NOTE: I wrote this chapter, Ramblings included, before the events of what my friends and I have come to know as 911 Day. Because of the depressing nature of 911 Day, my levels of literary creativity are immensely off-balance. It may be a while before the next chapter is up.
Author's Ramblings
Yay! Another chapter! I had immense amounts of euphoria in creating this product of literary art. I think you, dear reader, shall enjoy it as well! Oh, and in case you have not noticed by now, parts of previous chapters that might not have been fully understood are usually explained in the opening of the succeeding chapter in the Shippou's Diary paragraph. Just thought I would let you know in case it went unnoticed.
Disclaimer
Ditto. I think you know which characters are from my own musings.
~*Chapter Three: Marked*~
I haven't heard from Inuyasha in a while. However, I have run into Myouga-jiji and he said that Inuyasha is in Spain now. I don't know why he'd want to be in Spain; maybe there were just too many memories here… Kirara and I don't think we will ever leave. Some of the original group has to remain here—we have to; we promised Miroku and Sango to watch over their line. No one knows who or where Kagome's ancestors are, so unfortunately we will have to wait until the much distant future before we start looking for her. We will find her, but I think…I think that if Inuyasha lives long enough, he will be the one to find her. He doesn't really know how long he'll live though—that's why he wrote the poem so many years ago—and thus I've made it my goal to learn everything there is to know about youkais, hanyous, and quarter-youkais. Kirara and I will wait until there is technology to do so, and then we will begin The Youkai Genome Project. Kagome had mentioned The Human Genome Project a few times, so why not have one for youkais? Perhaps we'll unlock the secret to a hanyou's aging, and then Inuyasha will know how long he'll live…if he'll get to see Kagome. Those nights when he was still here in the village—oh, I can still hear him crying now!
Kagome wiped tears from her eyes. I cried for you too, Inuyasha… She closed Shippou's diary gently, and stood. She could hear her brother, Souta, trying to put Kenichi to sleep for the night in the room across the hall. She smiled, loving the fact that her once pest-of-a-brother was so good with children. Kenichi adored him! Whenever Souta's girlfriend came over, she'd tease that Souta was practicing to be a daddy; and then, of course, Souta would turn beet red and any other members of the family would crack up laughing.
Pushing all thoughts from her mind, Kagome walked downstairs and out the door. She needed to go through a week-delayed confrontation. She stood in front of the Tree, then thought better of it and knelt. She simply stared at the Tree for a few moments, then decided to speak. "Inuyasha," she said softly, "I don't know if you're dead or alive. But, if you can hear me…." She paused, sniffling a little. "I read your poem, Inuyasha. It was beautiful. I loved it! And I…I love you." A tear fell. "I'm sorry; I'm not really good at this." She scoffed at herself. Really, Kagome—apologizing as if he could hear you! Bah!
Rinmaru chuckled quietly as he looked upon that Higurashi girl he decided to keep an eye on. Boy, did he love it when he was right! He glanced to his right, noticing that his father's ancient toad-youkai was fast asleep. Ah, oh well, he decided indifferently, it's not like he's good company when he's awake anyway.
Rinmaru again turned his attention to the Higurashi girl. To think chichiwe's pathetic halfling brother wants this measly human… Other thoughts containing similar sentiments coursed through his mind, halting only when he watched the Higurashi girl get up from her kneeling position. She started to turn around to walk back into her house, but stopped and kissed two of her fingers, and then laid those two fingers upon the bark of the Tree. Rinmaru smirked, Stupid humans and their feeble emotions! Again he observed as the Higurashi girl turned to walk back into her house, and only then did he gain a good look at her face.
He gasped. Hahawe…? Things seemed to move in slow-motion, and Rinmaru watched with rapt fascination as the girl's long ebony tresses bounced with each step she took. Her eyes blinked once as eyes usually do and Rinmaru focused his sharp eyesight on her long obsidian lashes. Finally things seemed to move in normal speed again, though he kept staring at the Higurashi girl.
BOINK!
Rinmaru turned sharply only to end up face to face with a very irate toad-youkai. "What was that for, you slimy thing you?!"
"You have disobeyed the orders of Sesshoumaru-sama by not informing me of the female human's departure!" Jaken squealed in his somewhat nasal voice. "Your father would be most displeased!"
"Oh get off it, you old toad," Rinmaru declared nonchalantly. Returning to his thoughts before he was so rudely bopped on the head with Jaken's staff, he sighed. No, not hahawe. Hahawe died many, many years ago. But the girl—she looks so much li- His thoughts were interrupted as Jaken inquired, "Who was the female human we were watching?"
"Higurashi Kagome," Rinmaru answered almost robotically.
Jaken's Kermit-esque eyes bugged significantly. "How in the seven furnaces of he—
"What is it this time, old toad?"
"That human!" Jaken exclaimed in a nasal whisper. "That human was alive five hundred years ago! We must tell Sesshoumaru-sama of this at once!"
Rinmaru shifted his gaze to the Higurashi girl's house. "Yes…I suppose we should do that," he told Jaken. Inside, he added, Please don't order me to kill her, chichiwe… He sighed. I just don't think I could do it. Hahawe…
A dragonfly perched on the branch of a nearby shrub listened to the entire exchange between Rinmaru and Jaken. This was no ordinary dragonfly, but a dragonfly-youkai. Shippou-san and Kirara-san will not like this… He sighed, giving his wings a fast flutter. Never met this Inuyasha 'Yoshou' fellow, but man—he is one unlucky hanyou when it comes to enemies… He shuddered, then flew off in the moonlight.
Inside the house, Kagome stood in the doorway of her son's bedroom. Souta had indeed managed to get him to fall asleep. She smiled, a slight sigh escaping her lips at the same time. Oh Inuyasha, you and I managed to make such a beautiful little boy!
All of a sudden the gentle but worn hands of her mother landed on Kagome's shoulders. She turned around slowly. "Okaasan?"
The elder Higurashi lady smiled. "I have a handsome grandson, ne?"
Kagome nodded. "I still can't…believe that you weren't mad at me for being pregnant," she commented quietly.
"How could I be mad at you?" her mother inquired as she led Kagome down the hall to the top of the stairs. They walked down together. "How could I have punished you for being with a man—err, hanyou—whom you truly loved but knew you might never see again? I would have done exactly as you did, Kagome-chan, and that's why I could never and should never be mad at you."
Kagome followed her mother into the kitchen and accepted the cup of warm green tea she was offered. She took a sip, then spoke, "But I've imposed on you so often, okaasan! I've forced you to watch Kenichi while I'm in class at the University!"
"Are you asking me to be mad at you?"
"…No."
"Then stop giving me reasons why I should be. I could always change my mind, you know, and be angry at you." The elder Higurashi winked. "But I won't, because truthfully I'd rather have a cute and precious grandson born out of wedlock than a daughter that has no pride and joy to love and is mopey—not to mention single—for the rest of her life."
"Okaasan…you're the best, you know that?"
Another wink. "Of course I know, but thank you for reminding me."
THE NEXT DAY
"Fudgemuffins."
"My sentiments exactly, Shippou-san."
Shippou sighed. "Alright, Rinmaru and Jaken have found out about Kagome. And Jaken said that they should tell Sesshoumaru. Is that right, Yul?"
Yul nodded, his dragonfly wings beating a bit to keep him steady. "Yes. I didn't hear anything about when they would tell him though."
"We'll have to assume that he already knows." Shippou paused, rubbing his chin in thought and swishing his kitsune tail that was hidden from human eyesight. "Darn that fluffy youkai! He's probably going to want to kill her just to vex Yoshou!" His left eye twitched.
Yul sighed. "So then what will you do? How will you make sure nothing happens to the lady or her son?"
Shippou was silent for a long while. Finally, he spoke, "She was like a mother to me, back then. And even though we weren't like a happy family, Inuyasha—'Yoshou'—was like a father to me. They were all I had…and now, I don't know how to pay them back for taking care of me. I don't know what to do."
"Then I guess it's time to call the descendant," spoke Kirara, who just walked into the office. She unveiled a long object she held in her hands. "I found Miroku's staff." Yul nodded his agreement.
Shippou sighed. "I guess it's our only choice." He turned to Yul. "Call the descendant and tell him to keep Shou Rinmaru as far away from Kagome as possible." Yul bowed, and left.
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"And so, by understanding that the author meant for the reader to picture the violets as blue, we can understand that the author was insinuating an anti-war message and—…" The lecture went onward, but Kagome wasn't quite listening. The new guy, Shou Rinmaru, kept staring at her and it was really creeping her out. Why does he keep staring at me? And why does he look so familiar?! Argh…
Rinmaru smiled mentally. He could smell the fear in the Higurashi girl's scent. When he and Jaken had reported back to his father last night, he had ordered that as soon as possible the girl be exterminated. Rinmaru didn't really want to do it, but he did want to please his father. So he would do it, even if the girl did remind him of his late mother. Now, all I need is to get her alone somewhere…in an alley? No, too overdone. I could do it right here on campus, and no one would suspect me: the "new kid". Yes, that's what I'll do…
All thought was interrupted as the loudspeaker in the classroom trilled, "Professor Romigo, you have a call on Line 1. Would you like to take it?"
"Uhh…err…sure," Romigo answered. He turned to the class, and was silent for a moment before saying, "Oh what the heck. Class dismissed. See you tomorrow." There was a chorus of joyous hollers from various students and the room quickly cleared out, leaving Kagome packing her book bag and Rinmaru shutting down his Handspring® Visor.
Rinmaru knew this was the perfect chance. He managed to make eye-contact with Kagome. Using a technique he learned from some guy named Dracula back when he and Sesshoumaru lived in Romania, he stared deep into her gray-blue eyes and asked, "Ne, Higurashi-san, would you like to…spend some time with me?"
For a moment Kagome was convinced that she wanted to refuse, but soon she found herself nodding. "Hai, Shou-san."
Rinmaru smiled. Oh, I could have fun with this! "Oh, Kagome-chan, why can't you call me Rinmaru-chan?"
"Rinmaru-chan…" Kagome sighed robotically.
"Much better." Rinmaru leaned forward, roughly grasping Kagome's head between his hands, and kissed her harshly. Might as well get some before I kill her off, he reasoned. He pressed her hypnotized body to his and with a leap they were both on the floor of the classroom. He wasn't worried about anyone coming in; in fact, he never really was in the habit of worrying about anything. Focusing his attention on Kagome, he ordered, "On all fours." He looked down at his pants. "NOW!"
Kagome stoically obeyed. She felt Rinmaru's hidden claws extend and rip her shirt to shreds; however, he took the time to unclasp her bra. His hands cupped her breasts, began to knead, but suddenly stopped. Rinmaru cursed loudly. His left hand had encountered the scarring he feared he would find: a moderately sized IY on the skin directly above her heart.
She had been marked.
Marked. It meant that she had been eternally claimed by a youkai, or partial youkai, of the dog species. Not even enemies disregarded a marking. Rinmaru had been taught all his life to hate his halfling uncle, but at the same time to respect and never cross a marked woman—youkai or otherwise. It just wasn't done. Again Rinmaru cursed and barked an order for Kagome to stand and face him. Kagome obeyed, and Rinmaru found his gaze trailing to her ample breasts which were now bare to the world. He pulled out the dagger he had hid in his vest, raised it above his head, and cried out, "Byebye, Higurashi gir—!
Suddenly glass shattered. "KEEP YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HER!!!"
Rinmaru looked to the side, sniffed, and sneered. "I finally meet my pathetic halfling uncle." To Kagome, he ordered, "Say hi, Kagome-chan."
"Hi," Kagome greeted, robotic still.
Inuyasha fumed, now noticing that Kagome was half-naked. "Free her from your mind games!!"
"Tsk, tsk. Chichiwe was right; you are just a pathetic halfling."
"You're a hanyou too, you know!"
"Yes, but I'm more of a youkai that you'll ever be!" Rinmaru snickered. To Kagome, "Show my pathetic uncle how much you love me. Give me a kiss, Kagome-chan." He received a powerful punch in the mouth, and was knocked down to the floor. "You b@$t@rd!"
Inuyasha ignored him. He whisked Kagome behind the podium and quickly took off his shirt. He dressed her in it, even taking the time to button all of the buttons. He kissed her gently on the forehead, and using his thumb he applied pressure to a spot on her neck. She was quickly rendered unconscious. He sent her a silent apology, then stood and ran to where Rinmaru was just now getting up off the ground.
Rinmaru snarled. "You will SO pay for that!" He ran with haste and prepped his right fist for a punch to Inuyasha's solar plexus, but it never connected. Instead, it was blocked by Inuyasha's wrist. Inuyasha stomped on the instep of Rinmaru's left foot, and while Rinmaru was doubled over in pain Inuyasha grabbed Rinmaru's head in a powerful headlock.
"No. One. Touches. MY. Kagome!" Inuyasha barked, then let out a low growl.
"You're…//wheeze//…just…//gasp//…a…//choke//…halfling!"
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Whatever." And with that, he applied his thumb to a spot on Rinmaru's neck and soon he was unconscious. Inuyasha let him drop to the floor. "Feh. Some nephew I have. Yeesh."
He walked over to where the unconscious Kagome lay, and simply stared at her. He had been watching her for a little over a week now, but she still took his breath away. She had grown up so much; she was no longer a young woman, but a true lady. Inuyasha closed his eyes, and with a spurt of concentration he morphed himself into human form. His white hair, now cut short to match the times, turned black. His inu ears slid down and conformed into those of the homo-sapiens variety. His claws retracted and buffered into harmless fingernails. His golden eyes, however, remained unchanged; he preferred the golden color. Although his physical appearance was drastically changed with this procedure, his senses and strength were unaffected since it was not the night of the New Moon.
Using the tab of paper that was on top of the podium, Inuyasha scrawled a quick note to the Professor that he knew was the descendant of Miroku and Sango. Romigo, he wrote, Yul's droning made you late for this one. Watch her more carefully, as they will stop at nothing to kill her now. –Inu Yoshou
That being done, he gently lifted Kagome into his arms and let her head rest on his shoulder. "Kagome," he whispered to her, "how I've longed to hold you again…." With a great leap, he bounded out of the window he had crashed through when he entered, and bounded away on the limbs of sturdy trees to the place that he hoped he would come to call 'home'.
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//bows// Thank you, thank you; I'm here all week. I think that was my best chapter ever ^-^