could mean death. If he caves every time she whines then she's never going to learn a damn thing. He'd bet the little amount of money he possesses that the next time he has to hide her somewhere she'll still pull this shit all over again. His mother would have crippled him if he acted like her.
Not that he's trying to be a hardass or nothin'. He just hates the way his stomach tightens when he thinks of Sesshomaru gripping her the way he had been. Just… leading her away like he even cares about her. He doesn't want to feel like that again. And he feels like that any time he thinks about the kid getting hurt. As he settles himself back in his original seat, Kiyomi sighs lightly before nestling closer to him. She doesn't wake, the soft growls he's rumbling working like a charm.
Good, he doesn't feel like dealing with her right now.
He's got bigger things to worry about at the moment. That mysterious, masked demoness has vanished. He can't even begin to pick up the slightest trace of her scent. For all he knows, she was nothing but an illusion sent to distract him while Naraku stirred up some shit. But who was she? As far as he knows, there aren't that many inu-youkai roaming around. Well, there must be some, of course; he's not naive enough to think that he and Sesshomaru are the only ones. There's no way... But what could a random inu-youkai want with him? She'd said that he had something of hers... but he's never met this demon in his life. What are the odds that he's slighted another inu-youkai? With his luck, she's after his sword as well.
A soft laugh distracts him from across the camp. Ah, shit, Sango hadn't been asleep after all. She stands, stretching out before she steps lightly over Kagome's sleeping bag. Great, there's nothing he can do to cover this up now. He'd planned on putting her back before everyone woke up. Now his tough-guy image has been shattered, by Sango no less.
"I think you have an escaped jailbird," she teases good-naturedly as she sits beside him. He snorts and rolls his eyes at the slayer.
"Kagome would never let me hear the end of it if I let her sleep alone," he complains.
Yeah, that's a good excuse! That oughta do the trick!
Sango only chuckles, absently reaching over to stroke the girl's ears. The little girl growls contentedly, still sound asleep. She knows he's lying, he'd never leave that little girl to sleep in the cold. "Did something happen between you two today? I've never seen you behave this harshly towards her before."
He's starting to wish he'd kept his resolve and left her there. He's forgotten that he hadn't told the others about Sesshomaru almost taking her. Usually, Shippo's loud mouth beats him to stuff like that. He'd terrified the kit into silence this afternoon. Funny, he hadn't realized that Shippo sometimes does make his life a little easier; he can get away with talking less with the little gossip running around.
What the hell is the matter with him? Why should he care so much if Sesshomaru takes her? She's just a goddamn stray that he happened to pick up. But, at the same time, there are so many connections to her that he can't help but wonder if something cosmic had really brought them together. It can't have been an accident, can it?
"Sesshomaru almost took her," he confesses, an irritating waver to his voice. He clears his throat to cover it up. "Said I wasn't taking care of her… and that her ma would want her to stay with him."
"So that's why he's been acting like this," Sango muses. She knew there was more to it than the kids breaking out of the barrier. "I wonder how he got her back from Sesshomaru?"
"Don't listen to him," she remarks, nodding her head towards his lap. "She's very happy with us."
"Tch," Inuyasha scoffs, indulging in a little self-pity for once. "We don't know that."
Sango smiles and looks up through the leaves to gaze at the moon. "Yes, I do. All you have to do is look at her and you can tell."
"I don't know, maybe Sesshomaru's right. She doesn't seem to want to listen to me."
"Can I offer you a little advice?" She knows he won't answer so she continues, much to his relief; he needs all the help he can get right now. "You need to listen to her a little more. She'll tell you what she needs and what bothers her if you do. She doesn't like when we go off on missions without her because that's what happened when her mother died. Her mother left her to protect her and she never came back. Being left behind is very upsetting to Kiyomi."
He didn't know that… How does Sango? "She's never told me—"
Sango is already prepared to explain. "You're extremely important to this little girl and she wants to impress you. She wants you to think she's strong. She wants you to think highly of her so she won't show you that side of her yet if she can help it."
"Think highly of her? Hasn't this stupid kid figured out that she's changed my fucking life yet?"
"Was your brother this much of a pain in the ass?" he grumbles, he can't say what he's thinking aloud… namely because he doesn't fully understand it. How can something so small change things so much?
Sango laughs, "All kids are a pain in the ass. Shippo's a rare exception."
"That demon today, the one in the clearing," he asks, "do you know who she was?"
Sanyo shakes her head. "There were a lot of demon slayers at one point though. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them is responsible for her reaction."
He nods, brows furrowing as he tries to think of some reasonable explanation for this afternoon's events. Whatever happened today, whatever that demon wanted, he doesn't like it. The whole thing just makes him feel uneasy.
Sango stands, dusting off her kimono before crouching down to take the girl from his arms. "Now, I'll be taking our little jailbird for the night. You can pretend to be surprised in the morning."
The kid snorts softly with the movement and murmurs something unintelligible in her sleep. Her nose buries itself into Sango's collarbone, her ears twitching curiously. As she breathes in Sango's recognizable scent she immediately settles back into a deep slumber. Satisfied she's not going to wake up, Sango returns to Kirara's side. The little kitten mews groggily before transforming into an invitingly warm looking bed for Sango and the pup.
"Hey, Sango," he calls out and she looks up at him. "Thanks."
~.~.~
She wakes cradled in warmth and the soothing scent of woman surrounding her. She breathes deeply, inhaling Sango's scent. Her first instinct is to snuggle deeper into the warmth and safety and— Whoah no! She's not supposed to be here! She's supposed to be sleeping by that tree. What's she doing here?! Did Lady Sango pick her up overnight? Is it possible that she had walked over in her sleep?
Well, either way, Inuyasha's gonna be real mad if she's not where he told her to be!
She sits up, sliding carefully out of Sango's arms so she doesn't wake her. Kirara has noticed and she lets out a heavy puff of air to acknowledge that she'll watch out for the girl once she leaves her side. Kiyomi gives her a grateful nod before she slinks back to where Inuyasha had put her the night before. She doesn't want to get Lady Sango into trouble like she did Shippo… She feels wretched for getting Shippo caught up in all of this. He would have stayed inside the barrier if she hadn't insisted.
Yesterday was all her fault.
'Pup bad,' she whines sharply.
Inuyasha scoffs, striding over to her and nudging her with his foot. Stupid kid didn't even notice he was awake and watching her go back to her spot. She's many things but he's glad that she's loyal, she'd left the lure of a warm place to sleep to spare Sango. That's an admirable quality even for an adult, forget a little kid. She's still pretending to be asleep. He taps her shoulder, looking behind him to verify that everyone else is snoozing. He doesn't want anyone spying on him and the pup. He's got words to say to her that he doesn't want the others to overhear. She looks up at him, her eyes wide and nervous.
"C'mon, pup." He takes a few steps and notices that she's followed him but is purposefully keeping herself out of arms reach. Heh, kid's getting smart. "Move it along, I ain't got all day."
She rubs the top of her head nervously. She really hopes she's not gonna get in trouble for not being in her spot all night. She feels so stupid for what she did yesterday. After a few minutes, Inuyasha stops in a clearing. Kiyomi stops as well, still keeping more than an arm's length away from him. With an eye roll, he crosses the gap between them and she immediately tucks her head down and covers it with her hands. Hmph, so the kid can be taught after all.
"I'm really sorry! I-I didn't mean to go to Lady Sango! I think I did it in my sleep. Please don't punish her too!"
"I ain't gonna be punishing nobody," he grumbles, folding his arms over his chest, noting how her hands finally slide away from the top of her head. "You and I gotta talk though."
"I'm really naughty…" she murmurs.
Maybe he thinks that she's too much trouble and he wants to kick her out of the pack forever. That's why he brought her out here, so the others won't see. This is all her fault! She just wanted to prove to him that she doesn't need to hide when there is danger… She should've just waited like he'd told her to. She's losing her place in the pack, that must be it.
She looks up at him. She's trying to look tough, he can tell by the way she's holding in her breath. Sango might really have a good point. Seems like every time he's around she tries to play brave. Until something stupid comes along and scares her out of her mind, that is. Seriously, he's never seen one person frightened by this many mundane inconveniences in his life. What kind of pup walks around scared of fleas?
With a quavering whimper, she finally accuses, "You're gonna kick me out… Aren't you?"
"That's literally the last thing I want to do, stupid!"
"No," he answers shortly. "You ain't goin' anywhere."
She looks relieved, and he can hear her finally suck in a deep breath. She still looks downtrodden but a little less so now. Ah hell, he doesn't want the kid to think she's not wanted. This girl's imagination always gets ahead of her. After a few calming breaths she looks him in the eye.
"But then why are we here?" she murmurs.
He's not gonna punish her even more, is he? Her Mama used to never get mad at her, even when she got into trouble. Mama'd always help her and then tell her how to keep out of danger. Come to think of it… She's pretty sure Mama's never punished her in her life!
He crouches down so that he's at eye level with the squirt. "First, you listen here, I don't want you thinkin' that I'm gonna get rid of you. Ever. Got it? We're sticking together."
She nods, still eyeing him nervously. He doesn't smell angry with her…
"Good," he says, looking all around him to make sure that they are alone.
He travels with a nosey bunch of people. Imagine that, at first he couldn't get anyone to spend more than two seconds with him, and now he's got to hide in the woods to have a private chat. He can't get away from these people now! Funny the way things change…
"I dragged ya out here to say"—he clears his throat uncomfortably—"I'm sorry."
"Uh, I was the one in trouble, right? Aren't I the one that should be saying sorry?"
"Umm…"
He huffs, "Sango told me 'bout your mom leavin' you behind 'n not coming back."
"Oh, so this is about Mama…" She frowns, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "I-it's okay…"
"Will you stop yakkin' and let me finish?" he snaps, looking up at the sky as he makes himself comfortable. "I want you to know that I ain't gonna put any more barriers up, okay? But I'm gonna lay out some ground rules, got it?"
Her ears twitch. "Really? I'm not gonna be left behind anymore?"
"For now, no, but if trouble comes I want you to stick with Shippo or Kagome. I don't want you rushing in and making a mess of my fights. 'N if I tell you to run then you do it. No arguments about it because if I'm tellin' you it's for a reason, you understand?"
She nods her head. She looks much more relaxed than she had earlier. "We're still best friends?"
"Always will be, trouble maggot."
He's still not entirely sure how a maggot can get into trouble… It's one of Kagome's weird modern phrases but it seems to be relevant.
She shoots him a grouchy look. "No, 'm not a trouble maggot, s'not my fault you don't let me do stuff. I keep telling you that I'm smart."
"Well, excuse me for keeping you alive!" This is actually a really good segue into the other thing he's got to say… His ears flatten and his cheeks burn brightly. "Uh, listen, there's something else I wanted to talk t'you about."
She tilts her head at him curiously. The trouble is that he doesn't really understand what he's feeling. If he doesn't get it then what chance does the pup have of comprehending it? Gah! He's so damn confused. Still, the kid was too quick to think he wanted to kick her out for his liking. He can at least let her know that she's… well, the only word he can think of is important but that word isn't quite a match either.
"Look, pup," he huffs, feeling his face burn with embarrassment. This shit is mushy to the highest degree. "I know we're friends but sometimes I'm gonna ask you to do stuff you don't like. 'N I just want you to know it's not 'cause I don't like ya or that I'm mad… I'm just trying to, you know, take care of ya and stuff. That's why I put you behind the barrier so that you wouldn't get hurt."
She looks surprised when he says that. "But then why was I supposed to sleep away from the pack? Isn't that not safe? I didn't like that!"
She's pouting again. It's adorable if she thinks that's going to get her out of trouble.
"Last night was you bein' a little shit and paying the price for it," he grumbles. "If you don't like it then quit being a pain in the ass and you won't have to.
"You almost got taken away from me yesterday. I-I don't want that to happen. You…mean a lot… You're really important to me, okay?"
She deliberates for a moment before asking, "Like how Miss Kagome is important to you?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that…" Well, no, there's a certain way he feels about Kagome and it's vastly different from how he feels about the kid.
Two arms wrap around his neck and she very seriously replies. "You're important to me too."
'Pack,' she chuffs softly against him.
He takes a second to rub the top of her head, feeling a little guilty when he feels the little bump he's left behind. He's gonna have to hunt down Myoga to get some goddamn answers about all of this. The last thing he wants to deal with is the goddamn flea but he doesn't really have much of a choice here. He's pretty sure he's going crazy.
Still, he feels better that he told her.
"All right, c'mon," he tells her lightly. It's just barely dawn and it would be nice to get in a little nap. "It's still early. Let's get a little shut-eye, what do ya think?"
She quickly hops behind him so that he can carry her to the camp on his back. Damn pup is spoiled. He can feel her happily nuzzling his neck through his hair and that calm, warm feeling is back. It's crazy but it reminds him of being at home with his ma. He's not doing this on purpose, goddamnit!
Before he can leave the clearing, he smells something… It's unfamiliar. That demon from yesterday? No, he'd recognize that distinct scent. This is different. He doesn't want to scare the kid but something is closing in on them… from behind.
"You remember how to get back to the campsite?" he asks softly, his hands moving for Tetsusaiga. She nods, but he can sense the worry. "Don't worry about me, I need you to go to Kagome and the others."
She whines nervously but, thankfully, he'd just had that little chat about listening to him. She bounces over his shoulder and makes a mad dash for the campsite. Kid's got a good nose so she'll be okay. Miroku can look after them.
"I know you're there," he shouts. "You gonna sit there staring at me all day?!"
Before he has a chance to react, a warm body collides into him with more speed than he'd thought was possible. Thank god he sent the girl away! A new barrage of scents overwhelms his nose: the scent of the countryside and hyssop swirled with freshwater, even a little bergamot. Underneath all of those is the subtle scent of youkai. He goes to play defense and roll away from it when he realizes that the body isn't trying to attack him at all. It's embracing him.
A smooth, feminine voice coos, "Oh, Hisashi, isn't he just adorable."