Notes: Oh, my. O.o o.O O.O I ACTUALLY GOT ANOTHER CHAPTER OUT! *Dies of shock*
Healing of the Heart
By Sango-chan
Chapter 3
Old Friends…and Enemies
Inuyasha glanced over at his companion impatiently. He was beginning to regret his decision of traveling with Sango…two whole weeks, and never had he seen an opportunity to claim her Shikon shards. To add a finishing touch to his frustration, they hadn't even come along one single demon in possession of a shard, either. The hanyô was getting bored, annoyed, and edgy—not a good combination in someone with an already extremely short tolerance span.
"Can't you hurry up?!" Inuyasha yelled over his shoulder at Sango, perched upon Kirara's back as always.
Gritting her teeth, the demon exterminator counted slowly to ten before answering. "I'm not about to exhaust Kirara in order to keep up with you."
"Feh," he snorted. "Pathetic."
She glared at him, shooting back, "Excuse me if I don't want to be stuck for the rest of the day waiting for you to get your wind back after a ridiculous one-hour sprint."
"Well, who asked you to wait?"
"Fine! Then I'll go by myself."
"Have it your way."
With those words, Inuyasha was gone, a tiny speck in the distance. Left alone, Sango sighed and slumped against Kirara's neck. Feeling the extra weight, the demon cat craned her head around to look at her owner questioningly. Sango patted Kirara on the neck. "It's not you, Kirara…it's him." She heaved another gusty sigh and stared off morosely in the direction the yôkai had headed in. More and more she was beginning to question her wisdom in asking the half demon to travel with her.
'All I wanted was someone to talk to, but what do I get? A gloomy, depressing, moody, private, unfriendly, irritable demon…not to mention a very quiet one.' Inuyasha rarely opened his mouth, grunted monosyllabic answers to only the most necessary questions, killed any attempts Sango made at conversation, and snapped at her if she tried to interrupt his brooding.
"What did I do to deserve a role as nursemaid to a moping dog demon?" Sango spoke aloud to the empty land around her. There was no answer. She sighed—this was becoming a habit these days—and continued onward.
*****
True to her earlier prediction, Sango found Inuyasha crouched in a tree after a few hours of traveling, the dog demon panting heavily. She said nothing, but shot him an "I told you so" look. He glared.
'That smug expression on her face is beginning to bug me…'
"I hate you," Inuyasha muttered under his breath, knowing that his statement sounded like the useless whine of a spoiled child.
Sango glanced over, her expression unreadable. She tossed him a blanket. "Get to sleep, puppy."
*****
An hour later, Inuyasha was still awake and fuming.
Puppy? Puppy?! Who does that wench think she is? I'm not a cub to be talked down to.
He shifted position slightly, moving Tetsusaiga over to his right shoulder. Feeling the brush of fabric against his foot, the hanyô looked down to see the blanket that the demon exterminator had given him. Kicking it aside disdainfully, Inuyasha looked upon the blanket as yet another proof of Sango's unworth.
'How weak does she think I am? I'm not—' he glanced over at the girl who was huddled near the fire, curled up in a second blanket '—like that human.' Sneering, the half-demon privately added, 'After all the time I spent traveling with those mortals a year ago, and she still can't remember that I've never needed that protection from the elements.'
Or had she?
The demon exterminator wasn't one to forget things that easily. So why had she given him the blanket? Tonight was cold by human standards—she could have used that second blanket.
'Why, then?'
More confused than ever, Inuyasha grumbled once more about the fickleness of humans and went to sleep.
*****
Something cold and wet nudged her face.
Rolling over, Sango tried to push the thing away, but it was persistent, continuing its attack. She could feel it hovering just above her right eye, damp and icy, not allowing her to sleep again. She could feel the menace emanating from it, an almost tangible thing: Move or I will be forced to do it…
Sighing, the demon exterminator cracked one eye open and glared at Kirara's inquisitive face. "All right, I'm getting up. You don't have to sit on me, I get it…" The cat demon sat back on its haunches and watched her master yawn and stretch until it was sure that the girl was awake enough. Kirara then swung her head around in the opposite direction, prepared to use force to wake the hanyô if needed.
With eyes still closed, Inuyasha spoke up. "Do you do this every morning?"
'What the…' Startled, Sango took a while before answering, "Well…only when Kirara feels like I'm sleeping in too late."
"Hmph." The dog demon favored Kirara with an impassive glance.
It was all Sango could do to keep her mouth from hanging open. Inuyasha…actually starting a conversation?! For the first few days, she had constantly tried to break the ice between them, asking friendly questions that were repulsed by the yôkai's stoic stares or uneasy silences. Why then, was he suddenly talking?
Inuyasha watched the girl from the corner of his eye, wondering whether he should ask her about last night's behavior. No, he decided, better not to let her think I'm actually interested. Scrutinizing the demon exterminator closely, Inuyasha pounced on her the second he saw her finish her morning meal. "Let's go!"
"Why so eager to leave today? Maybe I'm not done eating yet…" Sango reached for another cup of tea.
"…"
Grinning, she set the beaker down and hefted Hiraikotsu over Kirara's back. "Impatient, aren't you? …I was joking…just joking…" she added after seeing the expression on his face.
"I knew that, now let's go already."
"Sure," the demon exterminator replied, not minding Inuyasha's abrupt attitude for once. Just the fact that he was willing to offer a few words without her prompting was enough to lighten the whole mood of the day. 'He's finally beginning to loosen up…!' Still smiling, Sango half-turned and nodded toward Kirara's back. "Need a ride?"
Inuyasha stared in scornful disbelief. "What do you think I am, weak?"
Sango let out a tiny sigh and gently dug a knee into Kirara's side, and the fire cat immediately took off. 'Ok, so maybe not quite yet…'
*****
Orange eyes glinted with malicious humor as they stared up at the figures flying above. The fiery-haired yôkai looked down at the small, translucent white disk in his hands and tapped it with one forefinger. Immediately the surface of the disk became pure milky-white. Speaking a few words, the demon rubbed the bony spikes of the glove on his left hand impatiently as he waited for the image to clear. Blurry shapes formed on the disk, the lines becoming clearer until he could see the distinct baboon-cloaked figure in the stone.
"Naraku. I've found them."
"Good, good…now, what should I do with them?"
The yôkai waited, sensing that the other was merely ruminating. A small smile formed on the mouth depicted in the seeing stone as Naraku chuckled quietly to himself. "Yes…that's it. Show yourself to them, then lure them into the cave."
"Understood…however…"
"You'll get your payment afterwards. Two Shikon shards, as agreed…that is, if you succeed."
Smirking, the demon replied, "I'm quite sure there is no question of that. I will not fail."
"Make sure that you don't." With those last parting words, Naraku's image faded and then disappeared from the surface, which once again became white. The yôkai stared at the blank stone for a second longer, then put it down carefully and picked up the staff lying nearby. He lovingly fondled the smooth wood, tracing its flaring curve upward into a sharp, sickle-shaped blade. Carefully, the demon pressed a fingertip down on the tip of the blade, watching as a drop of blood appeared. He licked it and grinned ferally. Time to do his job.
A/N: Dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN…who is this strange yôkai? Anyone know? Well, I'll tell you! *Looks around suspiciously* I STOLE HIM! *Grins* Don't tell anyone! ^^ But I did steal him…it's Viaresu, from Dragon Knights by Mineko Ohkami! She's a really great manga artist…GO READ IT! Since I don't think a lot of ppl know it (there's only about five DK fanfics here), I just stole my hot lil' Bierrez-kun! *Glomps Viaresu* I LUV HIM SO MUCH! And I stole him for my fanfic…to escape my author's block…I mean, he died in Vol. 4 (*sniffle* WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!) so I just "borrowed" him. ^^ *Squeezes tightly*
Viaresu: *Gasps for air* Dy…ing!
Whoops! I don't want to kill you again! *Sniffle* ;_; *Lets go* Now…lesse…piccie of Viaresu! He's the green-eyed orange-haired (duh) bishounen on the left! ;
