Disclaimer: Well, there's good news and bad news. The bad news is the I don't own Inu Yasha, and Jaken got taken by the repo guy. ;_; But the good news is that now I'm free from all that debt, so I can actually buy Yukikaze! ^_^
Author's Note: Sorry about the wait folks! I just got back from a cruise! I tried to post this chapter on the day I left, but a huge storm blew through and my power went out. That same storm kept me stranded at the airport for hours, so I guess it's my punishment for not writing the chapter earlier. ^_^;;; Again, 'words' indicates thoughts, and "words" indicate speech. *** indicates transition between locations and POV.
Chapter Three: Sweat Drops Keep Falling From My Head
Gently and softly as the snow she was named for, Yukikaze moved from branch to branch in the forest's canopy, high above the ground. Below her, her prey wound their way through the underbrush, unaware of her presence. The group consisted of the miko, her brother, the houshi, the taijiya and her youkai companion, and a young kitsune, which Kagura had failed to bring up.
'Probably thought he wasn't worth mentioning.' she thought wryly, the corners of her mouth turning upwards ever so slightly. But Yukikaze knew all too well the power kitsune could wield. Her mother had died when she was still very young, but her memories of her were those of a strong, capable woman, who had defended her daughter with all her power. It was only due to her inherent kitsune stealth that she was able to evade detection from her brother's powerful senses.
From this high up, hearing their words wouldn't have been a problem, but she didn't feel like trying. Instead, she focused on the one called Kagome. It was that raven-haired trollop that had ensorcelled her brother, and she intended to do something about it. So far, she had displayed no great power, nor the arrogance that oft accompanied it. In fact, the only thing that marked her as any different from a normal girl was the strange garb she wore. There was something faintly familiar about her clothing, something that niggled at the back of Yukikaze's mind. She had seen that outfit somewhere, she just knew it!
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Yukikaze returned her focus to her prey's movements. Dusk was approaching, and the group was searching for an adequate place to set up camp. Luckily, Yukikaze had done some scouting of her own, and knew where just such a place was located. Silently, she leapt from tree to tree, always matching the pace of the group. She hoped to learn something of their fighting abilities. If Kagura held up her end of the bargain, Yukikaze wouldn't have to worry about fighting them, but she wasn't ready to trust Kagura that far. While most people judged honesty by looking into someone's eyes, she didn't have that luxury. Instead, she used her powerful nose. People gave of different smells when they were angry, hurt, afraid, lying, or anything else. There was just something in Kagura's scent that screamed deception.
****************
Kagome shifted her pack uneasily, as she had done continuously all afternoon. She just couldn't shake the feeling the tingling feeling in the center of her back. It was almost like someone was staring at her...
She was jolted out of her reverie by a shout from Inu Yasha. From what she could gather from his shouts and curses, she had run the tire of her bike over his foot, and then proceeded to walk on it herself. "Gomen nasai Inu Yasha." she muttered meekly, cringing slightly. For something so little, he was acting awfully upset. He had been testy ever since yesterday. She's been late in returning from her own time, so he had come to get her, only to fid Hojou at her house. Kagome had barely managed to hide Inu Yasha from Hojou. Then she'd had to explain who Hojou was, and why he kept bringing her gifts. Unfortunately, Inu Yasha didn't believe her, and had been upset with her ever since. Kagome's private flashback was interrupted by an especially loud curse from Inu Yasha. With an exasperated sigh, Kagome realize that if they were to continue on at all, drastic measures would need to be taken.
"Look Inu Yasha, I already apologized. I'm not sure what else you want from me." she said, her voice rising with every word. She had a right to be upset too. Inu Yasha needed to get over Hojou. He was too jealous! Things couldn't continue like this...
"It doesn't matter! You'd better watch where you're fucking going! Or were you too busy thinking about that loser Hojou?" he sneered. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished he could take them back. Seeing Kagome blaze like that was more than a little scary.
"I-NU-YA-SHA!" Kagome growled, enunciating each syllable heavily. She pinned him with the intensity of her gaze. Inu Yasha cringed, knowing what was coming next.
"OSUWARI!" Kagome bellowed. Her shout was echoed by the loud 'thud' of Inu Yasha's body being planted into the dirt. Pivoting smoothly on one heel, Kagome turned away from Inu Yasha. She carried herself with the same dignity a queen might as she walked off the path and into the forest. Things had been stressful lately, and she wanted some time to herself to think.
***********
From up above, Yukikaze could only watch in horror as Kagome "sat" Inu Yasha. 'That must be part of the sorcery she has him under! How awful!' Yukikaze gasped inwardly. 'And using the word osuwari as the trigger? That's just cruel! The poor boy doesn't need to have his dog heritage rubbed in his face like that.' Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists, Yukikaze set off after Kagome.
************
Miroku looked from Inu Yasha's prone form, to Kagome's retreating one, and back. With an exasperated sigh he gave Inu Yasha a swift kick in the side. "Are you just going to let her walk away?" he inquired. "It's your fault, after all. It's not like she meant to do that."
"You just shut up!" Inu Yasha snarled. "That bitch can do whatever she wants. She'll come crawling back on her own. There's no way I'm going to beg her to." With that he gave a mighty shove with both hands and forced himself up off the ground. With a growl, he purposefully strode off in the opposite direction from the one that Kagome had taken. He too headed away from the trail and into the forest, ignoring the looks his friends gave him.
Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all looked at each other in confusion. "What just happened here?" they all asked simultaneously.
*************
Yukikaze readied herself. 'Foolish girl,' she thought gleefully. 'Doesn't she know the dangers of isolating herself from her party? In the woods, there are always predators about. This makes things even easier for me. ' Carefully she got out a small, cherrywood violin. It had been a gift from a friend of hers, before he died. She preferred to use it for relaxation, but it was equipped with a few... useful... enchantments. Raising it to her chin, she began to play.
*************
"Inu Yasha no baka...." Kagome growled under her breath. "Why can't he lighten up just a little. It's not like I meant to hurt him or anything. He didn't have to blow up at me like that." 'And he didn't have to bring up Hojou-kun...' she added silently. Kagome didn't admit it to herself, but having Inu Yasha mad at her really hurt. She cared so much about him, and to see him like that was more than she could bear. That was the real reason she had stormed out. As she wrestled with feelings of anger and hurt, she was interrupted by a faint sound. She paused for a moment to try to discern from which direction it came, but to no avail.
'Where is that sound coming from? And what could it be?' Kagome thought, genuinely stumped. "A violin?" she asked aloud in an uncertain voice after a few more moments of scrutiny. 'Who would be playing one of those here and at this point in time? When did the violin come to Japan, anyway?' she wondered absently. But there was something about the song that pulled at her; some quality she couldn't identify. It was almost dusk, and she had been tired, but as soon as the first chords of the violin's music reached her, she felt all her exhaustion be swept away. In it's place was a drive, to move, to search, for something, but she didn't know what. All she knew was that she couldn't stop, not until she found what she was looking for. The music sang in her veins, giving her strength she didn't know she had. Her whole being was focused on the violin's insistent melody. The world around her seemed like she was underwater. Everything was hazy and fluid. The only thing that felt real and solid was the music. So it was in this trance-like state the Kagome wandered, unknowingly following Yukikaze away from her friends.
***************
While Kagome's mind was relatively empty, Yukikaze was having a hell of a time. Her focus was divided between using the magic of her instrument and leaping from tree to tree, guiding Kagome's movements. This was especially difficult considering she was jumping backwards. To maintain the enchantment, she had to keep Kagome in sight. Not only that, but the only time she had used that particular spell was when she first learned how to use it. She had no real experience with the thing, and it was proving difficult to sustain. All in all, it came as no surprise to her when the mistake happened.
Yukikaze had only taken into account her own movements when setting the course she chose. She had failed to thoroughly scout the terrain that she would lead Kagome across before she set her plan in action. Unfortunately for her, that blunder made the difference. As she concentrated on the weaving of her magic, she failed to see the slight dip in the terrain. That "dip" turned out to be a deep hole in the ground barely covered in leaves. The hole was actually the entrance to a long unused youkai nest, but it was enough.
With her mind fogged by the spell, Kagome also failed to notice it. Thus, as soon as she stepped on it, her foot passed right through the layer of leaves and she fell in. Despite her clouded mind, she was able to let out a small scream. The combination of the loss of visual confirmation and the sudden sound broke Yukikaze's concentration, and with it the spell. While she tried to figure out exactly what had happened, Kagome scrambled out of the hole.
Looked about wildly, Kagome called out, "Who's there?! What's going on?" 'And where am I, and how did I get here?' she wondered privately.
Sensing that it was time for her introduction, Yukikaze called out "Kagome Higurashi! For your crimes against the House Kansatsukiniro, you must be punished! The penalty for assault on a royal personage is death! You have but one chance to save your wretched life! Remove the spell which you have lain on the prince, and depart from these lands forever more!" Here she puffed up her chest in pride, confident that the miko would be begging in no time. Boy, did she have a lot to learn about challenging the good guy.
"Huh?" Kagome asked quizzically. She sweat dropped and scratched the back of her head bashfully. "Ummm, I don't mean to upset you, but what on earth are you talking about? I've never heard off this 'House Kansatsukiniro.'"
This time it was Yukikaze's turn to sweat drop. Indeed, she almost fell out of the tree she was in from shock. "Wha- what do you mean you've never heard of the House Kansatsukiniro?!" she demanded incredulously. "We rule the Western Lands! Everything you see belongs to us! We're the ones who protect the inhabitants of our territory from outside incursion! Who do you think keeps those Leopards, and Menomaru at bay? Besides, you're traveling with a member of that House! Geez, are you simple or something?" Her eyes were still wide with surprise.
Kagome tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Who are you talking about?" she asked puzzledly. 'I wonder if she knows the Leopards and Menomaru are no longer threats?' she contemplated absently.
"INU YASHA!" Yukikaze yelled, flailing her arms about. Sheesh, either the girl really WAS simple, or she was being incredibly insolent! (A.N. ^_^; She's a bit of a spaz....)
"Wait, if you're talking about Inu Yasha, what are you accusing me of doing to him?" Kagome asked, not putting two and two together quite yet.
Yukikaze couldn't believe her pointed little ears. Despite her urge to jump down and throttle the girl, something made her stop. With an over dramatic sigh of exasperation, she rested her forehead in her hand and began explaining. "Ok, you know I'm accusing you of ensorcelling someone in the House Kansatsukiniro, right?"
"Right..." Kagome said hesitantly, not seeing where the conversation was going.
"And I've explained that they rule these lands, and that Inu Yasha is a member of the House?" Yukikaze said slowly, as if she were talking to a child.
"Right." Kagome said with more certainty. "But I don't know what you mean by assaulting him..." she trailed off.
"WHAT DO YOU CALL WHAT YOU DID BACK THERE?!" Yukikaze demanded angrily, pointing back from whence they came.
"Call what?" asked Kagome in genuine bewilderment. (A.N. My, she's just not on the ball today, is she? I'm sorry this a little OOC, but the scene looked amusing when it played itself out in my head.)
"Saying 'osuwari' and planting him face first in the dirt!" she cried in an outraged voice.
"Oh, that!" Kagome said enthusiastically, clapping her fist into her open palm. "When that spell was first cast, I needed it to defend myself from Inu Yasha." she said, as if that explained it perfectly.
"Well it hardly looked like you needed defending back there!" Yukikaze protested. "You just looked like you didn't want to deal with a problem, so you took it out on my brother!"
'Well, maybe I could have handled it better, but she makes it sound like it was all my fault.' thought Kagome a tad petulantly. 'Waitaminute, did she say-' "BROTHER?!" Kagome half asked, half squeaked. "You mean Inu Yasha is your BROTHER?"
'I guess even the slowest horse eventually finishes the race.' Yukikaze thought with relief. 'This should make things easier.' "Yes," she continued aloud, "Inu Yasha is my brother- well, half brother. Why else would I concern myself with avenging him?" Yukikaze asked.
"I thought Sesshoumaru was his only sibling!" Kagome protested. "He never mentioned anyone else!" 'What on earth is going on?' thought Kagome desperately.
"That's ridiculous!" Yukikaze replied with a laugh. "Inu Yasha has more brothers and sisters than I have hairs on my head!" At the sight of Kagome's eyes bulging out of her head, Yukikaze revised her statement. "Ok, maybe not quite that many, but there are a LOT of us. Inu just hasn't met most of us. He was to little to remember much when I left..." she said, with a trace of sadness in her voice.
Despite having been threatened with death by this girl only moments ago, Kagome still felt compassionate about her situation. "I don't know what I would do if Souta didn't remember me..." she muttered thoughtfully.
Yukikaze gave herself a small slap. "Why am I even discussing this! I'm supposed to be laughing maniacally."
"Says who?" inquired Kagome. 'Where does this girl get all these weird ideas?' thought Kagome incredulously.
"Says the book!" Yukikaze said, shifting uncomfortably. She had a feeling she'd done something stupid again.
"Book?" Kagome asked again.
With a sigh, Yukikaze reached into the small pack she carried and held out large volume before her. It was bound in a leather-like material, but it was too pale to be leather. Kagome tried not to think about what it really was. "This book." Yukikaze muttered, avoiding Kagome's gaze. The book she held was entitled "Rivers of Blood: An Introduction to Avenging Family Honor."
"Where on earth did you get that awful thing?" gasped Kagome, clapping her hand to her mouth. 'And it's not bound in human skin. It's not not NOT!'shivered Kagome internally.
"Oh, it's not from Earth. It's from the planet Klingon (A.N. lol, I couldn't resist! Being a Trekkie is in my blood!). They're as big on honor as we are! This is the only Japanese copy. I made a friend of mine translate it personally. It seemed like a good idea to read it..." she trailed off, aware of how foolish she sounded. She lowered her gaze in embarrassment.
Dismissing the topic of the book, Kagome had another question she had to ask. "What do you mean another planet?" she demanded. Since when were there beings on other planets?!
"Oh, that..." Yukikaze mumbled almost bashfully, "You remember how I said I left when Inu Yasha was too young to remember me? I kinda get sent by a weird magical artifact to another world. I've spent more than sixty years trying to return, hopping from planet to planet, time to time. It's kind of a long story."
"Well, would you like to come back with me and explain it to Inu Yasha?" asked Kagome gently. "After all, he's the one who really needs to hear it."
Yukikaze narrowed her eyes suspiciously. 'Why am I being so casual with this girl? I'm here for vengeance! Damn her and her disarming charm!' Aloud she asked, "What are you up to? Are you preparing a spell to put on me next? Why are you being so nice?" She shifted her balance into a fighting stance, ready for anything Kagome might throw at her.
Kagome sweat dropped. "Ummm, because you don't seem all that bad? Really, I just want to talk. Just come back with me to my friends. I'm sure Inu Yasha would love to see you!" she said sweetly.
Yukikaze retained her wary expression, but finally leaped down from the tree branch she had been standing in. She landed in such a way the her face was just a few inches from Kagome's. She leaned forward so far that Kagome had to lean back slightly. She carefully scrutinized her scent, trying to discern any deception, but she couldn't find any. Finally, she stepped back, allowing Kagome to stand properly. As she did so, Kagome burst out laughing. With both of them standing upright next to each other, Yukikaze didn't even reach anywhere near Kagome's shoulder!
"What's so funny?" Yukikaze demanded angrily. She absolutely HATED people laughing at her.
"Nuh-nuh-nothing!" Kagome managed to choke out between fits of giggles. "Its... just that.... you're so small! I was so intimidated by you!" she clutched her sides, trying to control her laughter.
"SO?!" Yukikaze growled. Her height had to be her biggest weak spot. She despised it when anyone raised the subject. Many of her siblings had teased her about it when she was a child. She'd always harbored the hope that one day she would be tall, like her father, but it never happened. The only upside was that people constantly underestimated her because of her height. "I'm just a bit on the petite side, but that doesn't mean you have to call me small!" she said huffily, folding her arms across her chest. 'Dammit! This is the one thing about being half kitsune that really pisses me off!' she thought petulantly.
When Kagome finally caught her breath, she apologized. "Sorry to laugh like that, but you look like a little kid! I was really afraid you'd hurt me, but I guess I didn't have to-" her apology was cut short by a thin silver blade pressed against her throat. She looked down the blade, and saw that it was in Yukikaze's hands.
"You were saying?" asked Yukikaze in an annoyed tone. She held her katana in place long enough to make Kagome sweat, and the sheathed it. Not a drop of blood was shed, though. "Don't ever make the mistake of thinking I'm harmless!" snarled Yukikaze. "Better men and women than you have died by my hand. My face might seem sweet, but appearances can be deceiving. And don't ever mistake me for a child!"
"Hai, hai." mumbled Kagome, holding her hands up defensively. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. I guess I just wasn't thinking." 'Boy, does she shift moods quickly! Despite all her talk to the contrary, she does seem like a little kid.'
Releasing her hand from the handle of her sword, Yukikaze returned her focus to Kagome. "Funny, you really don't seem that bad. What is it that you did to make Kagura upset with you? I have a feeling she didn't set me against you just to help my brother..." she stopped when she saw a look of horror flash across Kagome's face.
"Kagura?" she wheezed. "She told you that I'd put a spell on Inu Yasha?" she asked in a shocked voice.
"Well, yeah. I'd no sooner got back here than she approached me, telling me what had happened when I was gone. She offered to help me help Inu Yasha. Is something the matter?" she asked, raising her right eyebrow quizzically.
"Kagura has had it in for Inu Yasha and myself since her birth! She was created to help destroy us!" Kagome said. Her stomach felt like lead. 'If this is one of Naraku's traps, there has to be more to it than this! What's going on?' she thought worriedly.
"Created? What do you mean? And why does she want to destroy you?" Yukikaze asked, tilting her head to one side.
"A hanyou named Naraku has had it in for Inu Yasha for fifty years! He's the one who tricked a miko named Kikyo into sealing Inu Yasha to a tree the first time. I released him, but ever since then Naraku has been hunting us. Part of it is out of spite, but part of it is because we're competing over the Shikon no Tama." Kagome explained hurriedly.
"Shikon no Tama? Never heard of it." Yukikaze shrugged.
Kagome sweat dropped once again. If she kept this up she would need a sweat band. "The Shikon no Tama is a jewel that amplifies a youkai's powers. Unfortunately, it's currently shattered into many pieces. The more pieces someone has, the more powerful they become. Inu Yasha originally wanted it to become a full youkai..." she ended sadly.
"Must be from after my time." Yukikaze said indifferently, not realizing the significance of Kagome's words.
"That may well be." Kagome admitted. "But that's not the point. Naraku created Kagura, so if she's involved, it's because he sent her. He's sneaky and never does any of the dirty work himself. But's he's also very devious, and his plans are never simple. If you're here, supposedly taking care of me, then he must have something else planned to occupy the others." Kagome reasoned.
Yukikaze scratched her chin thoughtfully, then exclaimed "Oh yeah! Kagura said she would find a way to lead Inu Yasha off, and distract your comrades! That way there would be nothing to interfere with our fight!" She grinned smugly, evidently pleased at having remembered. Her memory had never been great, but she didn't realize the implication of her words.
She did realize something was up when Kagome grabbed her wrist and started dragging her back the way they came at top speed. "We've got to hurry! If Kagura's got something set up we need to reach the others!"
Yukikaze sighed. "Calm down girl. Give me a second." With that she freed her wrist from Kagome's hand, and then swept her up in her arms. "Hold on tight!" she cautioned, dashing off at HER top speed. "I'm not letting anyone hurt my baby brother!" She gritted her teeth and wove between trees, leaping in huge bounds.
Kagome yelped and latched onto Yukikaze's sleeve. This was vaguely reminiscent of being with Inu Yasha. The wind stung her eyes so badly they began to tear up. Through her misty eyes, she saw something that set of a flash in her mind. "Yukikaze?" she asked uncertainly, "Who is that man following us? He was near you when you where in the trees, and he's been trailing behind us for a while."
Yukikaze threw a glance over her shoulder. "What man?" she asked confusedly. "I don't see anyone." 'Is this girl crazy or something?' she wondered to herself. 'The two of us are the only people around. What on earth is she talking about?'
This time it was Kagome's turn to be puzzled. "But he's right behind us. He hasn't said a word, but he's been within five feet of you since we met. He's got reddish orange hair, and brown eyes. He's wearing some weird clothing that I've never seen before. It looks almost like something from Medieval Europe. And he's got this weird silver necklace with a dark red stone in it. He seems so sad." she finished solemnly.
Yukikaze stopped dead in her tracks, while Riyas exclaimed, "You can see me?!"
Author's Note: Bwahaha! Evil cliffhanger! Anyway, I know I'm being annoyingly vague, and somewhat cryptic. Things will all be sorted out in coming chapters, I promise. As for the stone, (because my brother has been bugging me about it incessantly since the first chapter) if you have ever seen Stargate, it's like a combination of The Gate and The Naquadah Mirror, but with no control. Using it can transport you anywhere, anywhen, anyreal, as long as there's another stone. Travel works between stones (any ideas for actual names?). You just have to hope you don't appear in the middle of a battlefield, at the bottom of the ocean, or anything like that. After explaining this to my brother, he equated it to the Tardis (Sp? O_o) in Dr. Who, but I've never seen it, so I wouldn't know. Now that I think about it, it's a bit like the "Portal Stones" from The Wheel of Time, except that there would never be more than one stone on the same world.. That little snippet was just to alleviate any confusion. Later on Yukikaze will explain it more fully.
Some of you may also be wondering about the meaning of Yukikaze's House name. I was equating the idea to something more European, because I didn't really want to use "clan." While that would probably fit better, given the location an time frame, it wasn't quite what I was thinking of. The name "Kansatsukiniro" comes from the words "kansatsu" (eye) and "kin-iro" (gold), combining into "Gold eye". This fic operates under the premise that everyone in Inu Yasha' family has gold eyes. It's sort of their trademark. Yukikaze's eyes were gold, until the accident that blinded her. But again, I'll get into that later. I just didn't want people to lose interest because of confusion or something. And yes, I'll get to explaining Riyas, and why it is that Kagome can "see" him.... eventually... And don't forget to review! It does an ego good! *cheesy grin* Ask any other questions you may have in review form. ^_~