Hey guys!
So, just wanna give a quick heads-up: I've added a scene at the end of this latest adventure for my OC and Inuyasha that will contain some discreet hints of nudity, but nothing tasteless that requires a higher rating! This is merely a try at some light sensuality and tenderness between the characters, not sexuality and smut! You'll get it once it happens...
That's it. Anyway, read, enjoy, review!
Chapter 92: Kōga's Bride-to-be & Inuyasha's Intended
(Dash...Leap)
Continuing where we last left the action, Inuyasha was now sprinting along a path within the woods below the cliff side to find Coraline and Kōga while hunting down the hair demon, with the twins, Ginta, Hakkaku and the wolves running not too far behind, and Sango, Miroku and Shippo riding on Kilala's true form in the air. As they moved along, the monk asks the slayer,
"Do you think Naraku sent that hair demon as a diversion for us?" She replies simply,
"We'll find out once we capture it." Shippo wonders,
"Maybe it knows where to find Naraku."
Freeman was a bit skeptical of such a suggestion:
"I dunno: That hulk of hair didn't look too bright to me. I'm almost wondering if this could be another case like that Muso guy..."
Besa asks,
"You mean, you think that while it comes from Naraku, it may have more free will?"
"Maybe...Like Sango said, we'll find out when we find it."
Ginta and Hakkaku ask,
"What do guys mean by, 'more free will'?"
"Are you sayin' some of Naraku's demons aren't completely on his side?"
The twins reply with matching sighs,
"It's a long story..."
Inuyasha cuts into everyone's chatter by saying,
"How 'bout we save the talk for after we rescue Coraline!"
He adds to himself in a mutter,
"I hope you're safe, Coraline..."
Coraline's POV
Good lord, what a mess...and this time I'm not talking about Naraku's demons.
While wolf-boy was sulking on his arse on top the boulder he was previously standing on, I myself moved to sit with Ayame on a fallen log behind the boulder she was standing on to get to know her more (and hopefully get rid of any lingering jealousy she held against me). I watch Lumos fly overhead between the treetops, smiling thankfully that he tailed me and Kōga, before focusing my eyes on the fellow redhead:
"So, the elder of the Wolf Demon Tribe's your grandfather? That's cool."
She looks at me calmer than earlier while holding her right arm in a modest-like gesture:
"That's right. I call him gramps."
"(Nod) Alright...If you'll pardon my prying, what reason specifically do you have in coming down from the Northern Mountains and finding Kōga? There must be more than seeking requisition in past feelings."
"...Yes, there is."
Ayame sits down beside me and explains:
"A strange miasma has descended from the Northern Mountains recently."
"I see...Can you describe to me the nature of the miasma?"
"Gramps said it smells of a demon."
I narrow my eyes in thought:
"A demon, huh?" I wonder...
"Mhm...Around the time when the miasma had descended, infighting had increased among the wolf demon tribes, in the East and North, and in those of South and West."
"Well, that doesn't sound right. Would it not make more sense for the tribes to unite against the new threat?"
"(Nod) That's exactly why gramps decided to marry me off to one of the strong, young warriors to rebuild an alliance."
I widen my eyes a bit:
"O-Oh. In other words, an arranged, political marriage? (Sympathetic smile) That mustn't be very easy to comprehend."
"Yes. Luckily, Kōga and I were already promised to eachother."
Said wolf-boy calls from his seat,
"I'd think I'd remember if we were!" I shoot a glare at him and call back,
"Shut your yap, wolf-boy! (Turns back around) Sorry, Ayame; go on."
"Gramps believed that Kōga would be able to find followers. And I didn't mind the thought of marrying Kōga."
I smile knowingly at her form:
To her, Kōga is the only man she wants, marriage aside...
"Damn! Everyone's gettin' all worked up over a stupid miasma! Your role might be to make peace, but all you gotta do is crack their heads together and they'll start listenin'!"
Ayame and I whirl around to stand and glare at Kōga for making such a tactless suggestion:
"If it we're that easy, we would've done it! In order to bring the tribes together, we need their trust. Us getting married and settling down is the only solution!"
"She makes a good case, Kōga: Using brawn alone is not going to make everyone listen. You need to use brains too, and from what I can tell, it seems the wolf demons need your brawn and Ayame's brain, so quit your bellyachin'!"
"Sorry, but it just ain't my style."
Ayame was appalled by such a dry brush-off:
"Kōga!"
He gets up to his feet and makes his own case:
"What I wanna do more than anythin' right now is get Naraku's head! I don't have time for anythin' else in my life right now, got it?"
I shake my head from such a goal:
He sounds like how Inuyasha used to sound in the beginning of this whole escapade...But is that really all the future you can see, Kōga?
"You won't change your mind?"
"No chance! Go back to the mountain!"
I had enough of how macho he was playing off, so I stepped over and backhanded his cheek:
(Slap)
"Ouch!"
"You're an idiot, ya know that? Ayame's pouring her heart out to you, offering you more than just seeking vengeance on that demon bastard, Naraku, and you're just gonna toss it aside like it's nothing?! I can't believe this!"
"Coraline..."
"Forget Naraku for a second: What are you gonna do with your life afterwards, Kōga? Where will your meaning lie?"
I gesture towards Ayame:
"Ayame is a great girl, a perfect fit for you. Don't just push her out of your life; include her in it."
...The grounds fall silent for a moment, with Ayame looking at me in astonishment at my defense, I smiling at her, before wolf-boy finally speaks up:
"Ayame...maybe you should stop listening to what the elder says and start doin' what you wanna do."
I was taken aback by what he told her, as was she...Before this conversation could go any further, Lumos then comes darting towards me while bopping up and down in warning:
"What? What is it, Lumos?"
"Ayame, this conversation is over."
"Huh? Kōga, what-"
Wait...I feel something approaching...
Ayame gasps, and turn around to the direction that Kōga was looking:
"It's a Demonic Aura..."
I curse, realizing,
"It's gotta be that hairball from earlier!" Kōga growls,
"Damn that Inuyasha! He must've let the demon get away! (Sniff) I can smell it's close by..."
Gritting my teeth, I pull out my combat knife, deciding that rushing with my sword in hand probably wasn't a good idea, and call to my Will O' Wisp companion,
"Lumos! Help me search for the other's Auras!"
"(Ghostly moan)"
He glides down to rest on my extended fingertips, and lends me his strength to increase my powers of detection:
(Sheen)
Hm...I can sense they're following the hair demon's trail, and it is using its tendrils to pull itself along in the trees...Okay.
"Thank you, Lumos."
He moves to float beside me, and as my Aura energy cancels out, Ayame asks me while looking at me in surprise,
"What, exactly did you and that spirit-thing do?"
"(Smile) He's what's known in my home country as a Will O' Wisp, an entity made up similarly to a spirit, (giggle) but with the tenacity of a fairy. And he just assisted me by increasing my Aura Sight so I could search for everyone else."
"I, see..."
"Now then...(Frown) We've got two options: We can either try and outrun the monster to group back up with the others, or wait here and distract it long enough for everyone to meet with us. What do the two of you think?"
Kōga cuts in with a finger pointing to the treetops in front of us:
"I don't think we'll have much a choice in a second!"
(Rustle, shoom)
It was then several black tendrils of the hair demon come shooting out of the leaves and branches and towards us! We all hop out of the way in time, the tendrils connecting with upturned dirt, and wolf-boy shouts to it,
"Hey, demon! I'll take you on and you can answer a few questions for me, got it?!"
I groan and call back,
"Oi! Save the interrogation crap for after it's taken down, will ya?!"
'Course, that's assuming we last long enough to do so...Inuyasha, please hurry!
Inuyasha's POV
After a bit, we reach one part of the woods that had some strands of black hair hanging from a few high tree branches. I stop to catch my breath and mutter,
"Grh, where'd he go? That way?"
My ears then pick up on movement above me, and I look up, only to dodge in a leap from the strands of hair that came shooting at me!
What the hell?!
Shippo cries out,
"The hair is coming after us!"
Sango and Miroku leap off of Kilala at the ready:
"To stall us?"
"It doesn't want to let us pass!"
They then start fighting off the hair remnants, as do the twins, Ginta and Hakkaku when the hair starts shooting at the wolves and themselves:
"Whoa!"
"Hey!"
(Whack)
"Seriously?!"
(Slice, slice)
"As if we don't have enough problems right now!"
Miroku then calls to me,
"Inuyasha: Go to Coraline and make sure she's alright!" Freeman adds,
"We can take these wig rejects fine; just find sis and keep her safe 'til we can all catch up!"
I claw down some of the hair before calling over my shoulder back at them,
"On my way!"
With that, I take off in a leap, muttering under my breath,
"I'll save you, Coraline..."
Defend yourself as best you can until I reach you.
No POV
As the two wolf demons and human straighten up at the ready to fight the hair demon, it jeers,
"You won't get away now! I'll devour you all along with the Shikon-no-Tama shards!"
Kōga then asks,
"Ayame, I shouldn't be askin' you this, but would you take care of Coraline?"
"Who me? Look after her?"
"Coraline, you wait here with Ayame." Said redhead replies in a bristled tone,
"Excuse me, do I look like a helpless villager to you?! Kōga!"
He just leaps off into battle, jaunting back at the hair demon,
"Tch, size isn't all that counts, big guy! Just wait and see!"
He jumps up and seizes one of the tendrils of hair, and uses it to swing over a tree branch:
"Up, and over! Hrrraaahhhh!"
(Kick, shatter)
Kōga breaks off two of the monster's sharp teeth, and lands back on the ground poised to attack again:
"You've come this far to hunt me down, (springs forward) now how 'bout you tell me where Naraku is!"
But before he could get close enough, the hair demon suddenly flashes a bright light from its mouth, temporarily blinding Kōga and leaving him wide open to be attacked, while the hair that was on the branch breaks away to hover in mid-air! Coraline calls out,
"The hair broke away from the main mass!"
Ayame acts quickly and uses her leaf shuriken to cut the hair away, while Kōga becomes entangled by the hair monster's tendrils!
"Kōga! Aaaah!"
In her rush to help a fellow wolf demon, Ayame is then caught in the hair too! Coraline grits her teeth, before running forward and pulling out her sword for her left hand, combat knife in her right:
"Let's see if all that training's paid off...Hrgah!"
(Slash, slash)
She uses her sword to send an Aura attack onto the main mass of the tendril while cutting back a few straggling strands with her knife, releasing Ayame, and causing the redheaded wolf demon to fall to the ground while still caught in some black hair. She looks over at Coraline in shock:
What was that? That attack had spiritual energy in it...
Is Coraline...a priestess...or something else?
Meanwhile, Kōga curses at the hair demon while trying to pull himself out of its hold:
"D-Damn, you...!"
Sheathing her sword, Coraline rushes to free Ayame first:
"Hang on. I'll get this beast off you in a sec!"
She starts hacking at the hairs with her combat knife, when Ayame asks,
"Why don't you get away?"
"What're you talkin' about?"
"Kōga is doing this for you. He's doing it to protect you!"
"If he is, which I doubt, he's an idiot to keep tryin' for my attention."
"Huh?"
Coraline smiles at Ayame and says,
"If he should be fighting for someone, it's you, Ayame. Wolf-boy lost his chance long before he even met me. There's only one man who's won my heart, and his name, is Inuyasha."
The red-haired wolf demon stared at the human girl before her, before turning her eyes to Kōga as he kept struggling to get out of the hair that bound him:
...Kōga...
(Shoom)
"Auh!" "Ah!"
More of the black tresses then shot straight at the two women, before:
"Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!"
(Slash)
Inuyasha appears and claws it away just in time! Coraline beamed at him:
"Inuyasha!"
He lands swiftly on the ground and asks in a serious and worried tone,
"Are you alright, Coraline?"
She nods, and stands up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek:
"I am now that you've arrived. Thank you."
The dog demon's cheeks flush a bit from the show of affection, while Ayame watches with awe:
So this is Inuyasha? And, that kiss she gave him...She must be taken with him.
I guess this explains why I caught a bit of the scent of half-dog lingering with her human scent...
Once he was assured that Coraline had no injuries, Inuyasha turned to scold the other wolf demon for his latest actions:
"Kōga, what do you think you're doin'?! How could you put Coraline, my intended, in danger like this?!"
Coraline's cheeks got rosy again from the title and mutters,
"There's that word again, 'intended'...What does that mean?"
"You don't know?"
"Hm?"
She looks down to Ayame, who gives her a small smile and whispers,
"I suppose it's to be expected since you're human, but when a demon calls someone their 'intended', it's basically the first step to being called their mate."
"Guh! R-Really?"
"Mhm."
"...Oh wow..."
The hushed conversation between the girls is interrupted by Kōga barking back at Inuyasha,
"Duh, look who's talkin'! This is all your fault for letting the demon escape!"
"I'll protect Coraline, so you just stay out of this, wolf cub!"
"I'm the one who's gonna protect her!"
"You're doin' a lousy job so far!"
The wolf demon male growls, before Coraline steps in to break the dispute:
"Guys, enough! Look, seeing as you're both here, why don't we all tag-team on this hairball once and for all?"
"Rgh, Coraline...!"
Ayame wonders to herself,
Wait, is Kōga...
As they turn to face the more pertinent problem, Coraline warns,
"Inuyasha, be careful: The hair on this monster's stronger than it looks."
Said dog demon unsheathes his Tessaiga at the ready:
"Keh, don't worry, Coraline, just watch me: I'll take 'em with just one strike of my Wind Scar!...Better yet..."
He turns to her with a grin and says,
"Let's blow this beast sky-high with that combo attack of your blade and mine."
"Uh...(Smile) Good idea: No way it can survive that."
As Coraline switches up from her knife to her sword, Kōga grumbles bitterly,
"Damn, mutt! Trust you to come in and get all the glory, while taking Coraline for the ride...I'm gonna get the demon!"
Ayame's eyes widen a bit further:
...Is it possible he still has a sliver of unrequited love for her?
Or, is he just jealous of Inuyasha's strength? It's kind-a hard to tell...
(Drag)
"Ah!"
Before she could think further, Ayame then felt her body being pulled closer to the hair demon, same with Kōga!
"I'll devour you whole, shards and all!"
Coraline hitches her breath, before saying to Inuyasha,
"Change of plans: I'll use my blade to free Ayame, you free Kōga!"
"What?!"
"We can't allow this beast to win and devour either, nor get its mitts on the jewel shards! You know I'm right!"
...Inuyasha groans a bit but nods all the same, before readying to make the first move:
"Kuh, I really couldn't care less what happens to Kōga..."
Coraline speeds over to where Ayame was, as Inuyasha finishes,
"But I can't let you have the Shikon-no-Tama!"
He then leaps up and uses his blade to cut down the hair, but they only separate!
"Man! I got nothin' but hair!"
(Snare)
"Guh!"
He's then entangled by the strands, and tied down to some tree trunks and rocks...Coraline wasn't anymore successful:
"Hrraah!"
(Slash)
"Damn!"
"Watch out!"
(Snare)
Ayame's warning came a few seconds too late, and Coraline would become caught in the separated hair strands too, binding her left wrist tightly to her side and forcing her to drop her sword, while tangling one of her ankles to the other redhead's!
"Agh!"
"Coraline!" "Coraline!"
She drops to her knees and mutters in strain,
"Should'a gone with a different strategy...!"
Lumos darts down to float by Coraline while moaning in concern, as the hair demon speaks up once again, its appearance now with less black hair and more exposed greenish flesh with the pattern likeness to a tortoise shell, gloating its success in restraining the fighters:
"(Laugh) No one will stop me now! Now that I've finally been freed from Naraku!"
Inuyasha curses the beast:
"Damn you...!" But then he backtracks on what it just said:
"...What?"
"I will use the Shikon-no-Tama's power and return to my former self!"
"What?!"
It was then another piece of the group arrives, that being Sango, Miroku and Shippo aboard Kilala:
"Coraline!" "Coraline!"
"Is everyone alright?"
Said redhead grits her teeth but calls with a grimacing smile,
"Could be better, but nothing terrible's happened yet, so I'm staying positive!"
After the twin-tailed cat demon lands, Sango readies to rush to Coraline's side, but was stopped by her urging,
"No, don't! If you get too close, you'll just get snared with me and Ayame! Best to keep a distance for now..."
"Ayame? Is that the name of the girl with you?"
"Yeah. (Smiles at Ayame) She's another wolf demon, great girl, who just happens to be Kōga's fiance."
The three arrivals gape and shout,
"Fiance?!"
"I'll regale that tale later. Wait, where's Freeman, Besa, Ginta and Hakkaku?"
Shippo replies,
"They're coming; they just said to go on ahead!"
"Gotcha..."
Miroku then focuses on the hair demon:
"What's the demon's story? Where did it come from?" Coraline explains,
"Same hair monster, just more revealed, and according to it, they were released from Naraku not too long ago."
Inuyasha demands more answers from said beast:
"Tell us what this is all about!"
"That Naraku...He abandoned the castle, and me along with it!"
Sango was taken aback by its bitter story:
"Meaning it wasn't another one of Naraku's incarnations?" Coraline concludes,
"They must've been another castaway part, like what happened with Onigumo/Muso, but with more assurance on not being useful anymore."
Shippo comments,
"Yeah, I can see him getting left behind..."
Inuyasha scoffs,
"I should've known: You're too ugly to be one of Naraku's demons!"
He then tears himself out of the binding hairs, and lands back on the ground near where Kōga was laying:
"What were you thinkin', Kōga? Wasting your time scrapin' with this big hairball..."
(Ping...)
The jewel shards in the wolf demon's legs glow, and the power breaks the hair strands off of him, allowing him to stand up again:
"Yeah, well..."
He then walks over to where Coraline and Ayame are, and glances at the first redhead while asking,
"You okay gettin' out yourself?"
Coraline was surprised by the question, but nods, before reaching down with her free hand to get her combat knife and slash her way out with assistance from Lumos in finding the weakest points in the strands...At the same time, Kōga used the energies of the jewel shards to free Ayame by waving his foot over the hair strands binding her. He then grabs her hand, before flinging her backwards over to where the rest stood, she managing to maneuver safely to an upright landing...!
"I guess I'll have to protect you as well, Ayame! Stay there and out of the way!"
Coraline rolls her eyes at Kōga, before moving to stand by Inuyasha while putting away her knife, and picking up her dropped sword:
"He's really making it difficult for any woman to like him. Anyway, I'm feelin' fine and ready to go. You?"
"Uh, (nod) yeah. Just stay close, alright?"
"Right."
"Yo, mutt!"
Their eyes turn to Kōga, who adds,
"I'll come back and deal with you later," before moving forward to the hair demon. Inuyasha calls back sarcastically,
"Oh really?"
The wolf demon slams his fist to his open palm in an angry gesture and shouts,
"Hey, demon: Sorry to hear about your sob story in bein' abandoned! Does that mean, (dash) you don't know where Naraku is?!"
(PUNCH)
He socks the monster right in the upper lip, the impact causing the body to start splitting apart! Everyone gasps, and Miroku calls out,
"Don't be so hasty, Kōga! We still have questions to ask it!"
"Oh don't worry. You'll get your opportunity. (Knuckle crack) Now, demon: Tell us everything you know, or you'll be sorry."
The hair demon, despite the hit it took, laughs and replies,
"It's useless to search for him: Naraku has escaped to a place where no one can touch him!"
That took everyone by surprise, and Kōga asks,
"What do ya mean 'where no one can touch him'?!"
"(Laugh) Unfortunately for you, that's all I know. Naraku cut me off before he could accomplish his plans. I don't know what Naraku intends to do next. (Laugh) Serves you right!"
Miroku narrows his eyes and notes,
"It appears to be telling the truth," making Inuyasha and Coraline scoff,
"Damn! Not a single scrap we can use."
"Too cryptic to make any sense..."
Kōga replies to them,
"Hmph. If he doesn't know, then there's not much we can do."
He then cracks his knuckles with a smirk and adds,
"Not much, but there's one thing this trash of a demon is good for!"
He then launches a punch into the hair demon's mouth, only for it to be engulfed!
"Gh! Hey, let go of my arm!"
Ayame gasps, and takes out the iris in her hair before rushing in to help:
"Kōga!"
"Ayame!"
She uses the sharp end of her iris hairpin to stab the hair monster's lip, causing it to release a miasma cloud from its open wound up top, to which Sango would note:
"She's dispelled the Demonic Aura!" Miroku knew instantly what caused it:
"It's the spiritual power of the iris!"
"Grrrrh, I'll devour you!"
Kōga pulls his arm out from the demon's mouth as it shouted its threat...
"Kōga!"
"Ayame!"
He embraces the female wolf demon, just as the hair demon clamps its jaws onto both and swallows them!
"The demon's eaten them!" Coraline calls after Shippo,
"Ayame! Kōga!"
Inuyasha curses mentally:
Damn! I can't use the Wind Scar!
"Finally! I have the Shikon-no-Tama shard inside me! Hrr-rrh?"
The beast's boasting would be cut short, as their body begins to emit a bright light, before:
(...BOOM)
It exploded into pieces! The rest of the group watches with horrified expressions...but then the smoke dissipates, revealing Ayame in a kneel while Kōga stood near in a kicking position!
"He never stood a chance..."
Ayame then sees some blood dripping from a wound in the other's arm:
"(Gasp) Kōga! Your arm...This is my fault for jumping in..."
"Psh, this is nothin' but a flesh wound..."
He then goes to pick up a piece of the fallen hair demon, just as the last of our large group finally catches up:
"Heeey!" "Kōga!"
"You guys!" "(Pant) Aw, did we miss the action?"
Coraline rushes to greet her brothers:
"Freeman, Besa!"
They share a group hug, before looking at the damage across the forest floor:
"Whoa, what the heck happened here?!"
"Is, that all that's left of the hair demon?"
"Pretty much..."
Meanwhile, Kōga's eyes focused on his two buddies and the wolves:
"You finally caught up."
He tosses the piece of the hair demon for Ginta to catch, before telling him and Hakkaku,
"I want you two to remember that scent. Make sure all the wolves do too."
They nod, while Miroku asks,
"Are you planning on using the demon's scent to have your wolves search the surroundings for Naraku's whereabouts?"
Inuyasha scoffs with a smug smile,
"Kuh, as if that'll work! If mere wolves were able to sniff Naraku out, I'd have done a long while ago...Hm?"
He then sees that the wolf demon wasn't in his line of vision:
"Hey, where'd he go? Kōga?"
Inuyasha would spot him walking to where Coraline was, and began growling,
"Why that lousy...!"
But, she sees him coming, and turns Ayame around from her position so she and Kōga were facing one another, before clapping both their shoulders:
"I'll leave you two to it."
"Guh!" "U-Uh..."
Coraline eyes the male wolf demon with a serious look:
"You already have an obligation to one redhead, Kōga, and I am with Inuyasha. Simple, as that."
The rest watch the scene with wide eyes, Inuyasha's being the greatest:
...Coraline...
She then feels two different arms go around her shoulders, and sees them to belong to her brothers:
"Well said, Cor."
"Yeah. So, I'm guessing things between you and Ayame are, no longer awkward?"
"Nope. I mean, (smiles at Ayame) as long as she thinks so. Right?"
"Uh...(Nods with a smile back) Yeah. We're good."
"Cool...Now Kōga."
The wolf demon flinches back nervously from the stare that Coraline gave him, she asking sternly,
"Are you quite sure you don't remember your promise of marriage to Ayame?"
"L-Like I said, I, don't remember."
"Think carefully: Back during the Lunar Rainbow, what do you remember saying to her?"
Kōga puts a hand under his chin in thought:
"Hm, let's see...Moon's...Rainbow..."
That's when it hits him:
"(Gasp) Oooh man..."
He recalls highlights of the day in question, his promise sounding a bit more halfhearted to his ears back then, and forms a rather panicked expression, to which Freeman would catch and smirk at:
Ah-huh. Yep; took the dude long enough to remember...
(Frown) Now how will he choose to respond: Letting it down easy, or Coward's Route?
Kōga recomposes himself before saying,
"(Gulp) U-Uh, sorry, but I still don't remember."
Coraline doesn't buy his answer, and asks a bit gentler,
"Really? Do you not even remember the rainbow?"
"Like I said, I really don't remember. Besides, she was, (gestures) tiny..."
Ayame turns away from him, a frown on her lips, causing Kōga to chagrin, while the three modern teens sigh in exasperation:
"What a drag..."
"No kidding..."
"And how..."
The male wolf demon adds,
"It was a long, long, time ago..."
Coraline moves to stand beside Ayame, who was playing with one of her pigtails in an uncomfortable manner, before the former gently places a hand on the latter's shoulder with a concerned expression:
"...Ayame?"
"(Awkward smile) He's right; let's just forget about the past."
She turns to Kōga and says to him,
"I understand how important it is for you to go after this Naraku..."
Back a ways, Sango, Miroku and Shippo ponder the situation among themselves in a whisper:
"Does this mean Coraline might have been a part of a short love triangle?"
"I don't think so: It's more like Ayame came to take him back with her, plus both ladies look to bear no ill will against one another. If anything, Coraline is encouraging the other."
"Not to mention Coraline and Inuyasha are now together. But it looks like Kōga must have a thing for red-haired women, not that anyone can blame him...Coraline is really pretty and seems to attract alot of attention from guys even when she doesn't see it."
The twins, who have caught onto the conversation by now, smile wryly from Shippo's comment:
"Careful that Inuyasha doesn't hear you say that, Shippo."
"Yeah, or you might in trouble."
"Huh? Why's tha-Gh!"
He then sees the said dog demon looking at him with a scowl, his ears twitching, indicating he didn't miss a single word...Shippo yelps before ducking behind Miroku in a panic, while Besa gives the other a look that said 'Go easy on the kid', causing Inuyasha to turn away with a scoff, fixing his eyes back on Coraline who was standing by Ayame as Lumos came floating to her side:
Hmph...The only reason she doesn't see the other men who look at her, is because I'm the only one she should, and does look at.
Getting back to Ayame and Kōga, she says to him,
"Get your revenge on Naraku, and gramps and I will somehow manage to work things out with the others."
"Okay."
"Hm...(Determined smile) Remember though, that doesn't mean I'll stop hoping you'll live up to your promise."
Everyone was taken aback by how sure she sounded, and Ayame adds,
"I'm the only one who can be your wife." Kōga replies in a panic,
"Du-uh, my woman has to be able to s-sense the jewel shards!"
He pulls Coraline over as an example:
"Oh!"
"Like, Coraline! She can sense them!"
She of course, does not take kindly to such a description:
"(Irritable glare) Oh yes, how could I possibly forget that in the beginning, you only wanted me for my detection abilities?"
"Huh?"
Yanking her arm away, she goes to stand by Inuyasha while folding her arms with a frown:
"Strike one, forgetting a promise. Strike two, using me as a telescope for the jewel shards. And finally, strike three, pursuing me when I clearly wasn't interested, until I had to threaten your hide. (Sarcastic smirk) What a guy..."
Her twin brothers hold their sides as they tried to contain their laughter, while Inuyasha stares down at her in surprise for a second...before pulling her to his side while saying with a scoff,
"Feh, glad you and I are on the same page. (Grumble) I should kick his ass for even taking you in the first place..."
"No need. (Whispers) I think Ayame's been punishment enough."
Meanwhile, Ayame thinks on what Kōga said:
"She can? She can sense where they are? Uh...(Firm frown) Then I'll make myself able to sense them too!"
That took everyone by even more surprise...Kōga mutters with a dumbfounded expression,
"You, will, will ya? (Smirk) A-As if you could do that." Ayame exclaims with determination,
"I can!"
Kōga stubbornly replies,
"You can't!"
"I can, I said!"
"You can't, I said!"
They growl at one another, when a third voice beckons,
"And I say, why not?"
"Huh?"
They turn to look at Coraline, who held a bemused smile:
"Nothing is impossible these days. I like her confidence, and she's shown to have a fair amount of spiritual power with her iris flower. It won't be an easy feat, but I think she has the potential."
The two wolf demons gape at her...before Ayame breaks into a spout of giggles, causing Kōga to ask,
"What's so funny?" She claps his shoulders and says with a flirty smile,
"You'll find out later, Kōga," before turning to head on her way.
"Hey, wait...!"
"See ya! And Coraline, glad you support!"
The other redhead smiles and waves back:
"Of course! We redheaded women gotta stick together! See you around, and good luck!"
(Whoooosh...)
With that, Ayame was gone in a whirlwind of leaves...Once everyone else's shock began wearing off, Shippo asks,
"Hey, Miroku: If a person trained, can a person make themselves see the Shikon-no-Tama shards like Coraline?"
"I, highly doubt it...though Coraline seems to believe Ayame could." Sango comments,
"Ayame certainly believes she can do it." Shippo adds,
"Both of them have alot of confidence..."
Kōga mutters,
"That fool, Ayame..."
"You're the fool in this chapter, Kōga."
"Hm?"
He turns to Coraline, who smiles a bit exasperatingly at him and says,
"Think about it: Who could she be doing this for? Who was the one who mentioned the daft suggestion of needing a life partner who can detect jewel shards, hm?"
"Uh..."
She give him a nod with the 'mmmm-hm' sound, before Inuyasha cuts in:
"Okay, Kōga, now that that's settled, (knuckle crack) why don't you hand over the jewel shards you have to somebody who can make good use of 'em?"
He then tries to dash and claw at the wolf demon's legs, but the latter would jump away in time, leaving the former to connect with dirt.
"No way!"
He sends a smile down at Coraline and waves goodbye:
"See ya, Coraline, and...maybe you're right."
Kōga would then shift into his own whirlwind and head out of the small clearing in the forest, with Ginta, Hakkaku and the wolves following shortly after:
"Goodbye!"
"Bye, you guys! Freeman, next letters soon?"
The dark-skinned boy gestures a thumbs-up with a smile:
"Count on it! Stay safe!"
The wolf demon tribe members would then be gone...Inuyasha to grumble to himself on his miss:
"Lucky move..."
Coraline smiles worriedly at him, while Miroku says to him calmly,
"You know, Inuyasha, I think that idea about Kōga using his wolves makes alot of sense."
The dog demon disagreed:
"No chance: It's way too simple! If his scent could be tracked, why would Naraku leave such trash behind?"
He stands up and adds,
"It's the source of his scent. That'd be way too sloppy!"
Everyone looks to Inuyasha in awe from the deduction, and Miroku mutters,
"You're right...!"
"It's like Naraku's completely confident that no one will find 'im. He doesn't even care if anyone tries!"
"Hm. That makes alot of sense."
There's a short pause, with Inuyasha smiling proudly to himself...until Miroku urges,
"And?"
"Huh?"
"Don't play dumb. Where do you think Naraku went? Come on, share your theory with us."
Another moment of silence passes...before Inuyasha smirks, walks backwards to the monk, and spins around while saying in a low tone,
"Hmph. You'll have to figure it out for yourself."
Miroku sighs, and Sango deducts in her own thoughts,
In other words, he hasn't figured it out yet...
Shippo clenches one of his fists and thinks to himself,
I'll have to be sharper than ever!
Coraline, however, would narrow her eyes in thought, as do her brothers:
Inuyasha does make a valid point...
"According to the demon, Naraku is suppose to be in a place no one can reach him..."
"Where could that be?"
"Beyond Edo, the cosmos? Who knows..."
Time Skip
Night comes to share its peace-filled darkness with the lands, and we return to the shallow riverside where fireflies lived in abundance, as Kōga stands alone, deep in thoughts from past, and recent events:
"We were close to the river on that night..."
His gaze catches a small rainbow reflecting from the small waterfall that made some of the river, and clenches the hilt of his sword while vowing,
I won't let Naraku get the better of me...but, there's no guarantee that I'll be alive after my revenge.
He watches the seven-toned beam of light fade away, and softly mutters,
"Ayame, forget about that night we saw that rainbow..."
And he turns to walk away, his body highlighted in the full moon glow...
Somewhere else in a vast field of long grass, another wolf demon would be wandering in thought while her gaze fixated on the moon, a gentle breeze billowing through her hair:
I won't forget...I won't ever forget that you protected me...
...Even if the rainbow fades.
We jump over to a knoll just outside the treeline of the forest clearing where today's earlier battle took place, as Coraline and Inuyasha lay back in the green while looking up at the glittering sky. Inuyasha complains,
"Damn it!...Just when I became able to break through Naraku's barrier..."
"Hey, it's not like you didn't damage the bastard in some way...As long as we all keep searching, his hiding place will be uncovered sooner than later."
Inuyasha sits up and pries,
"And exactly who do you mean by all?"
Coraline feigns ignorance and replies with a small smile,
"Dunno. You tell me."
"Are you including Kōga? Kuh, you even said he was lousy at keeping promise to that fiance of his. You're actually not gonna trust him after this, are you?"
"(Raises a brow) With matters of the heart? Certainly not. Battling a common enemy? Yes, for the more allies we have, the better. (Small smirk) Why? Is the big bad dog demon still jealous of wolf-boy, even after all this time?"
He sputters,
"Course not! I'm not jealous!"
"You su~re?"
Finally catching the teasing tone, Inuyasha growls and does something new: He lunges at little at Coraline, and nips the side of her ear!
"Uh! I-Inuyasha!"
"Don't, mess with me like that, got it?"
Coraline's face heats up from how...husky his tone sounded, before she meekly replies,
"'K-Kay, sorry...You know I love you and only you, right?"
Inuyasha hmphs...but then lightly kisses her cheek and says a bit gentler,
"Yeah, I do...and, I love you."
Panning out, we see that everyone else was sitting in a small group of their own behind the two, with Shippo asleep in Freeman's lap, he sitting on Miroku's right, while Kilala was snoozing away on Sango's lap, she on the monk's left, and Besa on her right...
"Nice work, my friend."
Sango sighs a bit, while Freeman nudges Miroku and hisses,
"Dude, don't damper their moment..."
A small bead of sweat rolls down Inuyasha's face, his nerves getting the better of him as he remembered the audience, and moves to lay back down in the grass, his head turned away from Coraline with a small blush:
"J-Just watch what you say, okay?"
Coraline watches him with a small, knowing smile:
Heh, he just doesn't like showing too much PDA...
(Sigh) But that's okay: We just need to be a bit more gradual in letting it show.
She then moves to lay down beside him, scooting in close to the side of his body. Very slowly, she feels an arm drape over her, and her smile grows:
Just like this...
...I hope Ayame and Kōga can be together like us someday, with their feelings.
"Hm...The Lunar Rainbow..."
"Keh, there ain't no such thing as a rainbow at night."
"Sure there is...It just takes the right eyes for it to be seen."
"Really?"
Inuyasha firms his focus to see if he can spot the phenomenon, while everyone else looks at the moon itself with a smile, letting its light bathe them in night's tranquility...
Small Time Skip, Coraline's POV
We had all fallen asleep around a campfire we built on a patch of dry dirt on the knoll about two hours ago...when I suddenly felt someone nudging me:
"Coraline...Coraline..."
"Mm...m-mm?"
I blink my eyes awake, and my vision focuses to see Inuyasha hovering over me with an intent expression.
"Inu-yasha?"
"You awake?"
"(Tired sigh) I am now..."
I sit up from the grass and stretch my arms while asking in a quiet tone to not disturb the others,
"What's up?"
He doesn't answer for a moment, looking to the side with a nervous expression...
"Inuyasha?"
"I was, wonderin', if you're not too tired...if you, wanna come with me, to t-this hot spring not too far from here?"
I was caught quite off-guard by the question, especially by how, meek he sounded:
"...What? S-Serious?"
"Yeah..."
"Um...is there a, particular reason why you're asking?"
"Well, I keep smellin' wolf on your clothes, and a bit's on my own person too...It might not be a bother to you, since you're human, but it bugs me."
"O-Oh...Is it really that strong?"
"It is to my nose..."
Hm...I don't want him to feel threatened in any way by another guy...but to, go with him to the hot springs, just the two of us...
That's a big step. Can I, really do that?
"U-Uh, if you'd rather not head with me, I understand. I get this is askin' alot, and we've been kind-a takin' things slow..."
His rambling made me smile:
He wants me to be comfortable as much as he wants his own comfort...
You know what, what the hell? Let's take a chance.
I grab his hand to snap him out of his babbling, and lean in to kiss him...We part after about fifteen seconds of bliss, and I giggle while commenting,
"You're cute when you're nervous, Inuyasha...and, I trust you. So, yes, I'll go with you to the hot spring."
"Guh! Y-You will?"
"Mhm."
...He smiles back and says,
"Heh, alright then. Let's go; if we hurry, we can be back before everyone else wakes."
"(Nod) 'Kay. Just let me grab by satchel; it'll have some things we can use down there."
I quietly get up to my feet, and roll up my blanket while tucking it in the spot where my satchel sat, grabbing it to pull over my shoulders. I tug my straps securely, as Inuyasha walks over to me:
"Ready?"
"Let's do it."
He bends down to take me on his back, and we were off:
(Leap)
Inuyasha's POV
She said yes! She actually said yes!
Okay, calm down, Inuyasha, focus on the scent of the spring water...
I'm now dashing through the trees of the forest with a grin on my face, heading east to where the hot spring would be laying, with Coraline tucked onto my back as I went, she leaning her head on my shoulder to shield her face from the wind build...I glance back at her, and think to myself,
This is gonna be a big step for us, so I better not push things in a way that'll make her uncomfortable...
Still, it'll be great to get rid of the wolf stink that's on her, and to a lesser extent, myself.
The only scents that should be on either of us, is us.
After a little while, we reach our destination nestled in the deeper parts of this woods: The hot spring. It was a bit smaller than some of the other ones we and the others have come across, but seemed to carry more solitude, the bushes circling with the tree trunks like a gate to keep out interlopers...
"Wooow, this place looks amazing!"
"Heh, yeah, I figured you'd approve. I actually came here a few times to this one when I was younger, so the route here's easy to remember..."
I set Coraline to her feet as she muses,
"That so? (Slight chuckle) I feel honoured that you wish to share the experience with me."
I laugh a little myself, and a quiet falls between us as she reaches into her bag to pull out a few items: Two towels and small cloths, a fresh set of her own clothes, a brush, and...a bottle of something:
"Huh? What's that, soap?"
She replies,
"Yeah, but not to use on hair or skin: It's this new laundry soap that's made entirely from natural ingredients that's safe for the environment. I discovered it in a small kiosk shop that sells all kinds of biodegradable items Hōjō's mother recommended to me a while back when I picked up some medicinal herbs from their shop."
"Ah...and, biodegradable means...?"
"It refers to things that can be broken down in a steady rate, like foods such as fruits and meat."
"Ooh..."
Standing up again, she smiles at me and points to an area of the hot spring where a large boulder hollows out at the top like a stone basin and bubbled with the steamy water:
"I figured while we bathe, we can put our clothes in there with some of the soap, and they'll get clean too. I'm not sure if it will get rid of all of the, heh, wolf scent, but it's worth a try."
"Hm...Alright."
...Our faces then erupt in matching blushes, as we remember the process called 'undressing':
"U-Um..."
"Soooo..."
...Get it together, man! It's not like you're gonna-
Nope...not, even, going there.
"H-How 'bout, we turn away from eachother, you go in first after we, u-undress, and I'll get our clothes going with their own washing. That sound okay?"
"Y-Yeah, great..."
We each take in calming breaths, before turning to have eachother's back facing the other, and I start stripping off my robes...Once I was done, I carefully turn right to face the hot spring, not spinning an inch further and risk seeing...Coraline, naked...before walking in:
(Splosh...)
Once I settled myself into the water about halfway to my chest, I call,
"O-Okay, I'm in!"
Damn stutter!
"Alright. Keep your eyes on the water; I just need to dunk our clothes into the stone pool."
"Yeah yeah..."
Who does she think I am, Miroku?
I listen to the soft pads of her steps on the grass and stone, then a small slosh of water from a bit higher...before her steps began again, coming over to my direction, stopping just a few feet away:
"C-Comin' in."
"Right..."
(Splosh...)
I hear her let out a relaxed sigh, and she chides,
"Okay...you don't have to avert your eyes now. You can, turn to me if you want."
Very slowly, I do as she says, and found myself gaping at the vision of beauty before me: Though most of her was submerged (thank god), her bare shoulders and very top of where her chest began was left in the open, her pale peach skin almost glowing a little in the moonlight, while her long red hair framed her pretty face just right, her irises shining a mix of so many shades of blue...
"U-Um, Inuyasha..."
"Huh?"
I snapped out of my daze, as she averts her eyes while mumbling,
"You're, staring..."
"Keh, kind-a hard not to. (Small smile) You look amazing."
Her blush deepens as she giggles bashfully while rubbing the back of her head:
"Thanks..."
I raise my right hand and reach over to grab hers:
"Uh..."
"Relax...I just, want you closer, is all."
"...Okay."
I gently guided her over to me, so that we were sitting right beside eachother, not letting go of her hand from mine...We sit in silence for a little while, just taking in the peace and quiet of the area, before she softly asks,
"Inuyasha..."
"Yeah?"
"...There's, something I've wanted to ask you, about today: A few times, you called me 'your intended'...What exactly does that mean?"
Guh! Damn, I was hopin' she wouldn't be readin' too much into it...But she was nice enough to explain the boyfriend/girlfriend thing...
(Sigh) Alright, how to start...
Clearing my throat, I explain as best I can,
"Um, well, you see, the terms for someone's romantic partner are somewhat different between humans and demons...Though you probably already knew that, huh?"
"Mhm."
"Okay...(Deep breath) Demons use the term intended as, a way to say they do claim their partner as theirs, but just haven't gone through the whole mating process yet."
"And by that, you mean...sex?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"...Okay."
I look at her in surprise by how calm she sounded by my explanation:
"...Okay?"
"Yes. I mean, this is a bit awkward to speak about, but it's one of those life conversations you need to have at some point, right?"
Huh...This is unexpected...
"You're taking this surprisingly well."
"Why wouldn't I? We're going through the steps together, aren't we?"
"Huh?"
She smiles at me and says,
"Relationships are about both parties giving their best. We both listen, speak, and agree on where we stand each passing day, remembering to say 'I love you', that sort of thing. And, while we can talk about that, eventual step, let's face it: I don't think either of us are ready for that physical of love yet."
I shake my head and reply,
"Uh, yeah, definitely not ready..."
"...But I want to be ready, someday."
"...You do?"
"Yes, I do."
...This girl...never ceases to amaze me.
I crack a smile that was leading to a smirk and reply,
"Me too...someday."
No POV
With that promise made, the young couple lean into one another to steal a kiss from eachother's lips...When they part, Coraline turns behind her and reaches to grab the wash cloths:
"Anyway, that's a conversation we can talk about more gradually. For now, let's focus on why were here: Washing up."
Inuyasha nods, and takes the offered cloth from her right hand, before both got started on cleaning themselves up, avoiding looking at one another out of bashfulness and personal space...
After a little bit, the redhead asks a bit timidly,
"S-Say, would you...mind helping me get, my back?"
The silver-haired dog demon almost drops his cloth into the water in shock:
"U-Uh! Pardon?"
"I can't always get every part, at least not without nearly pulling a muscle in my stretches...Do you mind? I can, scrub yours in return..."
Gulping in a calming breath, Inuyasha shakes himself loose of some nerves before blurting a,
"Sure," and turning around to use his borrowed cloth to assist Coraline:
Calm down, calm down...
He gently brushes aside her hair, his claws tickling the skin of her back, causing her to shiver with a quiet giggle. He doesn't miss the sound, and smirks a little, before focusing back on his task. The damp cloth meets her back, and he drags it around in small circles, the feeling causing the redhead to hum in delight:
This, feels, great...
...Once Inuyasha was done, Coraline turns to him with a pleased smile:
"Thank you."
"Keh, no prob...So, are you...?"
She laughs a bit and kisses his cheek:
"Turn around, tough guy."
He does as she asks, and begins the same task, moving his own thick hair aside to she could get the rag in her hands on his skin. Every light brush of her fingers and the soft strokes of the cloth on his back made Inuyasha feel just as relaxed:
Haaah...
"...The scar."
"Hm?"
He feels the rag motions pause, and fingertips brush the middle of his back, where a faded scar laid...
"...This is where, Sesshomaru drove his arm through you...and, where that freak Kagerōmaru shot himself into when he emerged from his brother. I would've thought those injuries had, faded away by now."
"Well, I may have demon blood, but...I sometimes can't heal as fast as some regular demons can. Some scars just, stay a little longer."
"Hm..."
Sensing her mood dropping, Inuyasha turns to face her, noticing a worried frown beginning to form:
"What's wrong?"
"...Do you, ever feel phantom pains from your scars?"
"Phantom pains?"
"You know, that twitchy feeling or very dull ache when, you recall the memory for the injury."
Inuyasha hms with his own frown, and replies a bit heavily,
"Sometimes...but only for a very few scars..."
He places a hand over where his heart is, and between his fingertips, we see a very faint scar that would've been made by a certain piercing object:
"This area used to ache all the time, during the beginning of waking up from that spell..."
Coraline places a hand over his and mutters sadly,
"Because that's where...the arrow from Kikyō once rested."
"Yeah...but it doesn't anymore...thanks to the truth...and you."
"Uh...me?"
"Yeah...You healed the pain."
Coraline blushes in adoration from the sentiment:
"Inuyasha..."
His amber irises then fall on her own scar that rested on her left shoulder:
"What about you?"
"Huh?"
He traces the mark with his knuckle while asking,
"Do you still feel, phantom pains from this?"
"(Looks down) Like you, not as strongly as in the past...but, yeah. He may be gone now, but...it does act up a touch when I look back on events, especially, when I destroyed him."
She places a hand on her torso, where a fading but somewhat more recent scar rested:
"The scar where he attacked me in the ruins acts up a bit more..."
A growl bubbles in the back of Inuyasha's throat, and he clenches his free hand while muttering darkly,
"I should've clawed him for hurting you when I had the opportunity. He had no right..."
"Hey, I was the one who told you to stay out of the action. This one's on me for being stubborn...Also, I share your thoughts."
"Huh?"
Coraline felt a glare form as she growled,
"I should've killed that son-of-a-bitch Kagerōmaru the second after he hurt you, and I was ready to slaughter Sesshomaru on, well, a few different occasions actually. No one, hurts you and gets away with it while I'm around."
The two look up at eachother...before breaking into a small bout of laughter:
"Oh wow, listen to us."
"Me? You sound more murderous than I do, and I'm the one with demon claws and a sword."
They chuckle a little more, before Coraline hugs Inuyasha at the side and says,
"But seriously, I will be doing my damnedest to make sure you never get hurt like that again. Every moment that looked as if you might not get back up...it scared me every time."
"Coraline..."
"I love you...and I will protect you, Inuyasha."
The dog demon stared at the girl in awe...before hugging her back and whispering fiercely,
"Same here. I love you, Coraline, and like I said from the start, I will be there to protect you from any harm that dares come your way."
"Including...Naraku?"
He squeezes her to him a bit tighter at the mention of the evil demon:
"Especially that bastard. He'll be killed a hundred times over if he even thinks about touching you."
Coraline hums and nuzzles her head into Inuyasha's neck:
"Glad to hear..."
They stay that way for a few minutes...before deciding to part and get out of the spring:
"Okay. I guess we should, towel off and get ready to head back before first light."
Inuyasha scowls a bit disappointingly at the thought, but nods anyway:
"(Sigh) Right. Can't stay forever, or the other's will start talkin', including that lecher monk."
Coraline lets out a quiet laugh, as they both turn away from one another again, and rise out the water, making it splash down their bodies and back into the spring...They step out, keeping their backs to one another, and each grab the towel waiting for them to dry off. As Coraline wrapped hers around her body, Inuyasha asks,
"Ya think our clothes are done by now?"
"Probably."
"'Kay, then I'll go get 'em, while you get changed."
"Alright, thanks. Wait, what are you going to do for clothes?"
"Feh, I usually ring out my robes well enough that they won't be too damp putting them back on, don't worry."
"If you say so..."
So while the redhead grabbed her clothes and went behind another large rock to change in privacy, Inuyasha, his towel wrapped around his waist, walked over to get the clothes from inside the basin pool:
Alright, let's see if that odd soap Coraline brought worked...
He fishes out the top part of his red kimono, and holds it to his nose for a sniff test:
"Hm...No wolf. It worked."
All I'm getting is cherry blossoms and a bit of other herby scents...Not bad, just a bit flowery for my taste.
"I'll just have to deal for a while until my own scent returns to my clothes..."
"Hey! Did it work?"
He turns to see Coraline popping out from behind the other tall boulder, she now wearing a clean pair of jeans, a simple black t-shirt, and a red/white flannel shirt over top while using the towel to dry her hair more. He calls back,
"Yep! No mangy wolf stink!"
"(Laugh) That's good!"
He pulls the clothes out of the hot water, and hops back down to the grass to hand Coraline her own things:
"Here. Grab yours so you can ring them out while I do the same and get dressed."
"Check."
She does so, and walks over to the spring to ring her clothes by the edge while giving the dog demon his needed privacy for a couple minutes...Just as Coraline finished flapping out her now damp but clean tank-top:
Yep. Fresh for a new day.
"You can turn around now! I'm dressed!"
Oh wow, and he says I'm quick.
She folds her top and stacks it with her other washed clothing, and stands up with the material in her hands, turning to see Inuyasha fully dressed in his fire rat red kimono and cream white undershirt, his silver hair drooping a bit from dampness like hers was. Coraline walks to stand in front of him with a smile and says,
"This was a good idea, Inuyasha. Thank you for bringing me here."
He averts his gaze and coughs,
"Uh, y-you're welcome. Thanks for, coming with me."
She silently giggles at his meekness, before moving to tuck her clothes into her satchel, then taking the towels and wash cloths to wrap into one another into a roll to tie on the outside straps:
"There. Now my things won't get wet...Alright."
Tugging the satchel over her shoulders, Coraline turns back to the waiting dog demon:
"Shall we?"
"Yep. Hop aboard."
She climbs onto his back, wrapping his arms around his shoulders while he held her securely by her calves, before they made off into the night once again:
(Leap...)
...It would be about half an hour before the couple would return to the campsite, Inuyasha silently jumping from the treetops to land smoothly on the grass. And it seems that no one noticed their departure, for everyone else in our group was still fast asleep, with Sango laying against a full-formed Kilala on the west side of the almost dead fire, Miroku sleeping nearby but not too close that it would hinder the slayer's personal bubble, and the twins were lightly snoring away beside one another on the east side of the kindle with Shippo snoozing on top of Freeman's torso...
Coraline tilts her head in confusion and quirks quietly,
"Huh. I actually expected someone to have woken up and noticed us gone..."
"(Ghostly moan)"
It was then Lumos came floating from atop the sleeping twin-tailed cat demon's head, and circles around Coraline and Inuyasha excitedly.
"(Giggle) Okay, someone did notice."
"Feh, yeah yeah, hi to you too, ya little orb. Now take it down a notch before someone else wakes up."
The Will O' Wisp does do as the dog demon advised...but not without thumping his forehead in indignation:
"Ack! Hey!"
"(Hiss) Alright, that's enough, you two! Geez..."
Lumos backs off, and floats over to hover above the embers of the nearly done for fire...Inuyasha lightly scowls at the creature:
"Man, he can be really annoying." Coraline smirks at him and replies,
"Only when you're insulting him."
"Smart alack."
"Oh I'm the smart alack?"
"Tch, forget it. Let's just go to sleep already."
"Fine, whatever."
The teens sigh, before settling themselves in their spot by the charred wood near a fallen log, and Coraline puts her satchel to the side before grabbing her soft blue blanket to tuck over herself and Inuyasha, much to his surprise:
"Huh?"
"I know you'll argue you can stay warm fine, but, I just wanna be sure..."
She cuddles to his side adding,
"And use this as an excuse to be as close to you as possible."
Inuyasha rolls his eyes with a smirk:
"Keh, sneaky girl."
"(Giggle) Maybe, but I'm your sneaky girl...Goodnight."
And as she closes her eyes and submits to sleep, Inuyasha wraps an arm around her and pulls her to his side, mumbling a goodnight in return, while adding to himself,
Damn right you're mine. That wolf cub may have screwed up bad with his fiance...but I won't do such a thing with my intended.
I will hold onto every moment with you, Coraline.