Ello, Ello Ello. What 'ave we 'ere? It's Manekochan again. I haven't written in a while. I just can't get into typing this all up. Ah well. Here we go-- I'm still not past the pre-written part yet. Is that a surprise? I was all gung-ho when I started this and now it's kind of dribbling off. I stopped at a good place-- possibly the end of the story for a while-- but I haven't written on it in months. Blah blah blah. I'm just venting.
My modem is broken, yet again, so who is to say when this will actually see the gentle glow of a computer screen other than my own. Should be fixed soon, though. Joanna, you little rat! Write me!!!
Two Weeks later: Modem is still broken. Graugh! And they obviously didn't bring the computer in today... What's a girl to do?
Okay, so anyway, just in case you've forgotten by now or I've somehow forgotten: ~...~ means Italics. CAPS means bold. * blah blah blah* means thoughts. I think that's it.
Hell. My boss just called and the assistant manager at work is quitting in 2 weeks. That means my hours will go up considerably. That means less time to do everything else I want to do. It means a real frikkin' job and more responsibility. And I'll sorely miss the assistant, Jason. He was a good friend and I've known him for 3 years now. I can't help but feel bummed out now.
Chapter 14: Inu Yasha's Dilema: Honor thy ... Brother?!?
Kagome looked at her calender and bit her lip. She narrowed her eyes, opened them, turned the calender, checked the month and then stared at it again.
On the floor Maru-chan yawned. Kagome had drug him in after she'd heard the weather report. Supposedly, there was going to be a storm, but Sesshomaru saw no signs of it.
"Is that right?" she asked with a cock of her head. "That can't be right... Is it right?"
"Maru-chan..... you've been here a month and 3 weeks," Kagome shook her head. "That can't be right..."
*Why not?* he wondered. *You've been in heat twice since I've been here, I've made a fool of myself at ~least~ twenty times, your mother has made 4 batches of sugar cookies,* he shut his eyes. *You've been on 2-- ~TWO~ dates with Hojo and your grandfather has called me Inu-Yasha 7 times. Your brother has called me Sessu-negger (after Arnold Shwartzeneger) 12 times and you have called me Sesshomaru 5 times. You have given me a 'stay' only twice. That's about 2 months in ~my~ book...* he thought bitterly.
He stood up and limped over to the bed. *And, ofcourse, the cretin whose leg I took was so week that only 10 weeks will be sufficient in healing it.* He climbed the books to the bed and plunked down on teh comforter.
"I can't believe he hadn't come back yet..." she said with a bit of worry. "He always comes here and drags me back in no time flat. This time I guess.... I guess I'm here for good..." she said with a bit of reluctance.
Sesshomaru set his face into a scowl. She was thinking about his brother. She was missing him. ~HIM.~ He bristled. Was there no justice in the world? He buried his head under his right paw and tried to sleep.
Kagome let out a sigh and turned toward her chest of drawers. Sesshomaru heard the telltale creak and squeak of the drawer as she pulled it out and retrieved her pajamas.
Kagome started off for the bathroom. She'd started the habit of changing in there after she'd caught Maru-chan sneaking a peek at her. On the bed, Maru-chan shifted a little, somehow knowing that she was thinking about that time.
......................
Miroku snapped the beef jerky off with his teeth and chewed it slowly.
"Hey-- can I have some?" asked Shippou, already reaching for the dried out meat.
Miroku moved it out of his reach but did not speak and did not aknowledge him. He simply looked forward and ignored all stimuli.
"Come ~ON~," whined Shippou, jumping up and down. "I'm hungry too, you know..." he kicked at the floor of the hut.
"Hush, child," came an old woman's voice. Old Lady Kaede turned to face them with a bowl in her hands. She set it before the kitsune.
"Hwah! Thank you, Kaede!" The old woman simply nodded and the kitsune lifted the bowl and began to slurp up the soup inside. Miroku chewed the beef jerky in silence.
"See; she's a lot nicer than you are, MiROku," he stuck out his tongue. Miroku aknowledged him with a sideward glance, stood up and bowed to Kaede.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Kaede, but I think that I will be waiting for Inu-Yasha outside," and with that, he exited. Shippou watched him go with surprise.
"He's still moping?" he shook his head and slurped up some of the soup.
They had finally reached Kaede's village after 2 weeks of travel. Reluctant to show them the magic well, Inu-Yasha made hasty introductions to Kaede and pawned them off onto her while he went to check on Kagome.
"What troubles the monk?" asked Kaede of the small demon.
Shippou shrugged, swallowed the last of the soup, wiped his mouth, set down the bowl and said, "He's been like that ever since Inu-Yasha got his body back."
"Oh?" Kaede took the bowl from the boy and went to ladel some more soup.
"Thank you," he said giddily as she handed the bowl back to him. "Yeah. You'd think the poor jerk had fallen in love with her." Shippou guzzled down some of the soup. "This is really good!" he said, beaming.
"Thank you," said Kaede, but her mind was still on the monk. *Poor fellow...* she thought. *If he truly has fallen in love with the girl Inu-Yasha, then I pity him... I really do...*
.....
Miroku sat on the hill just outside the village. He watched the stars as they passed. There were no clouds in the sky at all.
Miroku looked up and sighed. *Things have definitely changed for me...* he thought quietly. *I don't know why I stay with those two. That idiot Shippou is always pestering me and... I can't face Inu-Yasha, ~still~. I feel so betrayed by her... I know it's not her fault but... why did I have to meet her while she was a girl?*
Miroku flopped down against the grass. *I feel like such an idiot...* He sighed again. *Tomorrow, I'm going to plut this all behind me-- Inu-Yasha is a guy and I'll start treating her like I do other guys. And when she's a girl... I'll ~still~ treat her like a guy.* He nodded in conviction. "That's just all there is to it." He crossed his arms. "Yup."
.....
.....
"God, I need to get laid," he thought as his arms dropped back down to his sides again.
..............................
"Huh?" Kagome turned to face the bed. Maru-chan akwowledged her by lifting an eyelid.
"You feel that?" she asked.
Sesshomaru face the wall in reply.
"It felt like... a demon..." she said. "With Shikon shards..." her heart skipped. "Maybe... Maybe Inu-Yasha?" she wondered aloud.
On the bed, Sesshomaru growled lowly.
"W-well," said Kagome. "I don't care if it IS him. I'm just going to tell him to go on. He has Shikon Shards, so he obviously doesn't need ME," she huffed. "But then... why is he coming back?" she wondered.
"Tap tap tap," came the sound from the window. Claws on glass. It had a distinct sound to it and she knew before she turned that there would be a white-haired dog-demon at her window.
Sesshomaru bristled as Kagome went to the barrier and opened it.
"I see you're still in one piece," she said fiegning anger.
Inu-Yasha glanced over at the bed and saw the puppy.
"Funny. I was going to say the same thing about ~you~."
Sesshomaru bristled and growled.
"Hush, Maru-chan," Kagome chided.
"Ma-" Inu-Yasha's face reddened but he waved his anger away and said flatly, "Look, Kagome. I gotta' borrow your mutt there for a second."
"What?" asked Kagome, paling.
On the bed Sesshomaru got to his feet and bristled some more.
Inu-Yasha walked to the ged and picked up the dog by the scruff of his neck. "Nice pooch. Don't worry-- I'll bring him back," he said. He gave the dog a shake.
Kagome's eyes flashed angrily. "Now wait just one minute--" she yelled, but Inu-Yasha was already out the window.
.....
"She won't find us here," he said to himself as he set the dog down on the floor of the shed.
Sesshomaru bristled and growled.
"Oh, shut up, Will ya'?" sneered Inu-Yasha. "I'm not gonna' hurt ya'. Stupid dog."
The puppy quieted and began an intense stare at the dog-demon. *He is male again... but how?*
"Listen up, mutt--- you're probably wondering how come I'm a boy again, huh?" The puppy simply stared at him, fuming.
"I ought to kill you--right here--right now--" he said menacingly. "But that'd just piss off Kagome and no matter how much I want to... You're still my brother."
Sesshomaru's bristling stopped. Inu-Yasha stood up and reached up on a shelf. He brought out a steaming kettle.
"I stowed this in here before I came to get you. It oughta still be hot enough." He looked at the puppy sternly. "I'm sick of fighting with you. I'm gonna' show you how to change back-- but you gotta' promise me you'll leave me and Kagome--- ~espe~cially Kagome-- alone. You got that?"
Sesshomaru blinked. He was serious. Inu-Yasha was actually calling a truece between them.
"You agree?" asked the dog-demon.
Sesshomaru nodded.
"Okay," said Inu-Yasha, his stomach in knots. He didn't think his brother could lie-- he didn't seem to ever have to, but still. Inu-Yasha was unsure when he let the hot water fly and it rained down upon the puppy.
The kettle fell to the ground with a clang. Before Inu-Yasha was a crouched, naked and wet Sesshomaru. There was a clap of thunder outside as the storm finally broke.
Sesshomaru looked over at his brother who was slightly stunned, but trying not to show it.
He looked down at his hands. The splint on his left leg had fallen away and clattered to the ground as it had become his arm again.
He felt his left arm, swung it, tried to find the seams of the place where he'd attatched it. Sometime during the past 7 weeks the weakling's arm had become his own. There was no way to replace it. He sighed in frustration as he realized that he now had a permanent arm that was weak and fragile. On the bright side, it seemed to be healed.
"You... you gonna' keep your word?" asked Inu-Yasha apprehensively.
Sesshomaru turned toward the door. "Am I not honorable? Yes, I will keep my word. The insight one might gain from living in such a form for a time is enough to make one rethink the past. I had already made those resolutions you sought from me on my own. I only needed to find a way to break from your 'dear Kagome.'"
He rested his hand on the door to the shed.
Behind him, Inu-Yasha let out a sigh of relief.
"Inu-Yasha...."
"Nn?" The boy looked at his brother.
"I have never hated you. Not really. I am sorry for having caused you so much pain." Sesshomaru opened the door.
Inu-Yasha stood, bewildered when Sesshomaru moved to go.
"Hrm?"
Inu-Yasha looked down at the drenched puppy.
"I forgot to tell you... cold water changes you back again. Heh heh..." The dog demon scratched the back of her head.
Sesshomaru bit her leg.
Inu-Yasha kicked him. "Cut that out, stupid! Go say goodbye to Kagome or else I'll get blaimed for you disappearin'." With that, Inu-Yasha made for the well-house. "I'll see ya' on the other side." She disappeared into the darkness and Sesshomaru sat blinking in the rain.
"Maru-chan!" Kagome called out the window.
Sesshomaru stiffened for a moment. He thought to stay, but Kagome saw him, his white fur standing out against the ground and she ran from the window.
Sesshomaru knew that any moment she would burst through the door carrying a towel and would drag him back into the house.
His face grew long. *That house is my prison...* he thought glumly. *No... This body is and now I have a means to be rid of it.*
He felt a pang of guilt about not seeing Kagome one last time but he pushed it aside and ran for the well house, knowing, hoping, that he could forget Kagome as a demon. He avoided thinking about how she would no doubt be standing, calling for him in the rain, wondering where he was. He held his breath and leapt into the well, felt the strangeness of the voic and then felt hard earth benieth his paws.
Sesshomaru looked up. The sides of the well were tall. How was he to get out?
Inu-Yasha poked her head over the side of the well.
Chapter 14 End.
Next time:
Chapter 15
Reconciliation
(warning Will Robinson!!! Drama ahead!)
My modem is broken, yet again, so who is to say when this will actually see the gentle glow of a computer screen other than my own. Should be fixed soon, though. Joanna, you little rat! Write me!!!
Two Weeks later: Modem is still broken. Graugh! And they obviously didn't bring the computer in today... What's a girl to do?
Okay, so anyway, just in case you've forgotten by now or I've somehow forgotten: ~...~ means Italics. CAPS means bold. * blah blah blah* means thoughts. I think that's it.
Hell. My boss just called and the assistant manager at work is quitting in 2 weeks. That means my hours will go up considerably. That means less time to do everything else I want to do. It means a real frikkin' job and more responsibility. And I'll sorely miss the assistant, Jason. He was a good friend and I've known him for 3 years now. I can't help but feel bummed out now.
Chapter 14: Inu Yasha's Dilema: Honor thy ... Brother?!?
Kagome looked at her calender and bit her lip. She narrowed her eyes, opened them, turned the calender, checked the month and then stared at it again.
On the floor Maru-chan yawned. Kagome had drug him in after she'd heard the weather report. Supposedly, there was going to be a storm, but Sesshomaru saw no signs of it.
"Is that right?" she asked with a cock of her head. "That can't be right... Is it right?"
"Maru-chan..... you've been here a month and 3 weeks," Kagome shook her head. "That can't be right..."
*Why not?* he wondered. *You've been in heat twice since I've been here, I've made a fool of myself at ~least~ twenty times, your mother has made 4 batches of sugar cookies,* he shut his eyes. *You've been on 2-- ~TWO~ dates with Hojo and your grandfather has called me Inu-Yasha 7 times. Your brother has called me Sessu-negger (after Arnold Shwartzeneger) 12 times and you have called me Sesshomaru 5 times. You have given me a 'stay' only twice. That's about 2 months in ~my~ book...* he thought bitterly.
He stood up and limped over to the bed. *And, ofcourse, the cretin whose leg I took was so week that only 10 weeks will be sufficient in healing it.* He climbed the books to the bed and plunked down on teh comforter.
"I can't believe he hadn't come back yet..." she said with a bit of worry. "He always comes here and drags me back in no time flat. This time I guess.... I guess I'm here for good..." she said with a bit of reluctance.
Sesshomaru set his face into a scowl. She was thinking about his brother. She was missing him. ~HIM.~ He bristled. Was there no justice in the world? He buried his head under his right paw and tried to sleep.
Kagome let out a sigh and turned toward her chest of drawers. Sesshomaru heard the telltale creak and squeak of the drawer as she pulled it out and retrieved her pajamas.
Kagome started off for the bathroom. She'd started the habit of changing in there after she'd caught Maru-chan sneaking a peek at her. On the bed, Maru-chan shifted a little, somehow knowing that she was thinking about that time.
......................
Miroku snapped the beef jerky off with his teeth and chewed it slowly.
"Hey-- can I have some?" asked Shippou, already reaching for the dried out meat.
Miroku moved it out of his reach but did not speak and did not aknowledge him. He simply looked forward and ignored all stimuli.
"Come ~ON~," whined Shippou, jumping up and down. "I'm hungry too, you know..." he kicked at the floor of the hut.
"Hush, child," came an old woman's voice. Old Lady Kaede turned to face them with a bowl in her hands. She set it before the kitsune.
"Hwah! Thank you, Kaede!" The old woman simply nodded and the kitsune lifted the bowl and began to slurp up the soup inside. Miroku chewed the beef jerky in silence.
"See; she's a lot nicer than you are, MiROku," he stuck out his tongue. Miroku aknowledged him with a sideward glance, stood up and bowed to Kaede.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Kaede, but I think that I will be waiting for Inu-Yasha outside," and with that, he exited. Shippou watched him go with surprise.
"He's still moping?" he shook his head and slurped up some of the soup.
They had finally reached Kaede's village after 2 weeks of travel. Reluctant to show them the magic well, Inu-Yasha made hasty introductions to Kaede and pawned them off onto her while he went to check on Kagome.
"What troubles the monk?" asked Kaede of the small demon.
Shippou shrugged, swallowed the last of the soup, wiped his mouth, set down the bowl and said, "He's been like that ever since Inu-Yasha got his body back."
"Oh?" Kaede took the bowl from the boy and went to ladel some more soup.
"Thank you," he said giddily as she handed the bowl back to him. "Yeah. You'd think the poor jerk had fallen in love with her." Shippou guzzled down some of the soup. "This is really good!" he said, beaming.
"Thank you," said Kaede, but her mind was still on the monk. *Poor fellow...* she thought. *If he truly has fallen in love with the girl Inu-Yasha, then I pity him... I really do...*
.....
Miroku sat on the hill just outside the village. He watched the stars as they passed. There were no clouds in the sky at all.
Miroku looked up and sighed. *Things have definitely changed for me...* he thought quietly. *I don't know why I stay with those two. That idiot Shippou is always pestering me and... I can't face Inu-Yasha, ~still~. I feel so betrayed by her... I know it's not her fault but... why did I have to meet her while she was a girl?*
Miroku flopped down against the grass. *I feel like such an idiot...* He sighed again. *Tomorrow, I'm going to plut this all behind me-- Inu-Yasha is a guy and I'll start treating her like I do other guys. And when she's a girl... I'll ~still~ treat her like a guy.* He nodded in conviction. "That's just all there is to it." He crossed his arms. "Yup."
.....
.....
"God, I need to get laid," he thought as his arms dropped back down to his sides again.
..............................
"Huh?" Kagome turned to face the bed. Maru-chan akwowledged her by lifting an eyelid.
"You feel that?" she asked.
Sesshomaru face the wall in reply.
"It felt like... a demon..." she said. "With Shikon shards..." her heart skipped. "Maybe... Maybe Inu-Yasha?" she wondered aloud.
On the bed, Sesshomaru growled lowly.
"W-well," said Kagome. "I don't care if it IS him. I'm just going to tell him to go on. He has Shikon Shards, so he obviously doesn't need ME," she huffed. "But then... why is he coming back?" she wondered.
"Tap tap tap," came the sound from the window. Claws on glass. It had a distinct sound to it and she knew before she turned that there would be a white-haired dog-demon at her window.
Sesshomaru bristled as Kagome went to the barrier and opened it.
"I see you're still in one piece," she said fiegning anger.
Inu-Yasha glanced over at the bed and saw the puppy.
"Funny. I was going to say the same thing about ~you~."
Sesshomaru bristled and growled.
"Hush, Maru-chan," Kagome chided.
"Ma-" Inu-Yasha's face reddened but he waved his anger away and said flatly, "Look, Kagome. I gotta' borrow your mutt there for a second."
"What?" asked Kagome, paling.
On the bed Sesshomaru got to his feet and bristled some more.
Inu-Yasha walked to the ged and picked up the dog by the scruff of his neck. "Nice pooch. Don't worry-- I'll bring him back," he said. He gave the dog a shake.
Kagome's eyes flashed angrily. "Now wait just one minute--" she yelled, but Inu-Yasha was already out the window.
.....
"She won't find us here," he said to himself as he set the dog down on the floor of the shed.
Sesshomaru bristled and growled.
"Oh, shut up, Will ya'?" sneered Inu-Yasha. "I'm not gonna' hurt ya'. Stupid dog."
The puppy quieted and began an intense stare at the dog-demon. *He is male again... but how?*
"Listen up, mutt--- you're probably wondering how come I'm a boy again, huh?" The puppy simply stared at him, fuming.
"I ought to kill you--right here--right now--" he said menacingly. "But that'd just piss off Kagome and no matter how much I want to... You're still my brother."
Sesshomaru's bristling stopped. Inu-Yasha stood up and reached up on a shelf. He brought out a steaming kettle.
"I stowed this in here before I came to get you. It oughta still be hot enough." He looked at the puppy sternly. "I'm sick of fighting with you. I'm gonna' show you how to change back-- but you gotta' promise me you'll leave me and Kagome--- ~espe~cially Kagome-- alone. You got that?"
Sesshomaru blinked. He was serious. Inu-Yasha was actually calling a truece between them.
"You agree?" asked the dog-demon.
Sesshomaru nodded.
"Okay," said Inu-Yasha, his stomach in knots. He didn't think his brother could lie-- he didn't seem to ever have to, but still. Inu-Yasha was unsure when he let the hot water fly and it rained down upon the puppy.
The kettle fell to the ground with a clang. Before Inu-Yasha was a crouched, naked and wet Sesshomaru. There was a clap of thunder outside as the storm finally broke.
Sesshomaru looked over at his brother who was slightly stunned, but trying not to show it.
He looked down at his hands. The splint on his left leg had fallen away and clattered to the ground as it had become his arm again.
He felt his left arm, swung it, tried to find the seams of the place where he'd attatched it. Sometime during the past 7 weeks the weakling's arm had become his own. There was no way to replace it. He sighed in frustration as he realized that he now had a permanent arm that was weak and fragile. On the bright side, it seemed to be healed.
"You... you gonna' keep your word?" asked Inu-Yasha apprehensively.
Sesshomaru turned toward the door. "Am I not honorable? Yes, I will keep my word. The insight one might gain from living in such a form for a time is enough to make one rethink the past. I had already made those resolutions you sought from me on my own. I only needed to find a way to break from your 'dear Kagome.'"
He rested his hand on the door to the shed.
Behind him, Inu-Yasha let out a sigh of relief.
"Inu-Yasha...."
"Nn?" The boy looked at his brother.
"I have never hated you. Not really. I am sorry for having caused you so much pain." Sesshomaru opened the door.
Inu-Yasha stood, bewildered when Sesshomaru moved to go.
"Hrm?"
Inu-Yasha looked down at the drenched puppy.
"I forgot to tell you... cold water changes you back again. Heh heh..." The dog demon scratched the back of her head.
Sesshomaru bit her leg.
Inu-Yasha kicked him. "Cut that out, stupid! Go say goodbye to Kagome or else I'll get blaimed for you disappearin'." With that, Inu-Yasha made for the well-house. "I'll see ya' on the other side." She disappeared into the darkness and Sesshomaru sat blinking in the rain.
"Maru-chan!" Kagome called out the window.
Sesshomaru stiffened for a moment. He thought to stay, but Kagome saw him, his white fur standing out against the ground and she ran from the window.
Sesshomaru knew that any moment she would burst through the door carrying a towel and would drag him back into the house.
His face grew long. *That house is my prison...* he thought glumly. *No... This body is and now I have a means to be rid of it.*
He felt a pang of guilt about not seeing Kagome one last time but he pushed it aside and ran for the well house, knowing, hoping, that he could forget Kagome as a demon. He avoided thinking about how she would no doubt be standing, calling for him in the rain, wondering where he was. He held his breath and leapt into the well, felt the strangeness of the voic and then felt hard earth benieth his paws.
Sesshomaru looked up. The sides of the well were tall. How was he to get out?
Inu-Yasha poked her head over the side of the well.
Chapter 14 End.
Next time:
Chapter 15
Reconciliation
(warning Will Robinson!!! Drama ahead!)