Ch. 5: Of Wolves and Teens
The sun had barely risen over the horizon as Inuyasha opened his eyes to a gruff, loud voice. "GIT UP YA LOUSY BUM!" the Scotsman yelled.
Inuyasha stood up, and groaned. It was bad enough Argyle made him sleep outside with no protection other than the clothes on his back, but waking up at this hour? Inuyasha stretched and yawned, and looked at the giant Scotsman. "What's the big idea?" he asked irritated.
"Tha idea is yur training!" the Scotsman answered. "Yur looky ah let ya sleep an hour late! C'mon!"
Argyle led Inuyasha to the lake, and then on a small boat. Argyle paddled towards a small island in the middle of the lake. They got off, and Inuyasha stumbled to his knees.
"Git up. This is where we'll be doin yur trainin."
"Why..." Inuyasha struggled, "can't I move?!"
"Tha islands enchanted, this is 50 tames normal gravity." Inuyasha struggled to his feet. "Now, ah want ya tah roon fifty laps around the island." Inuyasha begrudgingly agreed, and ran the fifty laps. As he completed them, he knelt, breathing heavily. "Alraht, now five hoondred pushups. Let's go, wee man." Inuyasha grumbled, removed his shirt, and began. His arms burned after two hundred, and he could barely move after four hundred. Yet all it took was the thought of Kagome for him to push on through the final hundred. Finally, as they were completed, he collapsed.
"Man, that was painful." Inuyasha said gasping for breath.
"Ye think yur doone? Ha, doont make me laugh. That was joost tha warm-up." Inuyasha looked at him with a look that seemed to say, "You can't be serious?" But he could tell from his stare that he was. Inuyasha rose to his feet.
"Okay, what next?" he asked.
"Ah'll give ya credit for determination. Now pick oop yur sword, and throw it on the ground."
"We're not training with swords?"
"Ah didn't say that. That sword's too light to effectively train with. Ye'll be using mine." Argyle tossed his blade at Inuyasha, and he caught it by the handle. He held it up for a few seconds, but the felt the blade and his arms crash to the ground.
'Man, this thing weighs a ton!" he cried.
"That's sounds about raht. Now c'mon boy, I have a practice field set oop in the islands interior. " Argyle led Inuyasha through the thick woods, to an open field. Dummies in armor were set up over the plain. Inuyasha looked around. "Ah've fifty dummies set oop around dis plain an in the woods surroundin. Ah want ye ta take all fifty down. Catch is, ya can only use da sword. And noone of yur fancy magic tricks either."
Inuyasha groaned, and struggled to lift Argyle's sword. He walked up to one of the dummies, and swung. The force of the blade cleaved the dummy in two, but its momentum carried Inuyasha a few feet before he could regain his balance. He walked up, and tried a vertical cut. But the sword sank into the ground and Inuyasha spent half a minute trying to pry it out of the ground. Argyle got a laugh out of it. Inuyasha growled, and screamed as he ran around cutting dummies in half. Finally, he was done. He walked over to argyle, and collapsed.
"Twenty minutes, naht bad. But after Ah'm doon with ya, ya'll be able to do it en twenty seconds."
The rest of the day was Hell for Inuyasha. In the fifty times gravity, even the simplest movement were nearly impossible. Basic sword drills became arduous tests of strength and endurance. The sun beat down on the hanyou, draining the life from him, as did the Scotsman's gruff voice. Inuyasha was pushed to his limits, and far beyond. Finally, as he was sure the last bit of strength had left him, Argyle told him that the day's training was over.
Argyle led Inuyasha back to the boat, and had him paddle back. After they came ashore, Argyle gave Inuyasha a hearty pat on the back. "Ah'm impressed. Tha last guy who came tah me passed out after the first dah. An he was twace ya size."
The boat came ashore, and Argyle and Inuyasha made their way to the house. They paused halfway there when Inuyasha noticed a familiar scent. Argyle drew his sword and approached cautiously. Inuyasha held him back.
"Chill out, Scotty. She's a friend of mine." As if in response, she came into view. She was slightly shorter than Inuyasha, with short auburn hair that fell to her shoulders. She was dressed in red and black leather and had a wild look in her eyes.
"What's up, Inny?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Nothing much," he replied walking up and giving the teenager a high five. "What are you out here for Spike?"
"This Kojirou dude has Dad spooked BIG time," she said turning towards the house. "So he sent me here."
"That's Sesshoumaru for you. He might not care about many people other than himself, but when he does..."
"He's just paranoid. I can take care of myself, you know that. I didn't spend five years in that Shaolin monastery twiddling my thumbs."
Inuyasha looked at her. "You make me glad I don't have any kids," he chuckled
"Thanks," she replied. "So, what's with the big guy?"
Argyle stepped up. "Tha name's Argyle. It's mah pleasure," he said bowing politely. "So, yur Sesshoumaru's daughta? Aye, ye've got ye father's eyes."
The trio made their way to the house, and Inuyasha noticed a familiar figure talking to Shippou. "Kouga? What are you doing here?"
"Didn't anybody tell you? "I've been hired by Sesshoumaru to be Spike's bodyguard."
"Heh, that can't be an easy job." Inuyasha replied.
"So," Kouga said taking a look and a sniff around, "where's Kagome?"
Shippou tried to get Kouga's attention, drawing his hand across his throat. "Ix-nay on agome-Kay!" he whispered. But it was too late. Inuyasha turned around, bowed his head, and walked to the lake. Kouga stood there scratching his head.
"What? What did I do?" he asked in confusion.
"You idiot!" Spike yelled, backhanding Kouga "Kagome was kidnapped by Kojirou, remember?!!"
"I forgot." He said rubbing the back of his head.
Inuyasha made his way to the lake, and looked over its waters. The sun had begun to sink beneath the hills, leaving a bright orange sky reflected in the lake. It reminded him of the night he proposed to Kagome, before all this started. It had happened two hundred years ago, but her remembered it clearly, as if it happened only hours ago. He had taken her to a bluff overlooking Tokyo. From their vantage point, they could see the entire city. They sat there for hours on a small blanket, simply enjoying each other's company. Inuyasha touched his chest where Kagome laid her head. Her eyes closed, Inuyasha kissed her head, and slipped the ring on her finger. He didn't need to say anything; the look on her face said it all. He smiled, and Kagome threw herself in his arms. "Yes," she whispered in his ear.
A fish jumped in the lake, and Inuyasha was brought back to reality. He looked out at the setting sun, and raised Tetsusaiga into the air. "I will rescue Kagome! You hear me Kojirou?! You can't keep me from her!"
The sun had barely risen over the horizon as Inuyasha opened his eyes to a gruff, loud voice. "GIT UP YA LOUSY BUM!" the Scotsman yelled.
Inuyasha stood up, and groaned. It was bad enough Argyle made him sleep outside with no protection other than the clothes on his back, but waking up at this hour? Inuyasha stretched and yawned, and looked at the giant Scotsman. "What's the big idea?" he asked irritated.
"Tha idea is yur training!" the Scotsman answered. "Yur looky ah let ya sleep an hour late! C'mon!"
Argyle led Inuyasha to the lake, and then on a small boat. Argyle paddled towards a small island in the middle of the lake. They got off, and Inuyasha stumbled to his knees.
"Git up. This is where we'll be doin yur trainin."
"Why..." Inuyasha struggled, "can't I move?!"
"Tha islands enchanted, this is 50 tames normal gravity." Inuyasha struggled to his feet. "Now, ah want ya tah roon fifty laps around the island." Inuyasha begrudgingly agreed, and ran the fifty laps. As he completed them, he knelt, breathing heavily. "Alraht, now five hoondred pushups. Let's go, wee man." Inuyasha grumbled, removed his shirt, and began. His arms burned after two hundred, and he could barely move after four hundred. Yet all it took was the thought of Kagome for him to push on through the final hundred. Finally, as they were completed, he collapsed.
"Man, that was painful." Inuyasha said gasping for breath.
"Ye think yur doone? Ha, doont make me laugh. That was joost tha warm-up." Inuyasha looked at him with a look that seemed to say, "You can't be serious?" But he could tell from his stare that he was. Inuyasha rose to his feet.
"Okay, what next?" he asked.
"Ah'll give ya credit for determination. Now pick oop yur sword, and throw it on the ground."
"We're not training with swords?"
"Ah didn't say that. That sword's too light to effectively train with. Ye'll be using mine." Argyle tossed his blade at Inuyasha, and he caught it by the handle. He held it up for a few seconds, but the felt the blade and his arms crash to the ground.
'Man, this thing weighs a ton!" he cried.
"That's sounds about raht. Now c'mon boy, I have a practice field set oop in the islands interior. " Argyle led Inuyasha through the thick woods, to an open field. Dummies in armor were set up over the plain. Inuyasha looked around. "Ah've fifty dummies set oop around dis plain an in the woods surroundin. Ah want ye ta take all fifty down. Catch is, ya can only use da sword. And noone of yur fancy magic tricks either."
Inuyasha groaned, and struggled to lift Argyle's sword. He walked up to one of the dummies, and swung. The force of the blade cleaved the dummy in two, but its momentum carried Inuyasha a few feet before he could regain his balance. He walked up, and tried a vertical cut. But the sword sank into the ground and Inuyasha spent half a minute trying to pry it out of the ground. Argyle got a laugh out of it. Inuyasha growled, and screamed as he ran around cutting dummies in half. Finally, he was done. He walked over to argyle, and collapsed.
"Twenty minutes, naht bad. But after Ah'm doon with ya, ya'll be able to do it en twenty seconds."
The rest of the day was Hell for Inuyasha. In the fifty times gravity, even the simplest movement were nearly impossible. Basic sword drills became arduous tests of strength and endurance. The sun beat down on the hanyou, draining the life from him, as did the Scotsman's gruff voice. Inuyasha was pushed to his limits, and far beyond. Finally, as he was sure the last bit of strength had left him, Argyle told him that the day's training was over.
Argyle led Inuyasha back to the boat, and had him paddle back. After they came ashore, Argyle gave Inuyasha a hearty pat on the back. "Ah'm impressed. Tha last guy who came tah me passed out after the first dah. An he was twace ya size."
The boat came ashore, and Argyle and Inuyasha made their way to the house. They paused halfway there when Inuyasha noticed a familiar scent. Argyle drew his sword and approached cautiously. Inuyasha held him back.
"Chill out, Scotty. She's a friend of mine." As if in response, she came into view. She was slightly shorter than Inuyasha, with short auburn hair that fell to her shoulders. She was dressed in red and black leather and had a wild look in her eyes.
"What's up, Inny?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Nothing much," he replied walking up and giving the teenager a high five. "What are you out here for Spike?"
"This Kojirou dude has Dad spooked BIG time," she said turning towards the house. "So he sent me here."
"That's Sesshoumaru for you. He might not care about many people other than himself, but when he does..."
"He's just paranoid. I can take care of myself, you know that. I didn't spend five years in that Shaolin monastery twiddling my thumbs."
Inuyasha looked at her. "You make me glad I don't have any kids," he chuckled
"Thanks," she replied. "So, what's with the big guy?"
Argyle stepped up. "Tha name's Argyle. It's mah pleasure," he said bowing politely. "So, yur Sesshoumaru's daughta? Aye, ye've got ye father's eyes."
The trio made their way to the house, and Inuyasha noticed a familiar figure talking to Shippou. "Kouga? What are you doing here?"
"Didn't anybody tell you? "I've been hired by Sesshoumaru to be Spike's bodyguard."
"Heh, that can't be an easy job." Inuyasha replied.
"So," Kouga said taking a look and a sniff around, "where's Kagome?"
Shippou tried to get Kouga's attention, drawing his hand across his throat. "Ix-nay on agome-Kay!" he whispered. But it was too late. Inuyasha turned around, bowed his head, and walked to the lake. Kouga stood there scratching his head.
"What? What did I do?" he asked in confusion.
"You idiot!" Spike yelled, backhanding Kouga "Kagome was kidnapped by Kojirou, remember?!!"
"I forgot." He said rubbing the back of his head.
Inuyasha made his way to the lake, and looked over its waters. The sun had begun to sink beneath the hills, leaving a bright orange sky reflected in the lake. It reminded him of the night he proposed to Kagome, before all this started. It had happened two hundred years ago, but her remembered it clearly, as if it happened only hours ago. He had taken her to a bluff overlooking Tokyo. From their vantage point, they could see the entire city. They sat there for hours on a small blanket, simply enjoying each other's company. Inuyasha touched his chest where Kagome laid her head. Her eyes closed, Inuyasha kissed her head, and slipped the ring on her finger. He didn't need to say anything; the look on her face said it all. He smiled, and Kagome threw herself in his arms. "Yes," she whispered in his ear.
A fish jumped in the lake, and Inuyasha was brought back to reality. He looked out at the setting sun, and raised Tetsusaiga into the air. "I will rescue Kagome! You hear me Kojirou?! You can't keep me from her!"