Hey everyone!! Okay, I'm about to do a lil promotion thing. There's a
cool story, but not many people have read it (or so I'm guessing, seeing as
how there's only been 5 or 6 reviews). It's called "The Way Things Are",
and it's by Inufreak777. Go read!! Major Kikyo bashing!!! Tell the
writer to hurry up, cuz I wanna see when Kagome finally kicks her ass.
Okay, enough of that! I have two VERY anxious wolves, 1 confused kitsune, and 1 freaked-out human dragging at my attention. Here's your chapter!!
Oh yeah, and they're NOT MINE! I wish, though... *grumble grumble*
~~~~~
Ch. 9 Guys, this is my... Family?!?!!??
Kagome groaned, feeling like her old yellow backpack had fallen on top of her. Complete with a full supply of Ramen. And the hanyou attached to the bag, trying to get to the Ramen. That, and for some reason, the ground seemed to be just one large mound, since her arms were actually hanging down, resting on the dirt.
Her eyes snapped open as her memories flooded back to her, and she looked to see what, or who, she had landed on. Wincing, she moved her eyes slowly up the armored chest, the fur pieces on the shoulders, the long black hair on the ground next to him, and finally up to the slightly-older face of her once-suitor, Kouga.
When something soft twitched against her hand, she looked over as well as she could, barely making out a fluffy tail, swishing slowly back and forth. Her eyes widened when they connected with locks of black and auburn hair on her shoulder.
She had come home, she knew that much.
But she had also apparently brought Kouga, Koshu, and Shippou.
Dammit.
~~*~~
Kouga woke to the feeling of immense pressure on his chest. He hadn't felt that much weight since his pups had all decided to tackle him at once... After growing up a lot. Breathing in slowly, he caught a strong scent of pure Kagome, mixed with his son and the kitsune, plus dirt and some other odd smells. He could even hear odd noises nearby, and see some kind of roof over his head.
But to see the roof, he had to look past Kagome's unconscious face. And he couldn't help but look. After all, it had been 72 years, right?? He was entitled to LOOK. And maybe touch... His fingers brushed softly against her cheek, almost making him wish for the old days. He began to reminisce, and in his daydreams, he found himself staring at Kagome's mouth, wondering if she would wake up if he stole a kiss. NO! He had a mate!! And he had pups!!
He shook his head slightly, trying to dispel any and all notions of trying to do anything with Kagome. Unfortunately, when he shook his head, he must have moved enough to shake her awake, because he heard her groan softly. He quickly closed his eyes and relaxed again, hoping she hadn't developed the ability to read minds in the years she was gone.
He also hoped that it was too dark for her human eyes to see the blush burning it's way across his cheeks.
~~*~~
But it's too early, Kagome... can't you just put me in the basket and let me get a couple more hours of sleep?? Why do I gotta get up just because Inuyasha does?
Shippou was very reluctant to leave his place in the warm sleeping bag, although he could have sworn Inuyasha was sitting on him. Only it didn't smell like dog-boy. It smelled more like Kouga than anything else... But wait, Kouga...? Didn't he stop coming around after Kagome left? Yeah... So why was he smelling both of them so strongly now? Kagome was stolen away 72 years ago... And she came back yesterday!! That's right!! Then Kouga and his son, what's-his-name, um... Koshu!! Yeah!! They showed up!! Then Kagome yelled something about needing to go home, and she grabbed my arm, then we hit Kouga, and something hit me in the back, and... we fell in the well.
A groan from underneath him caused his eyes to snap open, and he felt a warm, soft body beneath him, trying to look around. After a minute or two, the person finally seemed to get impatient, taking deep breaths and bracing her small hands on each side of the wolf-youkai's shoulders underneath her. Realizing what she was planning on doing, he immediately decided to get off of her, not caring that the young prince was still resting across his back.
The soon-to-be-conscious prince slid from Shippou's back as he moved off of Kagome, hoping he hadn't hurt her when they landed. Ignoring the thud and soft curse of the now-conscious demon, he helped his love up, sniffing over her for any traces of blood. When he got none, he smiled happily at her dazed expression. She tilted her head back, looking up, and he followed her line of sight, only to be surprised by the sight of a shelter of some sort over the well.
"Why the hell would someone put a roof over a well!?"
~~*~~
His prey was closer. He could smell it now. He could hear the faint breathing sounds it made, it's legs pounding the dirt as it ran from him, the creature's heartbeat pounding in his ears with his own. His claws reached out for it, for the thing he needed the most to survive. Straining, he could hear a girl's soft laughter riding on the wind, ruffling the fur on his tail and the hair by his ears. He considered transforming into his demon form, but it wouldn't do him any good, for when he got to his prey, he needed to be in this form.
A figure darted out before him, and he pounced, his hands reaching for what was so vital to him...
But before he could steal his clothes back from his brat of a sister, the ground pitched beneath him and tossed him off.
He cursed as his head connected with the side of the stupid well, bringing him back to reality. He was, thank the gods, still clothed, and he had fallen in a well with his father, the kitsune, and... her. The miko. Kagome. The woman who smelled so clean and lively, with her bright smile and warm attitude. He smiled and sat up quickly, noting his father's now-open blue eyes as they all turned to the woman standing in the middle of the square. He wanted to give her a good impression of him. After all, he was certain that rudeness and yelling would not win over the kind, beautiful, sweet, innocent, gentle, (but strong) Kagome.
But he wasn't dealing with that Kagome anymore. He was dealing with the annoyed, sore, hungry, dirty, Kagome. He just didn't realize it yet.
His freaking mistake. At least he learns from his mistakes. Right???
Right???!?!?
~~*~~
She was NOT a happy camper. After counting to ten (twice), and taking deep breaths (almost to the point of hyperventilation), and reminding herself these were her friends (no matter how much she wanted to strangle them), she decided she needed to explain to them about where they were.
They were just a bit too enthusiastic for her tastes.
It wasn't that she minded them being there. Not at all. But she did have school. And if they stayed (which she knew they would, considering the fickle attitude of the well), they would need a place to stay. She knew there was room at her house. If one of them slept in her room, one in Souta's room, and one on the couch in the living room. But how was she going to ask?!
"Hey mom!! Yeah, I know I haven't been to the feudal era for a couple of years, but I went through last night, ran into some old buddies, and they accidentally came back with me. Is it okay if they crash here? Oh, no, mom, it's just a mischievous fox-demon, a tends-to-be-jealous-and- possessive wolf demon, and his son, who's probably a lot like him!!"
She sighed and looked at the eager faces around her. Well, she did miss them. And they haven't seen her in 72 years. And this is their first trip to her time. And they seemed to be excited to see what it's like. And Shippou's been wanting to meet my mom forever...
Finally, she hung her head in defeat. She took yet another deep breath, and looked back up to the 3 demons before her. Then she said something that caused the scariest picture she had ever seen.
"You guys can stay with me and my family until I get to go back."
All three demons ran in for a group hug, smiling happily as they made their way towards her.
She couldn't remember a time when she had climbed that ladder faster.
~~*~~
She had been hoping to sneak them all in quickly and silently, so she had planned for them climb up to her bedroom window, someone carrying her, and she would let them all in, with hopefully as little a confrontation as possible.
No such luck.
Kouga was too proud. So was Koshu. And Shippou, well... he just wanted to see everything so much, he couldn't help but run past them towards the place with the voices coming from it. The wolves followed, hands over their ears as they tried not to breathe, complaining about the noises and smells of her world, and asking how she could POSSIBLY live here.
The moment they stepped through the door, hands were removed and breaths were released, everyone relaxing in the quiet, peaceful, serene home. Then her mother appeared.
"KAGOME!!! Where have you been?! We were so worried!!!! We almost called the police!!! Grandpa kept insisting you had been taken and eaten by some giant demon, Souta said you probably went back down the well, and since I knew neither was true - "
It was at this moment she noticed the 3 men standing behind her daughter. 1 older man, 1 about Kagome's age if not slightly older, and 1 who seemed to be a year or two younger than Kagome. Raising an inquisitive eyebrow, she noted the odd clothing, and then... their tails?!
She looked back to her daughter, who was blushing and apparently trying to think of something to say. Finally, she seemed to strike upon something, and said, somewhat nervously, "Um, Souta was right for once??"
When her mother's curious look didn't waver, Kagome spilled everything about going back through the well, and the anniversary party, and falling into the well with the three present demons. The moment the word left her mouth, though, she heard a familiar male voice yelling out indignant words of banishment, and saw the owner of the voice running towards them, paper seals and wards in hand.
Immediately behind him, of course, was Souta, who was yelling for their grandfather to "Stop!!! No!! They're Kagome's friends!! Like Inuyasha, remember!?!?!" Kagome noticed that these words had little to no effect on her raging elder, and hurriedly directed their demon guests upstairs to her room, narrowly missing an encounter with the ofuda-nut.
When she turned to face them, each face looked back at her with a mix between fear, confusion, amusement, and horror. Blushing, she asked them to stay there and not destroy anything, and to not let anyone in except her. Or her mother, if she was kidnapped by her insane grandparent. At their puzzled nods, she slipped through the door, heading back to where her mother was currently trying to placate the aged man.
Souta immediately ran towards her when he saw her, asking millions of questions without waiting for one answer. "Are they really demons? Are they dog demons like Inuyasha was? Did they know Inuyasha? Were they friends? Are they all demon or half demon like Inuyasha was? Do their tails feel as cool as his ears did? Can I take one of them to school with me? How about all three? Were the two black haired ones related, 'cuz they look alike...?"
Kagome was completely dumbfounded as to how Souta had learned to speak so fast, and spent the next few minutes separating his speech into individual questions.
"Yes, they're really demons. No, Shippou's a fox-demon, and Kouga and Koshu are wolf-demons. Kouga and Shippou knew Inuyasha very well. Shippou was his friend, but Kouga was more like a friendly rival. They're all three full-demon. I don't know about Kouga or Koshu's tail, but Shippou's tail is soft, yes. No, you can't take any of them to school. And Kouga is Koshu's father."
She took a deep breath then, hoping to relax, only to notice her mother watching her attentively. "And uh... I kind of told them they could stay here until I went back to their time. Can they, Mom? I'm sure we can find something to do while I'm at school!! Maybe they could help out around here!! Please?!" She turned her sad-puppy-dog look on her mother full force, hoping she wouldn't get into too much trouble.
Her mother merely shrugged. "Okay. Kouga and Koshu can sleep in here, one on the couch, and one on the floor, and Shippou can sleep in Souta's room." A delighted noise came from the boy, a giddy look coming over his features. "Or in your room, since he knows you better, and might be more comfortable around you."
Kagome mouthed "Thank you" to her mother, knowing that she had just saved Shippou from a sleepless night full of video games, questions, and sugar. She trudged her way up the stairs to her room, only to open the door to 3 pairs of wide eyes and hanging jaws. One eyebrow raised in curiosity, she stepped forward and snapped each mouth shut. Finally, Shippou spoke what the other three had been thinking.
"Are you sure you weren't adopted, and they just lied to you?" Kagome's only response was rolled eyes, a slow headshake, and mutterings about aspirin. Then Kouga took up his old stance from whenever he would argue with Inuyasha, and asked angrily, "Why does the kitsune sleep in your room?!"
Kagome groaned and flopped back on her bed. This was going to be a long night. And an even longer week.
~~~~~~
There!! All done with that chapter!! Does that make up for taking so long to update?? I hope so!! Sorry it took so long, I was actually starting my next story. Freaky, huh?? Gotta finish 2, and now I'm starting ANOTHER one. Talk about stress. Anyways, feel free to review!! (as in, PLEASE) See ya soon!!
Okay, enough of that! I have two VERY anxious wolves, 1 confused kitsune, and 1 freaked-out human dragging at my attention. Here's your chapter!!
Oh yeah, and they're NOT MINE! I wish, though... *grumble grumble*
~~~~~
Ch. 9 Guys, this is my... Family?!?!!??
Kagome groaned, feeling like her old yellow backpack had fallen on top of her. Complete with a full supply of Ramen. And the hanyou attached to the bag, trying to get to the Ramen. That, and for some reason, the ground seemed to be just one large mound, since her arms were actually hanging down, resting on the dirt.
Her eyes snapped open as her memories flooded back to her, and she looked to see what, or who, she had landed on. Wincing, she moved her eyes slowly up the armored chest, the fur pieces on the shoulders, the long black hair on the ground next to him, and finally up to the slightly-older face of her once-suitor, Kouga.
When something soft twitched against her hand, she looked over as well as she could, barely making out a fluffy tail, swishing slowly back and forth. Her eyes widened when they connected with locks of black and auburn hair on her shoulder.
She had come home, she knew that much.
But she had also apparently brought Kouga, Koshu, and Shippou.
Dammit.
~~*~~
Kouga woke to the feeling of immense pressure on his chest. He hadn't felt that much weight since his pups had all decided to tackle him at once... After growing up a lot. Breathing in slowly, he caught a strong scent of pure Kagome, mixed with his son and the kitsune, plus dirt and some other odd smells. He could even hear odd noises nearby, and see some kind of roof over his head.
But to see the roof, he had to look past Kagome's unconscious face. And he couldn't help but look. After all, it had been 72 years, right?? He was entitled to LOOK. And maybe touch... His fingers brushed softly against her cheek, almost making him wish for the old days. He began to reminisce, and in his daydreams, he found himself staring at Kagome's mouth, wondering if she would wake up if he stole a kiss. NO! He had a mate!! And he had pups!!
He shook his head slightly, trying to dispel any and all notions of trying to do anything with Kagome. Unfortunately, when he shook his head, he must have moved enough to shake her awake, because he heard her groan softly. He quickly closed his eyes and relaxed again, hoping she hadn't developed the ability to read minds in the years she was gone.
He also hoped that it was too dark for her human eyes to see the blush burning it's way across his cheeks.
~~*~~
But it's too early, Kagome... can't you just put me in the basket and let me get a couple more hours of sleep?? Why do I gotta get up just because Inuyasha does?
Shippou was very reluctant to leave his place in the warm sleeping bag, although he could have sworn Inuyasha was sitting on him. Only it didn't smell like dog-boy. It smelled more like Kouga than anything else... But wait, Kouga...? Didn't he stop coming around after Kagome left? Yeah... So why was he smelling both of them so strongly now? Kagome was stolen away 72 years ago... And she came back yesterday!! That's right!! Then Kouga and his son, what's-his-name, um... Koshu!! Yeah!! They showed up!! Then Kagome yelled something about needing to go home, and she grabbed my arm, then we hit Kouga, and something hit me in the back, and... we fell in the well.
A groan from underneath him caused his eyes to snap open, and he felt a warm, soft body beneath him, trying to look around. After a minute or two, the person finally seemed to get impatient, taking deep breaths and bracing her small hands on each side of the wolf-youkai's shoulders underneath her. Realizing what she was planning on doing, he immediately decided to get off of her, not caring that the young prince was still resting across his back.
The soon-to-be-conscious prince slid from Shippou's back as he moved off of Kagome, hoping he hadn't hurt her when they landed. Ignoring the thud and soft curse of the now-conscious demon, he helped his love up, sniffing over her for any traces of blood. When he got none, he smiled happily at her dazed expression. She tilted her head back, looking up, and he followed her line of sight, only to be surprised by the sight of a shelter of some sort over the well.
"Why the hell would someone put a roof over a well!?"
~~*~~
His prey was closer. He could smell it now. He could hear the faint breathing sounds it made, it's legs pounding the dirt as it ran from him, the creature's heartbeat pounding in his ears with his own. His claws reached out for it, for the thing he needed the most to survive. Straining, he could hear a girl's soft laughter riding on the wind, ruffling the fur on his tail and the hair by his ears. He considered transforming into his demon form, but it wouldn't do him any good, for when he got to his prey, he needed to be in this form.
A figure darted out before him, and he pounced, his hands reaching for what was so vital to him...
But before he could steal his clothes back from his brat of a sister, the ground pitched beneath him and tossed him off.
He cursed as his head connected with the side of the stupid well, bringing him back to reality. He was, thank the gods, still clothed, and he had fallen in a well with his father, the kitsune, and... her. The miko. Kagome. The woman who smelled so clean and lively, with her bright smile and warm attitude. He smiled and sat up quickly, noting his father's now-open blue eyes as they all turned to the woman standing in the middle of the square. He wanted to give her a good impression of him. After all, he was certain that rudeness and yelling would not win over the kind, beautiful, sweet, innocent, gentle, (but strong) Kagome.
But he wasn't dealing with that Kagome anymore. He was dealing with the annoyed, sore, hungry, dirty, Kagome. He just didn't realize it yet.
His freaking mistake. At least he learns from his mistakes. Right???
Right???!?!?
~~*~~
She was NOT a happy camper. After counting to ten (twice), and taking deep breaths (almost to the point of hyperventilation), and reminding herself these were her friends (no matter how much she wanted to strangle them), she decided she needed to explain to them about where they were.
They were just a bit too enthusiastic for her tastes.
It wasn't that she minded them being there. Not at all. But she did have school. And if they stayed (which she knew they would, considering the fickle attitude of the well), they would need a place to stay. She knew there was room at her house. If one of them slept in her room, one in Souta's room, and one on the couch in the living room. But how was she going to ask?!
"Hey mom!! Yeah, I know I haven't been to the feudal era for a couple of years, but I went through last night, ran into some old buddies, and they accidentally came back with me. Is it okay if they crash here? Oh, no, mom, it's just a mischievous fox-demon, a tends-to-be-jealous-and- possessive wolf demon, and his son, who's probably a lot like him!!"
She sighed and looked at the eager faces around her. Well, she did miss them. And they haven't seen her in 72 years. And this is their first trip to her time. And they seemed to be excited to see what it's like. And Shippou's been wanting to meet my mom forever...
Finally, she hung her head in defeat. She took yet another deep breath, and looked back up to the 3 demons before her. Then she said something that caused the scariest picture she had ever seen.
"You guys can stay with me and my family until I get to go back."
All three demons ran in for a group hug, smiling happily as they made their way towards her.
She couldn't remember a time when she had climbed that ladder faster.
~~*~~
She had been hoping to sneak them all in quickly and silently, so she had planned for them climb up to her bedroom window, someone carrying her, and she would let them all in, with hopefully as little a confrontation as possible.
No such luck.
Kouga was too proud. So was Koshu. And Shippou, well... he just wanted to see everything so much, he couldn't help but run past them towards the place with the voices coming from it. The wolves followed, hands over their ears as they tried not to breathe, complaining about the noises and smells of her world, and asking how she could POSSIBLY live here.
The moment they stepped through the door, hands were removed and breaths were released, everyone relaxing in the quiet, peaceful, serene home. Then her mother appeared.
"KAGOME!!! Where have you been?! We were so worried!!!! We almost called the police!!! Grandpa kept insisting you had been taken and eaten by some giant demon, Souta said you probably went back down the well, and since I knew neither was true - "
It was at this moment she noticed the 3 men standing behind her daughter. 1 older man, 1 about Kagome's age if not slightly older, and 1 who seemed to be a year or two younger than Kagome. Raising an inquisitive eyebrow, she noted the odd clothing, and then... their tails?!
She looked back to her daughter, who was blushing and apparently trying to think of something to say. Finally, she seemed to strike upon something, and said, somewhat nervously, "Um, Souta was right for once??"
When her mother's curious look didn't waver, Kagome spilled everything about going back through the well, and the anniversary party, and falling into the well with the three present demons. The moment the word left her mouth, though, she heard a familiar male voice yelling out indignant words of banishment, and saw the owner of the voice running towards them, paper seals and wards in hand.
Immediately behind him, of course, was Souta, who was yelling for their grandfather to "Stop!!! No!! They're Kagome's friends!! Like Inuyasha, remember!?!?!" Kagome noticed that these words had little to no effect on her raging elder, and hurriedly directed their demon guests upstairs to her room, narrowly missing an encounter with the ofuda-nut.
When she turned to face them, each face looked back at her with a mix between fear, confusion, amusement, and horror. Blushing, she asked them to stay there and not destroy anything, and to not let anyone in except her. Or her mother, if she was kidnapped by her insane grandparent. At their puzzled nods, she slipped through the door, heading back to where her mother was currently trying to placate the aged man.
Souta immediately ran towards her when he saw her, asking millions of questions without waiting for one answer. "Are they really demons? Are they dog demons like Inuyasha was? Did they know Inuyasha? Were they friends? Are they all demon or half demon like Inuyasha was? Do their tails feel as cool as his ears did? Can I take one of them to school with me? How about all three? Were the two black haired ones related, 'cuz they look alike...?"
Kagome was completely dumbfounded as to how Souta had learned to speak so fast, and spent the next few minutes separating his speech into individual questions.
"Yes, they're really demons. No, Shippou's a fox-demon, and Kouga and Koshu are wolf-demons. Kouga and Shippou knew Inuyasha very well. Shippou was his friend, but Kouga was more like a friendly rival. They're all three full-demon. I don't know about Kouga or Koshu's tail, but Shippou's tail is soft, yes. No, you can't take any of them to school. And Kouga is Koshu's father."
She took a deep breath then, hoping to relax, only to notice her mother watching her attentively. "And uh... I kind of told them they could stay here until I went back to their time. Can they, Mom? I'm sure we can find something to do while I'm at school!! Maybe they could help out around here!! Please?!" She turned her sad-puppy-dog look on her mother full force, hoping she wouldn't get into too much trouble.
Her mother merely shrugged. "Okay. Kouga and Koshu can sleep in here, one on the couch, and one on the floor, and Shippou can sleep in Souta's room." A delighted noise came from the boy, a giddy look coming over his features. "Or in your room, since he knows you better, and might be more comfortable around you."
Kagome mouthed "Thank you" to her mother, knowing that she had just saved Shippou from a sleepless night full of video games, questions, and sugar. She trudged her way up the stairs to her room, only to open the door to 3 pairs of wide eyes and hanging jaws. One eyebrow raised in curiosity, she stepped forward and snapped each mouth shut. Finally, Shippou spoke what the other three had been thinking.
"Are you sure you weren't adopted, and they just lied to you?" Kagome's only response was rolled eyes, a slow headshake, and mutterings about aspirin. Then Kouga took up his old stance from whenever he would argue with Inuyasha, and asked angrily, "Why does the kitsune sleep in your room?!"
Kagome groaned and flopped back on her bed. This was going to be a long night. And an even longer week.
~~~~~~
There!! All done with that chapter!! Does that make up for taking so long to update?? I hope so!! Sorry it took so long, I was actually starting my next story. Freaky, huh?? Gotta finish 2, and now I'm starting ANOTHER one. Talk about stress. Anyways, feel free to review!! (as in, PLEASE) See ya soon!!