Band-Aids
by Cooking Spray
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Chapter One:
Good Things Come in Small Packages
They say good things come in small packages.
The same, as it seemed, was true with Kagome Higurashi. Japanese schoolgirl, traveler of time, miko, and part-time pet-sitter all in one pretty package. And a nurse, as well. By 'small' we meant 'very small'.
However, those mentioned, albeit our multi-tasking heroine, knew nothing of this phrase, but they still didn't believe in underestimation. Especially Shippo. And sometimes, the package from which brought forth good fortune was, indeed, a literal package.
On a dusky, chilly evening in late November, a girl emerged from inside the Bone-Eater's Well, the single greatest link between present-day Tokyo, Japan and the Sengoku Jidai. On her back was an enormously overstuffed backpack, which made your shoulders ache just by looking at it. And no sooner had both feet touched the ground than she was swamped by an adorable kitsune youkai and a rather overgrown-looking boy with a mane of snowy-white hair and dog ears.
"Candy candy candy! Kagome-chan, did you bring the candy?" the fox-like youth queried, while frantically rummaging through all of the pack's various compartments.
The elder looked at the girl in a very good replication of the way the animal whose ears he wore on his head might if he reaally wanted some beef jerky. "What about the ramen, Kagome?" His voice was misleadingly polite.
She sighed lightly, but couldn't resist the grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth at her friends' antics. "The candy's in the small pocket to your right, Shippo-chan." She turned to her other beggar. "And yes, Inuyasha, I have brought the ramen."
"Alright!" The kitsune was victorious. Clutched in one tiny paw was a colorful roll of sweets. Then, after further examination, "Um, Kagome-chan. . . what are they?"
"Gumballs," she answered with a brisk cheeriness as they began their descent down the side of the hill, Inuyasha obediently flanking her side. "They're like candies, only you chew them and don't swallow."
"Ahhh. . ." He eyed them with fixated wonder, appraising the saccharine confections as if they were gold.
She reached the bottom, where they'd kindly set up camp for the night. Sango's dozing face was near the smoldering bonfire, head upheld by her hands, and Kirara snuggled comfortably beside her. Miroku was just sitting, eyes closed and smiling about something that Kagome would most likely not want to know. She always preferred the lecherous monk in sleep. . . and even then she wasn't too sure that it wasn't him fondling her buttocks under the sleeping bag.
Kirara, with her sharp hearing and sense of smell, was the first to take note of their arrival. Her change in position brought her mistress to consciousness, straightening up immediately to greet her friend. The look of drowsiness that had been present on her face just moments earlier vanished.
"Welcome back, Kagome-chan! I'm glad you've returned. . . putting up with all of these men was really getting to me." Good ol' Sango always told it like it was.
Kagome laughed, clearly and loudly. These were people she could laugh with, bare her soul to! Even though they came from different ends of the timeline, she understood them better than some of her friends at school. Well, almost everyone. . .
After the satisfaction of knowing his ramen was safely stowed away in the great depths of Kagome's backpack, Inuyasha was back to being his stubborn, scowling self. He glowered at the rising flames as he slumped onto the makeshift seat of the night, a log, and began to seep into deep 'Feh' mood at the sound of the girls' giggling. Stupid humans. . . what was so funny? Moodily furrowing his eyebrows to voice his feelings on the matter, he turned away from the commune, stewing in his own thoughts and mutterings. Shippo chewed happily on beside him, colorful, sticky strands of gum plastered all over his face. Kagome couldn't help but indulge in a chuckle.
Well, at least he's keeping his ponderings to himself, she thought wryly as the hanyou sulked. She touched the pouch at her hip containing the jewel shards, sensitive miko fingertips buzzing with their magical resonance. There was quite a collection of them, now. . . only a hundred or so left to scout, she estimated. And what, then? This was the inquisition that gnawed on the corners of her mind at times like these. But, now was not the time to think about what would happen in the future. She should concentrate more on the present. . . what an ironic comedy there was in that. Allowing her thoughts to sail away through the night breeze, she sighed and leaned back, draping her petite frame over the side of the log and staring into the stars.
Sango's voice permeated. "Mou, Kagome-chan, is everything alright?" On second thought, she crinkled her nose, and began anew. Of course everything wasn't 'alright', but that couldn't be helped. "I mean. . . are you feeling out of the ordinary?"
Her subject straightened a little, shaking her head. "No, I'm okay. . . just thinking a bit." The stars were so bright, luminous. . . it was funny, the world regressed centuries every time she crossed through the well, but the constellations never changed. . .
"Well, okay then. You seemed a bit. . . disconnected. But, if you say you're fine, I trust your word. What do you say we turn in for the night?" She shot a fast glance at Miroku as his lips began to curl upward. "Don't be getting any funny ideas, Houshi-sama. . . or I swear my next weapon will be fashioned of your hide. . ."
The monk held up his palms to defend his obviously dirty intentions. "Now, now, Sango-san, what makes you believe I was thinking anything of the sort?" Kagome snorted; she could not contain herself. She could come up with a whole list of reasons as to why, but refrained.
The accusation on the demon exterminator's face deepened to hollow distaste. "Lech." She lobbed the famous insult him and spun around, choosing to waste no more time dithering in an argument to which everyone already knew the victor. "Let's go, Kagome-chan."
"Hai," she consented with a small nod, leaving the 'men' alone at the fireside as they marched across the frostbitten grass to the makeshift tent. Her mood had improved. . . it seemed inevitable when surrounded by such a crew.
Later, she let her consciousness seep away under the comfort of the familiar stars, and felt more secure and content than ever.
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"It's not there, m'lord."
"Search harder."
The figures' silhouettes were outlined by the incandescent light of the quarter moon. The first voice came from that of a small, hunched, brackish creature, wielding a knotted staff that stood much taller than he. The other was a bit more easy on the eyes, a tall man with an elegant mass of silver-white hair who seemed, in the reflection of the moonlight even more so, almost ethereal. They stood at the mouth of a tiny cavern, almost overlooked because of the large amount of shrubbery covering it. Indeed, in the midst of night, their pretenses looked sinister.
"But, Lord Sesshoumaru. . . I've already scoured the premises best as my frail body could carry. Dare you be foolish enough to expect more. . .?" The one named Jaken winced after finishing his words, too late he realized the wrong in them. Most surely he would receive reprimand for trifling with his master, the great man to whom he owed his life. . .
Just then another presence became known. Rustling through the grove of weeds emerged a young girl, panting in her haste as she ran to the majestic man clad in white. Jaken, for once, praised her interruption.
"Sesshoumaru-sama. . ." she reported, gasping. "I looked, but I couldn't find the thing you wanted. I don't think it's in there."
Silence. The taiyoukai faced the moon for a few minutes; the expression in his eyes was unreadable. Then, at last, he spoke. "Very well. We shall have to look elsewhere, then. . ." His calculating eyes narrowed, already beginning to determine their next destination.
A palm was pressed over her mouth as the girl elicited a yawn, beginning to blink in fatigue. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm sleepy. . ." At the tender age of five, she was not afraid to address the demon lord of her needs.
He could see the honesty in her eyes; exploring the cave by herself had probably taken most of her energy. Without hesitance, he gracefully knelt to allow her to climb upon his back, which she did immediately, accommodating herself and fastening her small arms to his elaborate hadori. Once she had settled against him and became comfortable, he stood again.
"Come, Jaken," Sesshoumaru called, beginning to move again.
As he struggled to catch up, his blood boiled. Damn that human child, Rin! She had brought his Lord the same news, but never was her answer doubted! His grip on the staff thickened. Someday, someday, when he wasn't looking, that helpless little wretch was going to get it. . .
They breasted the hill, leaving the shadowy glade. The taiyoukai looked to the horizon, searching for a direction while he waited for Jaken. There was a bit of a cool breeze, and he could feel the imprint of Rin's tiny frame upon his back, irregular breaths of sleep mussing his hair. Almost ghostlike, a rare grin settled onto his face. Eastward, he decided.
"M'lord, please wait!" The hideous beast, wheezing, stumbled over the crest of the hill. He took a few minutes to begin breathing regularly, in oblivion to the brief 'moment' of tranquility his two benefactors were enjoying.
By the time Jaken made it to them, the smile was gone from the taiyoukai's face. "Which direction shall we be 'a headed now, m'lord?"
"East. The item that we seek lies east of this place." Without further ado he headed away from the moon, treading on with his companion close in tow. Dawn was a few hours yet.
As they traveled along, just for the briefest of instants, so quickly you mightn't have witnessed it at all, the grin reappeared. Indeed, good things came in small packages.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, Inuyasha and Kagome would admit their undying love for each other, Kikyo would finally die, and all of the men would decide to go shirtless 24/7. But, since that has not happened yet, you can assume that this wonderful series is not mine.
And so ends chapter one! Your thoughts? I'm in love with my beautiful ficlet! *huggles* And, just for the record, Sesshy is NOT a pedophile. He thinks of Rin more as a daughter. . . well, for now, anyway. We'll be seeing more of that later. Tee-hee. And yes, the title DOES have a purpose. I'll get to that within the next couple of installments. Whee!
Well, tell me what you all think! More reviews make my fingers happy!
~*NEXT CHAPTER*~
Papercut
What are Sesshy and Co. looking to find, besides more ways to claim the Tetsusaiga? What are the hazards of snooping through Kagome's backpack while she's bathing? And finally, what's a nurse to do?
See you next chappie! ^_~