Hey hey hey!! I'm FINALLY back, yo! How long has it been?? I don't wanna know! All I know is that I'm back, and hope you like my new story, Question Existing. To those whom I said I would write oneshots for, talk to me! I've been unable to come up with ideas (the Robin Hood one was way hard, I think I need a new idea for that one!) and I'm sorry I've been away so long, I'm a full-time workin' girl now! Still, I'm sorry!
Deds: This Chap goes out to sweet inusailor12, who got me back in the groove, and Nimeway, who so graciously asked after me after so long, just to see how I was doing. Teshar, Mal, you guys rock! Thanks again!!
Disclaimer: Go 'way!! I don't harrass you! No money!! Hissssssssss!!
Question Existing
Bow-strings drawn tight, the miko took a deep breath, held it, and fired at her target. With a satisfying thwock! the arrowhead hammered the bark of a tree one hundred feet away, inside the tiny circle the miko had drawn as her target.
Proud, she drew again, this time aiming to split her own arrow. Pulling back the bow-strings, she nocked the arrow, and closed one eye. Carefully, she let it loose, smiling when her first arrow was pulverised by the second.
Kagome, the miko in question, nocked her third arrow and concentrated her power. The tip began to glow pink, and in a minute was blindingly bright. Letting it fly, she watched it shoot toward the target, and a small explosion followed; her arrow had burned a fist-sized hole six inches into the bark of the old oak.
Smiling a bit, she once again examined the compound bow in her hands. Her birthday was today, and her grandfather had given it to her along with a lucky rabbit's foot, because apparently it had belonged to some lucky lord and was an antique and would help her, or some such blather. She'd just smiled and nodded, thanked him for his gift, and then crossed over to Feudal Japan to try it out.
Maybe now Inuyasha will stop comparing me to Kikyou, she thought wistfully. She had to admit, the compound bow was much easier to handle than the long-bow she'd been given by Kaede. For one thing, it was easier to draw, and her arms didn't burn with the tension of holding it taut as quickly. Secondly, if she wasn't shaking with the strain of drawing it tight, she could concentrate on aiming, and had hit her target every time since she'd started using it. It was a bit complicated-looking, but she didn't care. It was better than that old piece of junk she'd been using.
I'll have to remember to bring him something back to really thank him, she thought, turning around to head into the village and show her friends her new birthday present.
As she walked through Inuyasha's Forest, Kagome felt her miko powers flare, and paused. After a minute, nothing happened, so she moved on, but she could have sworn she'd felt a youkai nearby.
Reaching Kaede's hut, she walked through the door and greeted the old woman awaiting her there. "Good afternoon, Kaede."
Kaede smiled and nodded to Kagome, and gestured for her to sit. "Good afternoon, child. I hope ye are well."
"I am. Look what I got for my birthday." She handed the old miko her new bow.
"Ah, happy birthday, Kagome. What is this, now? It looks like a bow..."
Kagome laughed. "It is. A compound bow, an invention, or rather, an improvement, from my era."
Kaede handed it back to her carefully. "How does it work?"
"Just the same as your bow, only it's lighter and more durable. It's guaranteed not to break, rust, or warp."
Kaede raised her brows. "Is it now? Would ye mind if I tried it?"
Kagome grinned. "Not at all."
Together they went outside, and Kaede tried the new bow. It loosed perfectly and Kaede and Kagome laughed at the inu-hanyou boy now dangling from the thick pole that held up the Shinto gate at the bottom of the stairs leading to the main shrine, Kaede's second arrow holding him fast.
Inuyasha struggled to free himself from the pole. "Hey! Kagome! What's the big idea? Kaede, that wasn't funny!"
Sango, coming up from the road behind them, joined the two women, a smile hidden behind her hand. "It would appear that you've caught yourself a live one, Kaede."
"So it would. I thought I detected a spy in our midst. Relax, Inuyasha, we'll not leave ye hanging. I'm sure Miroku will be along any minute to assist ye. After all, we women are too short to be of any help." Chuckling, the old woman headed into her hut, handing Kagome her bow, Sango following her. Kagome shook her head, and went to stand beneath Inuyasha.
"You can't just leave me here! Come back! Kagome," he panted, his face angry. "Get me down! Now!"
Kagome tried, but Kaede was right; she was just too short. "Sorry, Inuyasha, but it's no use. I can't free you."
He muttered grumpily, crossing his arms as he swung from side to side. "This is all your fault, you know. If you hadn't given her that bow, I wouldn't be stuck here!"
Kagome felt anger tickle the back of her brain. Her fault? If he hadn't been spying, Kaede would never have seen him try to dash away and pinned him to the pole in the first place!
"Calm down, Inuyasha," she replied, raising a brow.
"You calm down! I was minding my own business, she had no right to shoot at me! I hate being shot at!"
Kagome could sympathise, but really, he was acting like a baby. "You most certainly were not minding your own business, that's why you were caught. And besides, I should think you'd be used to being shot at by now. And for your information, that was my new bow, so archery will be a snap for me from now on."
He snorted and looked away. "You'd need it to be, with the way you've been shooting lately."
Kagome wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly. "What was that?"
He scoffed, "You heard me. You need all the help you can get with archery. Kikyou was never so helpless with a bow. You, on the other hand, may as well be lobbing rocks, not arrows."
Crossing her arms and mimicking his body language, Kagome growled, "Is that so? Well, what a happy birthday this has turned out to be! Thanks a lot, you arrogant prick. I suppose you'll be telling me that you don't even need me next. How very noble of you. If you think I'm so useless, why are you with me in the first place? I certainly never asked for your help."
He glared. "You didn't have to. We both know you needed it. You'd have never lived past the first hour without me, Kagome, and you know it!"
Frustrated beyond the point of no return, Kagome yelled, "Yeah? Well, I don't need you! I can do this on my own, without your help! When you get down, tell the others I'm sorry I had to leave again so quickly, but I'm sure once you tell them why I left, they'll understand what happened. Goodbye, Inuyasha. Don't let the crows peck your eyes out!"
Angrily she stomped away up the stairs, toward the Well. The nerve of him! As if he could accuse her of being helpless! He couldn't even get himself down from a pole, that arrogant jackass!
I don't give a rat's ass what he thinks, she thought, balling her fists, I don't need him. I'll gather my own shards of the Jewel, no Inuyasha required!
Inuyasha grunted and re-crossed his arms. Stupid Kagome, he thought, instantly regretting his outburst. He had been spying, but they didn't know that... until he'd broken cover, anyway. Besides, it wasn't Kagome's fault. He sniffed angrily at himself. He always seemed to screw up things with her. When he was angry, he always took it out on her without meaning to, and she'd been convenient this time. He was sorry, but he wasn't going to apologise. It might do her good to be on her own for a while, and realise how right he was about her needing him! He neglected to remember that he needed her, as well, to perform at his peak strength. With Kagome's exodus, he'd only weakened his own defences.
Kagome strode to the Well, her new bow clutched tight in her fist. That was it. She wasn't taking it anymore. He couldn't even wish her a happy birthday, that dink! Making a sound of frustration, she hurled her body into the Well. She had indeed needed help in the past, but she was sick of being blamed all the time for what unfortunate events befell her and required the others to drop what they were doing to come to her rescue. She knew Sango, Miroku, and Shippo would never hold something like her own frailty against her, as she would never do to them, but leave it to Inuyasha to be the black sheep and make a big deal about it.
There were plans to make. If she was going to do this, she was going to be prepared and do it right. Her new bow was already taken care of, so all she needed now were provisions of her own and a few modern gadgets to get ahead of the game. If she was going it alone, she wanted to have every possible advantage she could get on her side.
In her own era, she went around gathering what she thought she'd need. In a few days, she'd be ready. She'd show him. She'd show them all.
But most of all, she'd show herself.
Well? Like it or lump it? It gets better, I think... but who cares?? It's done!! Thanks for reading, and I'll have chapter two up shortly!!