Being sick sucks.^_^; lol Oh well, time to write more chapters! *laughs* Well, here the story may get a new rating for language, but it's not from who you'd think.^_~ It also seems that the second important event I mentioned last time isn't in this chapter, though this is an interesting one plot wise.^_^ Well, that's about it. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. If I did I'd be rich, but I'm not... and if I had lots of money I'd probably spend it on anime anyway so pleeaasseee, don't sue me.^_^ lol
Oh, and as always,
_= thoughts *_* = sound/ italicized "_" = speech //_// = narration
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Memories of the Present
Chapter 11: Kouga's Transformation
After the Shippou incident, neither Sango nor Miroku had fought, past the occasional groping of course. Instead, they seemed to be closer than ever. Lately, Sango had been allowing Miroku to accompany her when she went to look for rumors or search villages for trouble. She was beginning to find that she enjoyed her time alone with the pervert, and he was thinking the same. Of course, with the demon hunter and monk gone, Shippou was bored, but he tried to help Kaede in her daily rituals, keeping the children company when they were sick. It was about lunchtime when they all gathered together, the kitsune, demon hunter, monk, and the old miko, but none got to enjoy their lunch.
It was hard to tell if they had been seeing things, but once their eyes had adjusted to the sudden light from outside and had settled on the red blur now seated in front of them, there was only one thing to do…
"Inu Yasha, where's Kagome?," the little fox squealed as he bounced around the small hut. He had been waiting and, though only a day, he missed his adopted mother... not to mention the snacks she brought him.
Uncharacteristically, Inu Yasha just picked the kitsune up by the tail, and set him gently down in Sango's lap. He looked straight into the old miko's eyes and said, "Kagome needs you."
If everyone was surprised by his almost gentle treatment of Shippou, they were shocked beyond reason by his voice. It was smooth, calm, and firm. If Kagome needed Kaede, something was obviously wrong, but Inu Yasha showed no signs of emotion what so ever, and, to everyone's dissatisfaction, bore a striking resemblance to his older half-brother.
Kaede looked back to her soup and nodded for Inu Yasha to continue. She held out a bowl and he shook his head. He wasn't hungry; that was bad.
After a few minutes, the miko nodded again and looked up to the hanyou. Her eyes were as his with but one exception, hers bore the look of knowledge, the comprehension of a lifetime of past experiences. "Ye think it was the frog youkai?" He nods.
"Miroku, Sango," Kaede addressed them, glancing from Inu Yasha to the dumbfounded pair in the corner, "how are the demons' activities in these parts?"
They look at each other, wide-eyed and confused. Miroku was the first to speak, "Well, actually Kaede-sama, we haven't come across any demons in all of our trips in between towns and through the forest, none that chose to bother themselves with us at least."
"It's very unusual don't ye think?"
Sango nods, "What is it Kaede? What's happening?"
"Child, I know not, but do ye have a Shikon shard on thee?"
Sango looked at Miroku, then back to Kaede and shook her head. "No, we always give them to Kagome when we get one."
"And Kagome took them home," Inu Yasha interrupted.
"I see. Well, thou must go and find a demon with a shard then." Kaede stands up and turns her back towards them. Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, she continues, "We need a shard."
"I could go back and get one from Kagome."
"No, Inu Yasha, ye must stay. I need to have a talk with thee."
In the back of the room, Sango and Miroku rise. They walk towards the door with Shippou in tow, but stop before they reach the entranceway.
"Shippou, you need to stay."
"But... but Inu Yasha..."
"No 'but's Shippou. You need to stay and help Kaede while the others are gone. Kagome may need you as well, and it would be harder to fight a demon with you tagging along."
"Inu Yasha," Sango frowned, "that was mean."
Miroku shakes his head, "But he is right. The fewer the better."
Shippou nods. "If it will help Kagome, I'll stay here."
Everyone smiles, well, everyone except Inu Yasha. The group head out the door with Kirara as Kaede sends Shippou to fulfill a task. The kit gone, Inu Yasha sits on the ground patiently.
"It isn't like thee to be so calm."
"Keh, what do you know that you're not telling us old woman?"
"In time Inu Yasha, in time."
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I smell him.
A lone figure prowls about the woods, stopping every few seconds to track a scent. I know he's here, but she's missing. I don't smell her.
He sniffs the air again and nods, I wonder where she is.
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"Sango, there's something following us."
"What?" She looks around. Not seeing anything, she turns back to the monk, "Are you sure?"
He nods. Suddenly, a tree crashes down to their right and, as they turn to look, a figure approaches from their left. Sango is ready for them. She pulls out Hiraikotsu and raises it, arming herself. No stupid demon is going to get them, especially when their friend needs their help. I only wish I could tell if they have a shard... Almost as on cue, the figure comes out into the open, revealing himself. "Kouga?"
He looked weak, incredibly weak. His eyes were red and seemed shallow in their sockets. His body was worn, ragged, but with no marks or bruises to signify a fight. He seemed to be having trouble holding his form as his feet began switching back and forth between human and wolf. Though tired, he looked spastic, frantic, almost feral in a way. He looked side to side, back and forth between the two and clutched his head gently. Dropping to his knees, his form gave way and left but a wolf before them.
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The howling, both Shippou and Inu Yasha had heard it. The little kit quickly finished his designated task and rushed to the aide of his friends. He knew that sound; it was Kouga, but something was horribly, horribly wrong. Flying through the forest, he finally caught up with the source to see Sango and Miroku staring at a small wolf wearily. The wolf stood tall and proud, but had a bit of trouble standing. From a demon's point of view, he was obviously sluggish, and seemed a bit tainted, but by what, he couldn't tell. As Shippou came closer, Kouga noticed his presence and turned, barking at the frightened little kitsune.
"WHERE IS SHE?!," Kouga demanded loudly, almost desperately as Shippou hurried behind Sango. She readied her weapon again, but Miroku put up a hand and lowered it, "It's okay Sango; he won't hurt us. I don't think it's us he's after."
"Wh... who?," Shippou stuttered.
"KAGOME! Who else?!"
"Oh, she's still in her time."
"Then why is dog-turd back here? Did he leave her to fend for herself?! If she's hurt I'll..."
"No, no, you've got it all wrong!," Shippou said hurriedly, waving his hands in front of him. Carefully he peeked from behind Sango and emerged, positioning himself between his friends and the crazed wolf.
"She's sick and Inu Yasha came to get help from Kaede."
Kouga seemed to think about this for a moment, and Miroku took the opportunity to get a few words in himself, "Shippou, what's wrong with him?"
Immediately the wolf looked up and snarled, baring his teeth in a most terrifying way. "What's WRONG with me?! I'm so goddamned weak I can't even keep my human form! My woman is in another time, sick no less, and I can't get to her! I have this HORRID pain throughout my body and my ears won't stop ringing! What the hell do they *think* is wrong with me?!"
Shippou backs off slightly and looks to his friends, "He's sick. Something's wrong with him, and I think his demon blood is getting the better of him."
Miroku nods and looks at Shippou skeptically, "Is that *really* what he said?"
The kit looks away sheepishly, "Well, without the symptoms and the language, yeah, basically." He receives a pat on the head for this.
"I think you've been around Inu yasha too long."
"Kouga," Sango turns towards the wolf. He's no longer snarling, but is no less fearsome. He was almost as frightening as Inu Yasha when *his* demon blood took over. Shaking the thought from her mind, she continued. "You should come see Kaede with us."
Miroku nods, "So you think this is connected to Kagome-chan?"
"Perhaps. Either way we have to see if we can help him."
With a nod, the three look to Kouga. They sit for a minute, watching his mind work through the decision and then smile as he nods and begins to slowly walk towards the village, faltering every other step or so. Sango comes up beside him, riding Kirara, and says, "Hey Kouga, why don't you ride on Kirara's back with me?" With a snap and a low growl, she looks forward, trying not to show her surprise.
"He says that he's a demon and doesn't need the help of a human."
Sango sighs, "I think I'll let that one go Kouga, but *only* because you're not yourself." He snarls a little and then continues his trot forward. They hadn't gone very far to begin with, so the walk back to Kaede's was pretty short. Kouga sniffed, snarled, and backed away from the hut as Inu Yasha came out.
"Yo. Hey, what happened to Kouga?" The wolf snarls and snaps at him, but the hanyou is unfazed. "Anyway, we need a shard from you wimpy." At this, Kouga goes mad. He lunges for Inu Yasha, but is caught very easily. He's still ill and rather weak, a fact is not lost on the resident within.
"Inu Yasha, put him down. He is ill and needs my attention." Obediently, Inu Yasha drops the wolf and heads into the hut, everyone following closely behind.
"So dog-turd, when did you start rolling over for these humans? Care to play dead?" Shippou's eyes widen considerably, and he leaps for the safety of Sango's arms. None of the others know what he said, but at Shippou's reaction, they expect the worst and begin to slowly back away. Inu Yasha just scowls and turns from him, barking a short reply back.
"And when did you become so weak that you couldn't keep your form?" Kouga's snarls stop and his blue eyes fall to the ground more quickly than a lead balloon. One could almost hear him sigh as he made his way over to Kaede, the old woman giving him a short glance and looking back towards the herbs before her.
"Kouga, I be in need of a Shikon shard. Thou hast three and I wish to see one." At the wolf's confused look and a soft growl, she looks to him and continues. "I will give thy shard back, but I am in urgent need to look upon one. Tis for Kagome's sake as well as your own."
Hesitantly, Kouga looks to the miko and nods; he would do anything for Kagome. Standing as still as possible, Kouga watches as Kaede carefully takes a knife and creates a shallow cut on his leg. "Watch," she instructs and cuts in another spot a little more deeply. From there she removes a shard and, where as the first cut neither healed nor stopped bleeding, once the shard was removed, both the gash and the cut were gone.