Kaze no Houyou – The Embrace of the Wind: Chapter One

                Inuyasha jerked his head up from his Ramen bowl, mouth full of noodles. "Mmph? Mmph mm—mph? Mm!" He struggled to catch a noodle that fell from his mouth as he tried to speak.

                "Huh? What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, half-smiling, but curious of his sudden spasm.

                He swallowed what was in his mouth and gasped a second for air. He stood. "A hanyou. I smell one…"

                "Hanyou? Is it Naraku?" Miroku stood now as well.

                Shippo leapt onto Kagome's shoulder as she stood up too. "Lemme at him! We'll get him this time for sure!"

                "No." Inuyasha's nose twitched in the air once more. "It's not him. It's…inu?" He was surprised at the scent that filled his nose.

                "Inu? Like you and Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha?" Now Sango stood, glancing down at Kirara.

                He nodded. "It's coming this way too."

                The kitsune-youkai growled again. "Inu or not, I'm a great Fox Demon. I can take anything on!"

                The group watched as a figure became clearer and clearer to them, moving closer. It was trudging, as if it had been traveling a desert for weeks. It watched the ground, feet dragging, triangle ears drooping against its head. Its long hair was silver-blue and it seemed to be just slightly younger than Kagome. It wore clothes that Kagome didn't recognize to be from either era.

                Finally, it glanced up. Upon seeing the group, it gasped. All fatigue seemingly fleeting, it ran over to them, excited.  "Ah! At last! I found you."

                "Ano…you were looking for us?" Kagome stepped forward, putting her arm in front of Inuyasha to block him. She didn't want their first meeting with this hanyou to be violent.

                The hanyou looked confused for just a moment, and then things appeared to clear up in her mind. "My name is Yuki. I've heard great things about you all."

                "Great things? She must have heard this from the villages we have helped out," Sango said thoughtfully.

                Miroku stepped forward. "Yes, and though I have accomplished many feats, I have yet to receive a reward for them all. Would you be the one to deliver my reward for me?" He took the hanyou's hands in his. "Please, Miss Yuki. I'm sure you have heard the tale of the curse in my hand and how it will destroy me. You must understand that a son is necessary in order for my revenge on Naraku to be obtained. He must not defeat my family. Miss Yuki…will you bear my child?"

                Yuki's right eye twitched, and she yanked her hands away from Miroku's. Yuck! Gross, gross, gross. Me? With…Uncle Miroku?! She shuddered. "Uh…sorry, Unc—…uh, Miroku." Crap. Almost slipped. I don't think anyone noticed though.

                The monk sighed. It was worth a try. Though I wonder if it will ever work… He turned around back to the group just in time to get a ringing slap from Sango across his face. He trudged the few feet to the back of the group, rubbing his face.

                Red-faced and flustered, Sango glared at him until the others began talking again.

                "What did you come lookin' for us for?" Inuyasha demanded. He didn't like this hanyou already, and he wanted to get straight to the point. The sooner she leaves, the better. She's probably gonna ask us for another favor. Dammit! We're never gonna find Naraku's hideout at this point. Geez.

                "Ano…" she began, glancing behind her. Where is Serin? Her nose caught an oncoming breeze and she smiled just a bit. Here she comes.

                "Nani? Another hanyou!" Inuyasha shouted, also catching the scent. He was beginning to get frustrated.

                "Oh. That's my cousin, Serin. Hey Serin, over here!" Yuki called behind her.

                A moment later, another inu-hanyou approached the group. Her own silver-blue hair fell to the small of her back, where the last six inches or so faded into an obsidian black color. She sported a single pale fuchsia stripe across each cheek on her face, and her eyes were an amber-brown.  This hanyou wore the robe-outfit that Kagome recognized as from Inuyasha's era, but it was of a red and white designed print, not just a solid color. She wore a threatening-looking sword at her side, and she stood a few inches taller than her cousin did.

                "Two of them?" Kagome questioned, now curious as to why they were here.

                The second hanyou said nothing as she approached the group and stood by her cousin. She seemed much quieter and more introverted than Yuki was.

                As if the earlier slap from Sango meant nothing to him, Miroku stepped up to this newcomer with a bright smile, but with pitiful, pleading eyes. Just as he took her hands in his, she jerked them back, smacking him herself. Her narrowed eyes seemed almost evil with a mild anger.

                Sango was taken aback as Miroku rubbed his face, a bit confused himself. I hadn't even said anything yet…itai… "Forgive me, Miss Serin." She's strange. Cold-hearted. He shuddered in the slightest at the thought of her touch again. Like ice…

                "Ano…we would like to travel with you guys for awhile, if it's alright with you," Yuki smiled, breaking the deadly silence and glares.

                "Nan'da yo?!" Inuyasha protested.

                "We've heard the many tales of your battles, and all the villages you've helped. We wanted to help out too," Yuki continued.

                "Hell no!! Hell! No! There's no way that you two are gonna—"

                "Inuyasha," Kagome began, "Hush. Let them talk."

                "What? So they can fill us up with their lies?! These two are nothing but damned scavengers trying to get at our jewel shards!" Inuyasha screamed.

                "Oh, the whole three that we have," Kagome falsely agreed with sarcasm.

                "Yes, you idiot! All they need is one damn shard for each of them, and then boom! We have two damned monsters on our hands that WE will have to end up saving some village from later!"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome started, eyes closed in frustration.

                "What the hell now?!"

                "Osuwa—"

                An unnaturally loud cough from Yuki cut off Kagome's command. "Oh…gomen. There's something in my throat," Yuki finished between her false coughs. Geez…if she had finished that word, I'd be eating dirt right now! Then they would know that something's up. I've got to be sure to watch out for that. "So anyway…would it be alright if we traveled with you for a while?" she smiled.

                "Where is it that you're trying to go?" Miroku asked them. He had a feeling that there was more to their story than just wanting to travel with the group.

                "Of course," Yuki smiled teasingly, "wherever it is that the next convenient ominous black cloud is hanging overhead."

                Miroku winced slightly as he backed down. So they've heard those tales too… "Oh…so I see…" I still think something is not right. Perhaps the next black cloud will be drawn to us from these two. The taller one for sure. He sighed.

                Sango caught the puzzled and concerned look that became Miroku's face as she stroked Kirara's back. Houshi-sama…what are you thinking about? These two seem nice to me. But you see something that I'm not able to, don't you? She frowned just slightly.

                "Well, I think it's a good idea that you two come along. I think two more hanyou fighters will really help us," Kagome smiled. I don't sense anything wrong about them. I wonder what Inuyasha's problem is. He's probably just afraid that they'll be stronger than him.

                "What?! Kagome, will you—" Inuyasha began.

                "Inuyasha!"

                "Feh. Whatever." He turned around and started ahead down the path. He didn't want to hear any more from Kagome, and he certainly didn't feel like tasting dirt. If she wants to drag those two along, then fine. But I'm not going to deal with them. They'd bother me more than they would help. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Kagome!"

                Kagome took in a deep breath. "Osuwariiii!!"

                No!!  Yuki screamed in her mind as she fell face-first into the dirt. Right along with Inuyasha. She sat up quickly, rubbing her head. "Itai…I guess…I slipped again. I do that a lot. Geez, I'm so clumsy." She smiled brightly so as to avert any attention at her.

                Did…Yuki-chan just fall? As I said 'osuwari'? Strange…she picks a strange time to slip. To cough, also. Kagome shrugged as she returned Yuki's smile. Strange coincidences.

                "Ah…anyhow, it's getting a bit late, Kagome-sama. Perhaps we should find a place to rest for the night? There aren't any villages nearby, so I suppose we'll have to sleep outside tonight," Miroku commented, sounding just a bit glum about the last part.

                "Hai. Daijobu, Miroku-sama." Kagome kept up her smile, encouraging the others to keep their happy spirits. We have two new friends now. Camping out should be fun.

                Serin began to walk out of the small clearing and towards the clusters of trees.

                "Ano…Cousin, where are you going?" Yuki called, standing to go follow her.

                The other hanyou said not a word as she merely wandered around, collecting a bundle of dried branches from the forest's floor.

                "Ah! Firewood! Good thinking, Serin-chan. I'll help!" Shippo jumped up, eager to make friends with the two new arrivals. He dashed into the trees to help her.

                "Wait for me!" Kagome laughed, trailing her friends.

                Inuyasha sat off to the side, arms crossed. He was still flustered at being sat again.

                Miroku sighed, gazing into what was now becoming the night sky. "Something is…strange…about those two."

                Sango glanced over to Miroku. "Ano…strange, Houshi-sama? How are they strange? They seem nice to me, and I don't sense anything wrong about them."

                "I think that they carry…I mean…what I keep seeing when I look at them…it's just…"

                "Houshi-sama…what are you trying to say?" Sango urged gently.

                Miroku looked at her with a serious face. One that was confused, yet thoughtful. "It feels to me like they carry death with them. I just keep feeling death as I watch them." He glanced down at his right hand, his wind tunnel. "Kazaana pains when I look at them sometimes. It's as if…" He shook his head and smiled. "Ah, but then, I suppose this is my mind playing cruel tricks on me, trying to tell me I am tired. Eh, Sango?"

                Sango smiled, though she was unsure of what to say. Carrying death? That is scary. But Houshi-sama does look tired. Perhaps it is only just his mind. "Hai, Houshi-sama," she smiled.

                "Ano…Yuki-chan, how old are you?" Kagome asked the hanyou as they gathered more wood.

                "Oh. I'm twelve. And my cousin is seventeen."

                "Ah! You're just a little bit under my age then. How fun," Kagome smiled happily. "I suppose we will be able to relate to each other much more than the others will. Right, Yuki-chan?"

                "Hai, Kagome-chan," Yuki smiled back.

                "Kagome, I found a good one!" Shippo bounced happily as he handed a fair-sized branch to Kagome.

                "Hai, Shippo-chan. It's a good one alright." She glanced over to Serin, and she felt one of her rambles coming on. "Ano…Serin-chan? Do you…not really like to talk much? Because if I'm just bothering you, tell me, and I'll shut up right away. Don't worry about hurting my feelings, I won't be hurt or anything, I just—"

                "Kagome-chan?" Yuki smiled, trying to change the mood. "You are right. Serin doesn't like to talk much. She says it's too noisy."

                "Oh. Gomen ne, Serin-chan." Kagome bowed slightly to her, after completely embarrassing herself. Great…now both of them will think I'm an idiot. She felt despaired. But only for a moment. For the night was warm, and she was with her friends.

                "I think we have enough. We should go back now. Ano…Serin, wait up!" Yuki called to her cousin, who had already started on without the other three.

                "Come on, Shippo-chan. We'd better not be the last ones there," Kagome warned the little fox.

                "I won't be last! I'll race you, Kagome!" he shouted as he took off.

                Kagome giggled, running after her friends.