Chapter 3
A/N: Hey everyone! I'm back from Singapore, and I was soooo glad to see all the reviews I had gotten when I returned! ^_^ Arigatou!!! I had a great time celebrating Chinese New Year and my 14th b-day with my relatives…and now I'm loaded with all the money I got (to answer the question of the reviewer who asked if I was Singaporean, I was born in Singapore but now I live in the U.S. so I suppose I'm Singaporean…kinda. ;)! ^-^; Anyways, I wrote almost all of this chapter in a notebook when I was in Singapore and I'm anticipating to see what kind of reviews I get! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
After visiting the houses of Sesshoumaru and Kouga, Kagome was beginning to wonder if there were many other humans in her new neighborhood. 'I KNOW there were humans in the Feudal Era, so why haven't I seen any yet?' Kagome was beginning to worry. Had all the humans in this neighborhood already been killed or maybe even eaten by the demons living here? Kagome shuddered at the thought.
In search of some other humans, Kagome decided to meet the people living in the red house next to Sesshoumaru's…the only house in the whole neighborhood besides her own that had a car in the driveway. Kagome assumed that demons didn't need cars, since they could probably run even faster than a car, anyway.
Kagome knocked on the burgundy-colored door. She could hear voices and crashing noises coming from inside.
"HOUSHI-SAMA! YOU STUPID PERVERT!" screamed a voice, seemingly belonging to a young woman. More crashing sounds ensued, and when Kagome heard a thud on the ground she wasn't too alarmed…she supposed the guy deserved it.
After a series of angry mutterings came from inside the house, the door opened, revealing a girl that looked around Kagome's age. She had long, black hair that was tied in a lose pony-tail with a white ribbon, and she wore a simple pink and white kimono with what looked like a green apron covering the bottom half. 'I've finally found another human my age!' Kagome thought, relieved. 'And at least she doesn't look like the type who would threaten to kill me, like Sesshoumaru.'
"Hello," the girl smiled amiably. "You must be the girl that moved into Kikyou's old house, correct? My name is Sango."
"Yup, I'm the new girl! My name is Kagome! Pleased to meet you, Sango! Um…is everything alright in there?" Kagome asked, peering into the house. She looked around for the source of the thud she had heard, and sure enough, there was a man sprawled out on the floor.
"Don't be alarmed," Sango said, following Kagome's gaze. "I knocked him in the head pretty hard, but he should be up in a few minutes…he deserved what he got."
"Who IS he, anyway?" Kagome eyed the man on the floor wearily.
The man had short black hair, tied in a small ponytail at the back of his head. He appeared to be a monk, for he possessed a staff. He wore purple and black robes, and his right hand was covered with a glove and some prayer beads. Kagome wondered what their purposes were.
"His name is Miroku," said Sango, letting Kagome into the house, and closing the door behind them. "He says he's a monk, but he has very few morals. Don't be surprised if he does something lecherous while you're here...just hit him a few times, and he should stop for a while."
"So do you two both live here?" Kagome questioned, looking around the house. The floor was littered with weapons and armor that seemed to be made out of demon parts.
"No, but for some reason he keeps inviting himself over," Sango sighed. "Even though he's a total pervert, I enjoy his company. I have no family, so I don't get visitors very often."
"Oh…" Kagome looked at Sango sympathetically. 'No family at all? I wonder what happened to them…'
"I used to live in a village of youkai exterminators, but demons attacked our village one day…I was the only survivor," Sango said, saving Kagome from having to ask the question herself.
Before Kagome could say anything in response, Miroku sat up almost too-quickly, making Kagome jump back a few paces.
"You're having this discussion again, Sango?" the monk noticed Kagome. "And who is this lovely new guest?"
"Her name is Kagome," Sango glared at Miroku. "And don't even think about asking her-"
Too late. The second Miroku had seen Kagome, he was up on his feet and approaching her. Once he got near enough to her, he asked her a question that made both the girls want to slap him until he was unconscious again.
"Will you bear my child?" Miroku asked eagerly.
"You start fast, don't you?" Kagome groaned.
"It's a question I ask all beautiful ladies!"
Kagome suddenly noticed Sango, who was approaching and oblivious Miroku from behind, with a huge bone boomerang at least 5-feet tall. Sango put a finger to her lip, signaling for Kagome not to say anything, and Kagome had to put a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from bursting out laughing.
"Are you feeling alright, Kagome? You can answer my question later if you want…" Miroku said, seeing Kagome's red face.
"I'm fine, I just thought I had to sneeze for a second there," Kagome said, regaining her composure. "And I'll answer your question right now! NO, I won't bear your child, you dirty lech!"
"I'll get rid of the pest for you, Kagome!" Sango exclaimed, suddenly. She whacked Miroku in the head with her boomerang, almost knocking him out again. Kagome wondered how Sango could even hold such a big weapon.
"Ha!" Sango grinned down at Miroku triumphantly. "It served you right, for asking a question like that!"
"Ah, but it was worth it." Miroku said, rubbing the developing lump on his head.
"You have no courtesy," Sango sighed.
A small, two-tailed cat youkai suddenly appeared from behind Sango, meowing curiously at Kagome.
"Kawaii!" Kagome laughed, reaching out to touch the cat youkai.
"Yes," Sango smiled. "Her name is Kirara."
Kirara meowed happily, and nuzzled against Kagome's leg.
"By the way, houshi-sama," Sango said to Miroku warningly, "If you do or say anything else lecherous while Kagome is here, I'll kick you out of my house and give you a much bigger lump than the one you have right now…"
"Now that I think about it," Miroku's brows knitted slightly as though he were trying to remember something. "I don't think I've ever asked you to bear my child, Sango."
"And that's a bad thing?" Sango asked, but for some reason, she started to blush a little.
"But would you do it if I asked you?" questioned Miroku, suddenly growing a bit more serious.
"I-I…well…um…" Sango stuttered, her face growing redder by the second.
"I'll ask you then," Miroku said quickly. "Will you bear my child, Sango?"
"H-houshi-sama…" Sango's face was as red as a tomato now.
Meanwhile, Kagome, who was watching all of this, decided it would only be polite to leave the two alone. 'Maybe Sango will actually agree to bear his child, but she's too embarrassed to say it while I'm here! I should visit again another time…' she thought to herself. And so, not wanting to ruin the moment, Kagome crept silently out of the house.
Upon reaching the sidewalk again, Kagome wondered whom she should visit next. Miroku and Sesshoumaru lived in the houses next door to Sango's house; so the only house left to visit on the street was the humongous, dark brown one near Miroku's house. The house reminded Kagome of one of those haunted mansions she'd read about in books…except for the fact that it didn't look particularly old.
Walking closer to the house, Kagome suddenly found herself enveloped in a thick, purple mist. Stumbling through the miasma, Kagome was beginning to wish she were wearing one of those gas masks she had seen on the floor of Sango's house. Not only did the mist make her dizzy, but it also made breathing more difficult. She coughed hoarsely, hoping she'd find the door to the house soon. 'How on earth could I get lost in someone's front yard?' Kagome wondered.
At last, Kagome walked into a hard object…she had found the door. She knocked hard, hoping whoever answered the door would let her inside the house, and away from the suffocating miasma.
While waiting for someone to open the door, Kagome examined the large house, in a vain attempt to get her mind off of the terrible-smelling mist. The "house," Kagome noticed, looked more similar to a castle. Although Kagome couldn't see anything very clearly through the mist, she thought she could see a large courtyard behind the house, surrounded by various towers. All together, the whole atmosphere seemed very foreboding. The sky was dark, and even the castle itself seemed gloomy and unwelcoming. Kagome felt a chill go down her spine. 'I wouldn't be surprised if this place is haunted,' she thought gloomily.
Sure enough, the shoji screen door slid open, revealing a small girl that fit the perfect definition of a ghost. She had white hair with white flowers in it, wore a white kimono, and had pale white skin. She had large, blank looking eyes, and carried a round mirror in her hands.
Kagome let out a small shriek and jumped back, tripping over her own feet. She landed on the cold, hard ground, and shakily stood up again, rubbing her sore backside.
"I knew this place was haunted!" Kagome squeaked. The girl just blinked at her expressionlessly, which made Kagome let out another shriek.
It took Kagome several minutes to calm down. She would've run away a long time ago, but the mist was so heavy that she wouldn't possibly be able to find her way back. After taking a long, deep breath, Kagome opened her mouth to speak.
"Are you a ghost?" Kagome asked, partially afraid to hear the girl's response.
"No," the girl replied in a whispery, monotonous voice, making Kagome wonder if maybe she was a zombie instead. Kagome could tell that she wouldn't be able to make a good conversation with the creepy girl. But just as Kagome was about to introduce herself, regardless of the girl's response, she heard voices coming from inside the house.
"Damnit, Kagura! Did you steal my eyeshadow again?!" demanded a restrained, yet fierce man's voice.
"Heh…your lipstick too, Naraku…" replied a smug woman's voice.
"I don't wear LIPSTICK, you worthless girl!"
"Could've fooled me," muttered the feminine voice, just loud enough for anyone standing nearby to hear.
Both voices stopped speaking suddenly, and there was a choking noise, followed by a sickening thud a couple minutes later. Kagome heard someone gasping for breath, and began to wonder if she should call the police (not that she even had access to a phone at the moment). 'What have I gotten myself into?' Kagome gulped.
The frightened schoolgirl was just about to ask the white-haired girl at the door what was going on, when she noticed that the girl had turned and was starting to walk into the house towards the source of the noise.
"What is it, Kanna?" asked the cold, male voice.
The response? Utter silence. Kagome wondered vaguely if the white-haired girl could communicate telepathically, seeing as she didn't speak.
"I see," said the male voice, as if he had somehow understood the silence. "So we have…a guest, do we?"
Kagome heard the man growl slightly at the word "guest," making her feel most un-welcomed. She swallowed hard, hearing footsteps coming closer. A few seconds later, a man appeared in the doorway.
The man's appearance made Kagome step back in astonishment, again. The tall man had waist-length, wavy black hair; a clump of the hair was tied up into a messy ponytail. He had the same, pale white skin as the girl at the door, yet he looked even creepier (and much more intimidating) than the girl had looked. His eyes, glowing red with malice, narrowed as he examined her. Kagome noticed that he wore blue eye shadow that seemed to clash horribly with his eyes, yet she wouldn't dare to mention that. Kagome shuddered at the sight of the man. Human or demon? She couldn't tell which.
"I don't want any of your damn cookies, girl!" the man spat.
"I'm not selling cookies," Kagome said, finding her voice.
Suddenly, the man took a step back and sent an infuriating glare in Kagome's direction, making her wonder what she'd done wrong now.
"It can't be…Kikyou?!" The man hissed.
"Kikyou's dead. I'm NOT her!" Kagome said, trying not to get angry, even though she hated being mistaken for other people. She had a feeling that if she got angry and yelled, this man just might kill her.
"Hmm…" the man looked unconvinced. "Then who ARE you, and what business have you here, if it isn't for selling those stupid 'Girl Scout' cookies?"
"I CAME to introduce myself!" Kagome said, beginning to get frustrated at the man's coldness, and quickly forgetting that yelling could endanger her life. "My name is Kagome Higurashi, and I just moved into Kikyou's house!"
"Who cares what your name is, or if you just moved here?! All visitors are nuisances…and that is why I, Naraku, set up that miasma barrier in the front yard; any visitors would hopefully panic, lose their way, and suffocate to death," Naraku grinned malevolently.
"So YOU'RE Naraku!" Kagome exclaimed. "Inu-Yasha warned me about you! Do you mean to say you set up that awful mist on purpose?!"
"Kukuku…" Naraku laughed softly. "Why yes…but it didn't seem to kill you, now did it?
"It ALMOST did…" Kagome muttered.
The mist seemed to have cleared up a little near the doorstep where Kagome was standing, but the acidic gas still lingered nearby, causing a sharp pain in Kagome's throat. She supposed she had inhaled too much of the stuff.
Kagome suddenly remembered the ghostly-looking girl, and the choking noise that had come from within the house.
"Who was that girl with the mirror that answered the door just now?" Kagome wondered aloud. She didn't really expect Naraku to answer the question, and jumped slightly when he did.
"That was Kanna…the eldest of my offspring," said Naraku.
"You have kids?!" Kagome gasped. Naraku just didn't seem like the fatherly type.
"You may call them that, but they are actually detachments born from my own body," Naraku said, smirking at the horrified look on Kagome's face.
"You…make your own children?!" Kagome asked, astonished
"Foolish human…don't you know the power of the Shikon no-" Naraku stopped talking suddenly.
"Shikon no what?" a confused Kagome asked.
"Nevermind, wench! It's nothing! You heard nothing! Now get out of my house unless you want to die a most painful death," Naraku said quickly. 'He's obviously hiding something,' Kagome thought.
"One more question," Kagome glared at Naraku suspiciously. "What was that choking sound I heard earlier?"
"Heh…that was none other than my daughter, Kagura," Naraku's mouth curved into an evil grin. "A rebellious one she is…but I discipline her often enough."
"I could report you to the police for child abuse, you know!" Kagome yelled; she had either forgotten, or was unaware that a demon could easily take out any mortal.
"Do as you wish, girl. Your authorities won't be able to lay a finger on me," Naraku said boredly, growing more impatient by the second. "Now LEAVE!"
"I'm not leaving until I see what damage you've done!" Kagome said stubbornly. She attempted to run into the house, only to be pushed back outside again by Naraku, so forcefully that she almost lost her footing.
"Oh, you have NO idea as to how much damage I've done," Naraku's eyes narrowed menacingly. "Tell me, Kagome…are you fond of bees?"
"No, I hate bees!" Kagome stated, surprised by the question.
"Kukuku…very good," said Naraku. "Then I'm sure you'll love my saimyoushou…"
"Saimyoushou?" Kagome gulped.
A loud, buzzing noise suddenly filled the air, and before Kagome had a chance to run, she was swarmed by what seemed like hundreds of giant wasps that had appeared from behind Naraku. She tried to fight them, but even she knew it was useless. And so…she started to run.
"AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!" a high-pitched scream could be heard, ringing throughout the neighborhood. Various youkai were probably shrieking in pain at this very second, since, due to their ultra sensitive hearing, the scream was probably magnified at least ten times more than it would be in a human's ears.
Five painful stings later, Kagome heard someone yelling her name. To her surprise (and relief), the saimyoushou were starting to disappear.
"Sankon Tetsu Sou!" yelled a voice, belonging to none other than Inu-Yasha. The hanyou was carrying a giant, white sword that sliced mercilessly through the many insects.
Seconds later, almost all the insects were dead, and the remaining few quickly dispersed.
"What've you gotten yourself into this time, Kagome?" Inu-Yasha scowled.
"Well EXCUSE me for trying to be friendly!" Kagome retorted, tenderly rubbing her swollen bee stings.
"Whatever, just get on my back before more of those insects come," Inu-Yasha muttered.
"What?" Kagome asked, wondering if she had imagined Inu-Yasha saying those words.
"Are you deaf?!" Inu-Yasha practically exploded. "I said GET ON MY BACK, dammit! You can't get outta here without any help! You'll be suffocated by the gas, you idiot!"
Suddenly remembering her promise to herself, to act nicer towards Inu-Yasha, Kagome climbed onto his back without arguing any further.
"'Bout time you listened to me," Inu-Yasha snorted, taking off through the miasma.
Luckily for both of them, it didn't take Inu-Yasha very long to find his way out of the purplish haze. He landed in front of Kagome's house a few minutes later, with a rude, "Now, get off my back!"
"Thanks a lot, Inu-Yasha! So you DO have a good side to you after all!" Kagome said, grateful that she was surrounded by fresh air once again.
"Feh! I came just 'cause I knew you were too stupid to defend yourself!" Inu-Yasha scoffed. "But what did that bastard Naraku try to do to you, anyway?"
"I think I asked him too many questions," Kagome said. "He got all mad, and sent his wasps after me! Talk about unfriendly…he was downright evil!"
"What questions did you ask him?" Inu-Yasha asked, looking slightly amused.
"Well I asked him how he could possibly make his own kids, and then he started to act strange," Kagome said, straining to remember what Naraku had said. "He told me he used the power of the Shikon no…something. Then he stopped talking in the middle of a sentence, and told me not to ask about it anymore! It's like he was hiding something…"
"The Shikon no Tama," Inu-Yasha said gravely. "It's the sacred jewel that Kikyou possessed."
"Kikyou possessed it?" Kagome asked, wide-eyed. "And since Naraku said that he was using it, could that mean…?"
"Naraku is Kikyou's murderer!" Inu-Yasha said angrily. "Why didn't I see it before?! Kikyou wasn't murdered because her murderer wanted to gain access to the well! Naraku murdered her because he wanted the Shikon jewel!"
"But…why?!" Kagome gasped, horrified.
"The Shikon no Tama has such great power, that it can grant any one wish. The jewel was the desire of many youkai back in the Sengoku Jidai; and so it was given to a powerful priestess, to keep guard over…and that priestess was Kikyou. Naraku obviously wanted the jewel for himself, so he stole the jewel from Kikyou and killed her," Inu-Yasha's teeth were gritted in anger. "I'll kill that bastard if it's the last thing I do!"
"You aren't going over there right now, are you?" Kagome asked cautiously.
"Like hell I'd risk my neck goin' there right now!" Inu-Yasha growled. "I'll have to take it slow, as much as I hate the idea of doing that…Naraku's stronger than he looks. Especially since he has the Shikon no Tama now."
"What's he planning to do with the jewel, anyway?" Kagome wondered.
"No idea…" Inu-Yasha replied. "But if I were him, I'd use it to become full demon…"
"You mean Naraku's a half demon?"
"Yeah. He's probably taking his own sweet time, lusting over the jewel though. As long as he doesn't know we're on to him, he probably won't make his wish for a while. And when he least expects it, I'll give him the most painful death he could ever imagine!" Inu-Yasha snarled. "I'll avenge your death, Kikyou! Naraku'll pay for what he did to you!"
Inu-Yasha let out a small cry of frustration, jumped swiftly onto the roof of his house, into his backyard, and out of sight.
Knowing that Inu-Yasha probably wouldn't come out of his back yard for a while, Kagome walked back into her own house to tend to her bee stings. As she did this, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealously towards Kikyou.
A/N: In case you're wondering, I'm NOT going to revive Kikyou. *ignores the outraged cries from Kikyou fans* Truth is, Kikyou's my least favorite character. She should've stayed dead in the series, instead of coming back to life all vengeful and deranged…but that's just my opinion. So please don't flame me if you're a Kikyou fan! Also, Shippou WILL be in this fic…I just chose to add him in later on, since he isn't really going to add much to the plot. Kohaku, however, is presumably dead at the moment. I haven't decided if I want to revive him or not. ;) And Myouga…doesn't exist in this fic. If you have suggestions about any characters other than these that you want revived, please tell me in your reviews! Ja ne!
~Akai Yuki