Penitent: InuYasha Fanfic Volume 1
Chapter 5
Kagome stood in front of the sacred tree for a few more moments before Inu-Yasha's sleeping form sunk in. "Inu-Yasha...?" When she received no response, she began to panic. This was how he had looked when she first saw him, after she had first come through the well. He had been under a spell, and was incapacitated... the spell was Kikyo's, and it was encased in the arrow that was through his chest. It looked like he was in the same predicament as before, only now... it was her arrow that imprisoned him, and it could only be her who would free him. No one else knew that Inu-Yasha was trapped again. Kagome moved to take the arrow, but stopped, thinking. Thinking of what would happen if she took out the arrow. He said he would never hate her... but he had been crying, even a little. And if she could fall for Sesshomaru's tricks so easily, she would fall for more, and put Inu-Yasha in danger. She couldn't bear to put him through all of that. And besides, maybe in another 50 years, some smarter, prettier girl might come and free Inu-Yasha. Yeah, it would be better for both of them if they let go now. She started to walk away in the direction of Kaede's hut, but stopped. She couldn't go back there. The others would ask her what she was doing without Inu-Yasha. She ran off, intending to look for the well, but instead only ran deeper into the forest...
...
Jakken and Rin, laden with pretty things for Rin to wear, play with, and whatnot, wandered slowly, very lost indeed.
"Are you sure you know where you're going, Jakken-sama?" Rin asked innocently.
Jakken, starting to become a little panicked, snapped back, "Of course! I have an incredible sense of direction!" In truth, he had no idea where he was going. "L-Let's go through here, I'm sure we'll be back at the hut in no time at all." He pushed back some foliage and pushed Rin through unceremoniously, then followed behind her, only to collide with her back. They both tumbled down, along with all of their purchases. "RIN?! What are you doing just standing around and - " He looked to where Rin was staring and gasped.
"Jakken-sama, what is that?" she whispered, horrified.
Jakken recognized it immediately as Inu-Yasha, and also recognized the old tree. "Well I'll be! It's Lord Sesshomaru's..."
"My what?" Sesshomaru appeared behind them. "Rin, what happened? I've been awaiting your return all day."
"Jakken-sama and I were just heading back, Sesshomaru-sama. But I think Jakken-sama got lost, and here we are. Sesshomaru-sama, who is that?" She pointed up at Inu-Yasha in the tree.
Sesshomaru recognized the arrow as one of the few that Kagome had brought with her from the hut. He smiled at Inu-Yasha's form and then turned to leave. "Come, Rin. That thing is of no use to us." He walked into the forest with Rin following closely behind him. Jakken was too ecstatic to have heard Sesshomaru.
"I've never heard you talk so smugly, Sesshomaru-sama! It must be your doing! Congratulations, you've finally put your brother in his - " He broke off when he tried to turn a grinning face to Sesshomaru. but couldn't find him anywhere. "Sesshomaru-sama? Where are youuuuuu?" He started to sob, but sucked in his breath sharply. He had to find the hut. That was the only place they could have gone to. It was only too bad he strode in the direction of Kaede's hut instead.
...
"Miroku, I am becoming very worried about Kagome and Inu-Yasha." Sango turned troubled eyes to Miroku, who was passing the time playing with Ayame.
"Hmm? Ow... Ayame-chan, please stop pulling my ears so hard," Miroku berated. Ayame only took it as an encouragement to pull harder than she had ever pulled before. "Inu-Yasha and Kagome can... OW!... take care of themselves, Sango. OW! I am sure they are quite safe. OW! However, my ears are... OW!... not." He glared at Ayame and handed her over to Sango without another word. Ayame pouted and started to cry in her mother's arms. She extended her arms Miroku's way and opened and closed her little fists, indicating she wanted to be held by Miroku.
"Miroku, she wants her tou-chan," Sango laughed.
Ayame made bubling noises before she said a coherent, "Tou-chan!" and then resumed her bubbling noises. Miroku turned to Sango in wonder and excitement. "Did you hear that, Sango? She said..."
"Hai, she said 'tou-chan'!" Sango replied enthusiastically. She handed Ayame to Miroku, who laughed merrily and stood up with Ayame, then swung her around in the air. Ayame giggled even more and sang, "Tou-chan, tou-cha - eh?"
"Eh! She said, 'eh'!" Miroku laughed.
"Eh at what?" Sango said, turning her head to where Ayame was ebulliently pointing. "My goodness, it's Jakken!"
"Eh? Jakken?" Miroku turned to look too, and lowered Ayame a little bit. "Eh?" she said. The grown-ups seemed to like it when she said that small word. "Eh? Eh?"
But this time the grown-ups were preoccupied. Jakken, meanwhile, looked very distressed. He moved this way and that, scratching his head and muttering to himself. "Where could the hut be...?"
"The hut? You're lost, aren't you, Jakken?" Miroku laughed.
Jakken looked up, surprised to find himself at the hut, and going the wrong way. "I was so sure it would be this way! But, hey, why are you laughing, you miserable monk? Or don't you know that Sesshomaru-sama has finally won against that stupid half-demon?" he sneered.
"What? What about Inu-Yasha?" Sango scrambled to her feet and grabbed Jakken before he could run away. She clutched his throat and shook a little, while Miroku patted her arm in an attempt to calm her.
"Sango-chan, we still need to pump information out of him. Please keep him alive, at least for the time being."
"Kaa-chan..." Ayame said wonderingly.
"Kaa-chan!? She said 'Kaa-chan!!'" she gave Jakken to Miroku to hold and took Ayame, spinning her around joyfully.
"Sango-chan, ano... we need to deal with this one.. though I am very happy with you..."
"Of course. Gomen ne." She leaned down to Jakken's level with Ayame on her back, piggy-back style. Her hand gripped her hiraikotsu, soldily thunking Jakken's head. "Spill, short stuff. Before I split you in half. And your precious Sesshomaru-sama won't be missing you, I think."
Jakken trembled visibly before blurting out the story of how he and Rin were out.. and later found by Sesshomaru, who had smiled upon seeing Inu-Yasha stuck at the tree. And how he had sounded so smug...
"Inu-Yasha is at the tree once again?" Miroku said in alarm.
"Scary face?" Ayame gurgled. Sango rocked her, and went inside to put her down with Kaede. She emerged form the hut a few minuted later, with all of her demon exterminator tools. Miroku was keeping an eye on Jakken, who was being scolded by Rin.
"Rin? What are you doing here?" Sango asked her.
"I came to get Jakken-sama. I asked Sesshomaru-sama if I should get him, since he wasn't coming to the hut anytime soon. I thought he was lost again, despite his excellent sense of direction!" Rin beamed at Jakken, who turned red and shook his head.
"Rin, do you know what happened to Inu-Yasha?" Miroku asked.
"I don't, but I think Sesshomaru-sama does. He said it was no concern of ours, but he had his happy tone. The kind of voice he gets when he's truly happy." Rin smiled, getting an idea. "Come, I will take you to Sesshomaru-sama and you shall ask him! Do not worry, I know he will not hurt you, for I will ask him not to!" She skipped off ahead of them, dragging a whining Jakken with her.
"She knows of Sesshomaru's doings, yet she still stays with him? I wonder why?" Sango mused.
"I suppose she's not as innocent as we had all supposed. Come, Sango-chan, we shall go ask 'Sesshomaru-sama'," he snickered, and started the march towards the hut, with Sango a few steps behind him.
Chapter 5
Kagome stood in front of the sacred tree for a few more moments before Inu-Yasha's sleeping form sunk in. "Inu-Yasha...?" When she received no response, she began to panic. This was how he had looked when she first saw him, after she had first come through the well. He had been under a spell, and was incapacitated... the spell was Kikyo's, and it was encased in the arrow that was through his chest. It looked like he was in the same predicament as before, only now... it was her arrow that imprisoned him, and it could only be her who would free him. No one else knew that Inu-Yasha was trapped again. Kagome moved to take the arrow, but stopped, thinking. Thinking of what would happen if she took out the arrow. He said he would never hate her... but he had been crying, even a little. And if she could fall for Sesshomaru's tricks so easily, she would fall for more, and put Inu-Yasha in danger. She couldn't bear to put him through all of that. And besides, maybe in another 50 years, some smarter, prettier girl might come and free Inu-Yasha. Yeah, it would be better for both of them if they let go now. She started to walk away in the direction of Kaede's hut, but stopped. She couldn't go back there. The others would ask her what she was doing without Inu-Yasha. She ran off, intending to look for the well, but instead only ran deeper into the forest...
...
Jakken and Rin, laden with pretty things for Rin to wear, play with, and whatnot, wandered slowly, very lost indeed.
"Are you sure you know where you're going, Jakken-sama?" Rin asked innocently.
Jakken, starting to become a little panicked, snapped back, "Of course! I have an incredible sense of direction!" In truth, he had no idea where he was going. "L-Let's go through here, I'm sure we'll be back at the hut in no time at all." He pushed back some foliage and pushed Rin through unceremoniously, then followed behind her, only to collide with her back. They both tumbled down, along with all of their purchases. "RIN?! What are you doing just standing around and - " He looked to where Rin was staring and gasped.
"Jakken-sama, what is that?" she whispered, horrified.
Jakken recognized it immediately as Inu-Yasha, and also recognized the old tree. "Well I'll be! It's Lord Sesshomaru's..."
"My what?" Sesshomaru appeared behind them. "Rin, what happened? I've been awaiting your return all day."
"Jakken-sama and I were just heading back, Sesshomaru-sama. But I think Jakken-sama got lost, and here we are. Sesshomaru-sama, who is that?" She pointed up at Inu-Yasha in the tree.
Sesshomaru recognized the arrow as one of the few that Kagome had brought with her from the hut. He smiled at Inu-Yasha's form and then turned to leave. "Come, Rin. That thing is of no use to us." He walked into the forest with Rin following closely behind him. Jakken was too ecstatic to have heard Sesshomaru.
"I've never heard you talk so smugly, Sesshomaru-sama! It must be your doing! Congratulations, you've finally put your brother in his - " He broke off when he tried to turn a grinning face to Sesshomaru. but couldn't find him anywhere. "Sesshomaru-sama? Where are youuuuuu?" He started to sob, but sucked in his breath sharply. He had to find the hut. That was the only place they could have gone to. It was only too bad he strode in the direction of Kaede's hut instead.
...
"Miroku, I am becoming very worried about Kagome and Inu-Yasha." Sango turned troubled eyes to Miroku, who was passing the time playing with Ayame.
"Hmm? Ow... Ayame-chan, please stop pulling my ears so hard," Miroku berated. Ayame only took it as an encouragement to pull harder than she had ever pulled before. "Inu-Yasha and Kagome can... OW!... take care of themselves, Sango. OW! I am sure they are quite safe. OW! However, my ears are... OW!... not." He glared at Ayame and handed her over to Sango without another word. Ayame pouted and started to cry in her mother's arms. She extended her arms Miroku's way and opened and closed her little fists, indicating she wanted to be held by Miroku.
"Miroku, she wants her tou-chan," Sango laughed.
Ayame made bubling noises before she said a coherent, "Tou-chan!" and then resumed her bubbling noises. Miroku turned to Sango in wonder and excitement. "Did you hear that, Sango? She said..."
"Hai, she said 'tou-chan'!" Sango replied enthusiastically. She handed Ayame to Miroku, who laughed merrily and stood up with Ayame, then swung her around in the air. Ayame giggled even more and sang, "Tou-chan, tou-cha - eh?"
"Eh! She said, 'eh'!" Miroku laughed.
"Eh at what?" Sango said, turning her head to where Ayame was ebulliently pointing. "My goodness, it's Jakken!"
"Eh? Jakken?" Miroku turned to look too, and lowered Ayame a little bit. "Eh?" she said. The grown-ups seemed to like it when she said that small word. "Eh? Eh?"
But this time the grown-ups were preoccupied. Jakken, meanwhile, looked very distressed. He moved this way and that, scratching his head and muttering to himself. "Where could the hut be...?"
"The hut? You're lost, aren't you, Jakken?" Miroku laughed.
Jakken looked up, surprised to find himself at the hut, and going the wrong way. "I was so sure it would be this way! But, hey, why are you laughing, you miserable monk? Or don't you know that Sesshomaru-sama has finally won against that stupid half-demon?" he sneered.
"What? What about Inu-Yasha?" Sango scrambled to her feet and grabbed Jakken before he could run away. She clutched his throat and shook a little, while Miroku patted her arm in an attempt to calm her.
"Sango-chan, we still need to pump information out of him. Please keep him alive, at least for the time being."
"Kaa-chan..." Ayame said wonderingly.
"Kaa-chan!? She said 'Kaa-chan!!'" she gave Jakken to Miroku to hold and took Ayame, spinning her around joyfully.
"Sango-chan, ano... we need to deal with this one.. though I am very happy with you..."
"Of course. Gomen ne." She leaned down to Jakken's level with Ayame on her back, piggy-back style. Her hand gripped her hiraikotsu, soldily thunking Jakken's head. "Spill, short stuff. Before I split you in half. And your precious Sesshomaru-sama won't be missing you, I think."
Jakken trembled visibly before blurting out the story of how he and Rin were out.. and later found by Sesshomaru, who had smiled upon seeing Inu-Yasha stuck at the tree. And how he had sounded so smug...
"Inu-Yasha is at the tree once again?" Miroku said in alarm.
"Scary face?" Ayame gurgled. Sango rocked her, and went inside to put her down with Kaede. She emerged form the hut a few minuted later, with all of her demon exterminator tools. Miroku was keeping an eye on Jakken, who was being scolded by Rin.
"Rin? What are you doing here?" Sango asked her.
"I came to get Jakken-sama. I asked Sesshomaru-sama if I should get him, since he wasn't coming to the hut anytime soon. I thought he was lost again, despite his excellent sense of direction!" Rin beamed at Jakken, who turned red and shook his head.
"Rin, do you know what happened to Inu-Yasha?" Miroku asked.
"I don't, but I think Sesshomaru-sama does. He said it was no concern of ours, but he had his happy tone. The kind of voice he gets when he's truly happy." Rin smiled, getting an idea. "Come, I will take you to Sesshomaru-sama and you shall ask him! Do not worry, I know he will not hurt you, for I will ask him not to!" She skipped off ahead of them, dragging a whining Jakken with her.
"She knows of Sesshomaru's doings, yet she still stays with him? I wonder why?" Sango mused.
"I suppose she's not as innocent as we had all supposed. Come, Sango-chan, we shall go ask 'Sesshomaru-sama'," he snickered, and started the march towards the hut, with Sango a few steps behind him.