Golden Fire
Chapter 3: The Discussion
The next morning, we began to lay plans during breakfast. We had lots of questions on our minds that no one had answers to. Who told the Yakuza to attack me? Would my family and I ever get to go home again? Would I ever be safe again?
Yuki remained silent throughout breakfast. Afterwards, she stood up and asked Kaede where the best swordsmith in the area lived.
"Awhile to the west, child. Ye have to go past three other villages to get there. Why do you ask, child?"
Everyone stopped talking and looked at Yuki. "I have a duffel bag full of ammunition and a few other guns, but that will not last a lifetime. I must use swords whenever possible. I will not be gone for long, hopefully." She shouldered a bag with her clothes and put on her boots. I had been surprised when I learned she always dressed in black and usually in leather. She claimed that she liked to look the part of an assassin. I had laughed and said that she might want to discard the leather dusters then. Today she was wearing a short, simple leather jacket.
"You're not going anywhere alone, wench. How do we know we can trust you?" Inuyasha glared at her.
"Inuyasha! She saved my life! And besides, she's right. She needs other weapons. No one can make bullets here. And the rest of us can't go to help her. It would take up time we could spend planning on how to get me home again," I said.
He looked at me, and his ears drooped. "Fine. Whatever. We'll stay here to plan so you can go home." He almost spat out the last word.
Sango stood up and walked over to Yuki. "Take Kirara with you. If you have trouble, she'll be able to help or come back here to get us."
Yuki nodded her thanks and, after scooping up a sleeping Kirara, walked out.
The rest of us remained around the fire in Kaede's hut. "Obviously, someone in Kagome's time has learned of the jewel's existence and wants its power," began Miroku. "Logically, we should simply complete the jewel and purify it permanently. Or destroy it." He looked at Inuyasha, who said nothing in return.
"Naraku has most of the remaining shards," I replied. "Does this mean we're going to have to wage a final battle against him?"
"How will we do that? How do we know that we're not just fighting an army of puppets? We need to kill the actual Naraku, and that will take a lot of power," Sango pointed out.
"You're right. We need help. Inuyasha, I know you hate him, but I think we should ask Kouga and his wolf brothers to help us," I said.
At this, Inuyasha sprang to life again. "No way! I don't need that guy's help!" He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Besides, he'll just spend his time sniffing around you, Kagome."
"Oh, Kagome! You didn't tell me you had an admirer," my mother said, breaking into our conversation.
I stared at her and then blushed. "It's not like that, mom. He and Inuyasha just have a bit of a misunderstanding."
"Yeah," sniffed Inuyasha, "I understand that he's an jackass, and he doesn't."
I sighed and turned to Miroku, who was trying to sneak his hand onto Sango's backside. She smacked him without flinching. They hadn't been listening.
"Don't worry, Kagome," said Shippou. "Inuyasha will realize that we need Kouga's help. Maybe he'll even realize what an idiot he's being and decide to take you for himself."
I blushed again. Inuyasha stood up, as red as his shirt, and chased Shippou into the street.
"You know, your father was just as shy about his feelings for me for the longest time. He wasn't quite as possessive though," my mom mentioned.
"Mother!"
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Hours later, we were eating lunch in the meadow next to the well. Inuyasha had gone down it, only to return with the news that my once beautiful home was wrecked and smelled like evil.
"Don't worry, Kagome," Sango reassured. "After this is all over, we'll come and help you repair it."
I smiled at her words. Miroku and Sango had never gone to my time, saying that they preferred the quiet life of demon exterminating. She was really worried to say such a sweet thing.
Inuyasha was in a better mood since he had returned from my time. That is, until I pointed out that he wouldn't get ramen for quite some time, if ever.
After lunch, he took me aside. "Kagome, I don't want Kouga here. He's worse than Miroku when you're around."
"Inuyasha, my family is in danger until we solve this thing. I'm not going to take any nonsense from him." I paused and saw the look of triumph on his face. "Or you, Inuyasha."
"Feh. I behave better than that mangy animal!" He turned away from me.
I walked back to where my mother was beginning to clean up. Suddenly, I felt winded as Inuyasha grabbed me and ran to the side of the clearing. "Hey! What're you doing?"
"Something's coming," he said as he set me down and ran back to the others. "Stay there!" he yelled over his shoulder. He gathered my family and pushed them away from the well. Sango followed them, since she had not brought her boomerang with her.
Shippou ran to me as Miroku and Inuyasha faced the well. "I can smell it too, Kagome! It's trouble, I'm sure it is." I held him tightly as I watched a man jump from the well.
He was dressed completely in black and had his face was covered, only exposing his eyes. It sent chills down my spine. His eyes were blood red and savage. As soon as he saw Inuyasha with Tetsusaiga, he drew out his own sword.
"Who the hell are you?" roared Inuyasha.
The man just laughed and I was surprised to hear a human-sounding laugh. Evil and merciless, but human nonetheless. He lunged forward and attacked Inuyasha, who fended him off. The man's movements were the most fluid I had ever seen in battle. I felt a jolt of recognition. Yuki moved like that on the night that she saved us. This man was an assassin. I would have bet my life that it was Black Death.
"Miroku! Your wards!" yelled Sango.
Miroku instantly heeded her advice and tossed a ward towards the man. Halfway through the air, the assassin's sword changed direction and sliced the ward in two. Inuyasha's eyes grew wide.
I looked down to the fox demon in my arms. "Shippou! Is that thing human or demon?"
"I don't know, Kagome! All I can smell is evil and death. I can't tell!" He buried his head into my shoulder.
Inuyasha was barely able to fend off Black Death's blows. Miroku couldn't open his windtunnel without sucking in my family, Inuyasha or myself. He was forced to stand on the sidelines and watch helplessly.
Suddenly, the assassin stopped and jumped back onto the edge of the well.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" yelled Inuyasha.
Black Death's eyes narrowed and focused on the trees directly to my left. I strained my ears but I could not hear anything. Shippou, however, raised his head and looked expectantly in the same direction.
The assassin hissed loudly and sheathed his sword. Then, he took a step backwards and fell into the well. As Inuyasha ran forward to look into the well, I heard quick footsteps. I felt the power of two jewel shards fill my senses.
"Kagome, are you alright?"
I turned to see Kouga's concerned brown eyes.
A/N: STILL no reviews??? (I think ff.net did kinda mess up, but still .) Please, please, please review. I'll even take flames! Whatever!
Chapter 3: The Discussion
The next morning, we began to lay plans during breakfast. We had lots of questions on our minds that no one had answers to. Who told the Yakuza to attack me? Would my family and I ever get to go home again? Would I ever be safe again?
Yuki remained silent throughout breakfast. Afterwards, she stood up and asked Kaede where the best swordsmith in the area lived.
"Awhile to the west, child. Ye have to go past three other villages to get there. Why do you ask, child?"
Everyone stopped talking and looked at Yuki. "I have a duffel bag full of ammunition and a few other guns, but that will not last a lifetime. I must use swords whenever possible. I will not be gone for long, hopefully." She shouldered a bag with her clothes and put on her boots. I had been surprised when I learned she always dressed in black and usually in leather. She claimed that she liked to look the part of an assassin. I had laughed and said that she might want to discard the leather dusters then. Today she was wearing a short, simple leather jacket.
"You're not going anywhere alone, wench. How do we know we can trust you?" Inuyasha glared at her.
"Inuyasha! She saved my life! And besides, she's right. She needs other weapons. No one can make bullets here. And the rest of us can't go to help her. It would take up time we could spend planning on how to get me home again," I said.
He looked at me, and his ears drooped. "Fine. Whatever. We'll stay here to plan so you can go home." He almost spat out the last word.
Sango stood up and walked over to Yuki. "Take Kirara with you. If you have trouble, she'll be able to help or come back here to get us."
Yuki nodded her thanks and, after scooping up a sleeping Kirara, walked out.
The rest of us remained around the fire in Kaede's hut. "Obviously, someone in Kagome's time has learned of the jewel's existence and wants its power," began Miroku. "Logically, we should simply complete the jewel and purify it permanently. Or destroy it." He looked at Inuyasha, who said nothing in return.
"Naraku has most of the remaining shards," I replied. "Does this mean we're going to have to wage a final battle against him?"
"How will we do that? How do we know that we're not just fighting an army of puppets? We need to kill the actual Naraku, and that will take a lot of power," Sango pointed out.
"You're right. We need help. Inuyasha, I know you hate him, but I think we should ask Kouga and his wolf brothers to help us," I said.
At this, Inuyasha sprang to life again. "No way! I don't need that guy's help!" He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Besides, he'll just spend his time sniffing around you, Kagome."
"Oh, Kagome! You didn't tell me you had an admirer," my mother said, breaking into our conversation.
I stared at her and then blushed. "It's not like that, mom. He and Inuyasha just have a bit of a misunderstanding."
"Yeah," sniffed Inuyasha, "I understand that he's an jackass, and he doesn't."
I sighed and turned to Miroku, who was trying to sneak his hand onto Sango's backside. She smacked him without flinching. They hadn't been listening.
"Don't worry, Kagome," said Shippou. "Inuyasha will realize that we need Kouga's help. Maybe he'll even realize what an idiot he's being and decide to take you for himself."
I blushed again. Inuyasha stood up, as red as his shirt, and chased Shippou into the street.
"You know, your father was just as shy about his feelings for me for the longest time. He wasn't quite as possessive though," my mom mentioned.
"Mother!"
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///
Hours later, we were eating lunch in the meadow next to the well. Inuyasha had gone down it, only to return with the news that my once beautiful home was wrecked and smelled like evil.
"Don't worry, Kagome," Sango reassured. "After this is all over, we'll come and help you repair it."
I smiled at her words. Miroku and Sango had never gone to my time, saying that they preferred the quiet life of demon exterminating. She was really worried to say such a sweet thing.
Inuyasha was in a better mood since he had returned from my time. That is, until I pointed out that he wouldn't get ramen for quite some time, if ever.
After lunch, he took me aside. "Kagome, I don't want Kouga here. He's worse than Miroku when you're around."
"Inuyasha, my family is in danger until we solve this thing. I'm not going to take any nonsense from him." I paused and saw the look of triumph on his face. "Or you, Inuyasha."
"Feh. I behave better than that mangy animal!" He turned away from me.
I walked back to where my mother was beginning to clean up. Suddenly, I felt winded as Inuyasha grabbed me and ran to the side of the clearing. "Hey! What're you doing?"
"Something's coming," he said as he set me down and ran back to the others. "Stay there!" he yelled over his shoulder. He gathered my family and pushed them away from the well. Sango followed them, since she had not brought her boomerang with her.
Shippou ran to me as Miroku and Inuyasha faced the well. "I can smell it too, Kagome! It's trouble, I'm sure it is." I held him tightly as I watched a man jump from the well.
He was dressed completely in black and had his face was covered, only exposing his eyes. It sent chills down my spine. His eyes were blood red and savage. As soon as he saw Inuyasha with Tetsusaiga, he drew out his own sword.
"Who the hell are you?" roared Inuyasha.
The man just laughed and I was surprised to hear a human-sounding laugh. Evil and merciless, but human nonetheless. He lunged forward and attacked Inuyasha, who fended him off. The man's movements were the most fluid I had ever seen in battle. I felt a jolt of recognition. Yuki moved like that on the night that she saved us. This man was an assassin. I would have bet my life that it was Black Death.
"Miroku! Your wards!" yelled Sango.
Miroku instantly heeded her advice and tossed a ward towards the man. Halfway through the air, the assassin's sword changed direction and sliced the ward in two. Inuyasha's eyes grew wide.
I looked down to the fox demon in my arms. "Shippou! Is that thing human or demon?"
"I don't know, Kagome! All I can smell is evil and death. I can't tell!" He buried his head into my shoulder.
Inuyasha was barely able to fend off Black Death's blows. Miroku couldn't open his windtunnel without sucking in my family, Inuyasha or myself. He was forced to stand on the sidelines and watch helplessly.
Suddenly, the assassin stopped and jumped back onto the edge of the well.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" yelled Inuyasha.
Black Death's eyes narrowed and focused on the trees directly to my left. I strained my ears but I could not hear anything. Shippou, however, raised his head and looked expectantly in the same direction.
The assassin hissed loudly and sheathed his sword. Then, he took a step backwards and fell into the well. As Inuyasha ran forward to look into the well, I heard quick footsteps. I felt the power of two jewel shards fill my senses.
"Kagome, are you alright?"
I turned to see Kouga's concerned brown eyes.
A/N: STILL no reviews??? (I think ff.net did kinda mess up, but still .) Please, please, please review. I'll even take flames! Whatever!
