Chapter 5
"I can't believe Inuyasha let us take a break. Is there something wrong with him?"
It was early morning in the Sengoku Jidai, and proving Kagome's words to Shippou false Inuyasha hadn't woken them with the sun. In fact, he informed his companions once they had awakened, they wouldn't be searching for them at all today. At their shocked faces, Inuyasha "feh"-ed and made his usual derogatory remarks about weak humans. Kagome went through her backpack to check her calendar and make sure she hadn't mis-judged the moon cycles. Previously, the only way they could beg a day of rest from him was when he turned human.
She was sitting at the base of a tree located at the edge of the village. Sango laid on her stomach on the ground in front of her, and Miroku leaned against the tree. Inuyasha was no where to be seen.
"I, for one, am not questioning his decision." Replied the monk. "He may change his mind."
Miroku's last statement brought to mind a funny joke Kagome heard at school. But as neither one of her friends understood what a light bulb was, much less how and why you change one, she let it pass with a small smile on her face. 'I wonder where Shippou went off to...'
_ _
Inside the hut of Kaede, several sleeping mats were rolled up near the wall. Sitting next to these, was a large yellow pack...that seemed to be moving of its own accord. Or, it would have, but for the large bushy tail sticking out of the bag.
Buyo sat, captivated by the twitching, fuzzy tail that seemed to dangle and bounce just like one of his toys at home. A cry of triumph knocked him out of his daze as the kitsune found the treats hidden within.
Shippou tumbled back out of Kagome's bag, clutching a bag of mini chocolate bars in his paws. He stood, then caught sight of the cat, watching him. "Um...I was just...um...gettingthisforKagome?" he ended with a squeak. He made as if to bound off, but was stopped by the large feline. One swat with his paw knocked Shippou off his feet, and sent his ill-gotten gains flying. Buyo walked over where the young kit laid, and opened his mouth to say something-however, his ears perked up as the sound of someone approaching caught his attention. He rolled the kitsune over, picked him up by the back of his neck, and dragged him over behind the bedrolls. He placed a paw over his mouth, to tell Shippou to be quiet. The kit nodded in understanding.
Peaking out from behind his hiding spot, Shippou saw the fat cat bite into the bag of candy, chewing up and spitting out half a dozen of the mini bars of chocolate. After spreading the broken candy pieces around the spot he and Shippou had occupied, he then squeezed beside the kit, both of them positioned in a way that allowed them to see.
They both heard sniffing before actually seeing the dog demon darken the doorway. (A/N: aren't I so alliterative? :D) The sniffing noises continued until he reached the chocolate. Inuyasha crouched down, still sniffing, but apparently, couldn't smell either Shippou or Buyo. Shippou looked at the cat in admiration. 'He's pretty smart...he covered our scents with the chocolate.' A growl sounded, and Inuyasha stood preparing to leave. He stopped, glanced quickly around, and snatched bag which held the rest of the candy before exiting the hut.
_3 minutes later_
Buyo finally had to sit on the kit to prevent him from chasing the hanyou. "He's got my caaaaaandy..." he wailed.
"Yes, but imagine Kagome's face when she sees him and believes him to have rifled through her pack." This statement brought a grin to Shippou's face. Kagome didn't mind him going through her pack as much as she minded Inuyasha doing so. Shippou would get a lecture, but Inuyasha...
"Um...I can't...breathe...very good..." The cat jumped off the kit and stood by while he gasped for breath. Once he had recovered, Buyo gestured to the door.
"Let's take a walk, kit."
_ _
In the heart of Inuyasha's Forest, there stood a dangerous woman. Her aura was flared out, surrounding her in an impenetrable shield of power. The air about her sparked and flared, telling any about her that a great deal more power was used recently.
Across the small clearing laid a tiny creature. If it stood, it would probably be no larger than half the size of Shippou himself. Pure white, it's fur looked as though it was one giant afro. Four tiny perfect paws could faintly be seen on the underside. The miko, once known as Kikyou, glared at the small dog, her face composed but for the narrowing of her eyes.
"I trust the next time we meet, pup-you will be more...cooperative." A high-pitched growl greeted her words, as it tried and failed to raise it's head.
With that, she turned and strode away, the faint tingling of power following until it was no more than a memory.
Leaving behind a small, defenseless puppy to fend for itself in a demon infested wood.
_ _
"...So you see, Kagome knows nothing about my being youkai. I don't believe anyone else does either. So, I'm trusting you to keep this between us until such a time as I can reveal myself to her...myself."
"So, basically, you're just playing matchmaker."
"Where did you get that from?"
"Kagome. Her friends are doing the same thing with some guy named HoHo."
"...a snack cake?"
"No, I think Kagome called them fruitcakes."
Buyo paused. They had been wandering about the forest as they spoke.
"No, I was talking about the guy. HoHo...Ho..jo?"
"Yeah, Hojo!"
Buyo snorted disdainfully. "As if. He's a nice guy I suppose, but really...he leaves a lot to be desired." 'Like brains.' He kept the last thought to himself.
Shippou stopped in his tracks, sniffing the air. Buyo, occupied in his thoughts, did not notice the scent of another nearby.
"B..b..buyo..." At the kit's stutter, he stopped, and turned around noticing that the young fox was no longer beside him. He was at the middle of a clearing, whereas Shippou had stopped right at the edge. He sniffed, and swung his head to the left.
"What have we here?"
"Don't go any closer, Buyo! He's dangerous!"
He looked at the kit oddly. "You can't be serious...can you even see the poor thing?"
Shippou shook his head violently. "No, but it smells like..."
"Inutashio."
"But, Inuyasha's father is dead." Buyo's eyes widened at this remark. He stored the information away to be questioned about later. Right now, however...
"I didn't believe it was him anyhow. The whelp is much too small."
At this remark, Shippou gathered the courage to enter the clearing. He saw the little ball of white fluff, curled against a tree, unconscious. He felt a pang of sympathy for the poor thing, out here all alone, without it's parents...
Wait-a-minute. There was only one sibling of Inuyasha's, and this one was too young to be it. So, it must be a child of a sibling of Inuyasha's. Inuyasha only has one sibling.
"Hide, Buyo, quick!" With these words the poor kitsune dashed from one side of the clearing to the other, and to the other, desperately searching for a place to hide. Buyo looked at him as if he had gone mad.
"What" he stated calmly "are you so frightened of?"
"It's Sesshomaru's! It's Sesshomaru's pup! If he finds us here he's going to think we kidnapped it and hurt it and he's going to kill us in the most horrible..."
"SHIPPOU!" Buyo's thundering growl snapped him out of his frenzy. "Get yourself together before I knock some sense into that skull of yours. Were the boy anywhere near here, I would know. I would sense him. At least..." he paused for a second. "He's not within a hundred miles of here. Well, nobody with Inutashio's blood is, other than Inuyasha. And the pup." he added as an afterthought.
"So, what do we do? If we leave him here, and Sesshomaru doesn't find him, he'll die..."
"And if we informed Inuyasha, he'd probably come here and kill him out of spite." Buyo responded thoughtfully.
"Not if Kagome got here first. She has a...thing...for cute stuff." Shippou smiled broadly. "That's why she finds me so irresistible. And Inuyasha wouldn't dare try to hurt it if Kagome decided to keep it."
"Then it's settled. I'll stay here and protect the pup. You go and fetch Kagome."
"Are you sure you can handle it? There's a lot of demons in here..." Shippou said warily.
Buyo growled. "Trust me. This Buyoryukai can handle anything that may come. Now, go, before night falls. We don't need you two to get lost in the dark."
Shippou sped off towards the village, hoping Inuyasha hadn't done anything to make his mom go back home. 'Buyoryukai? Where have I heard that name...'
_ _
A/N: Well! How do you like that twist?
To answer some questions I suspect you may have;
No, Sess does not have a mate Yes, Buyo's full name is Buyoryukai. The little pup is more than what he seems... Kouga IS in this story. Just wait a little while longer...and no, he's not going to act like a brain-dead stalker like so many others portray him. I'm still waiting for someone to guess who the sensei is. In case you didn't read the Author's note, if you guess correctly I tell you (and only you) what the pairing is here. I think it will please many different people...hehehe...So, drop me a line and tell me how I'm doing. See yas!
-jadefeather