A/N: If you haven't figured it out yet, we're nearing the end of the story.
I know/have written everything down except one thing – what to do with the
jewel? What wish do you think Kagome/Inuyasha/anyone else should make?
SUGGESTIONS PLEASE... seriously, if I don't get an idea, it's going to be a
pretty pendant for eternity. Haha.
ALSO – if you aren't a member of ff.net and want to know when I update,
just tell me in your review or email me. When the story ends (in a few
chapters), tell me if you want to continue to know about new stories I
write.
Golden Fire
Chapter 18: Dokkasou
We stayed in the village for nearly a week. During the day, we trained constantly. Shippou was developing his illusionist skills and I was practicing archery more than ever. Yuki was slowly getting a grasp of her snow powers, but she didn't dare trying the darker side of her magic. Miroku and Sango also frequently escaped to 'train'.
Inuyasha spent much of his time with Kikyo. For the first time in three years, I didn't feel jealous. He hadn't expressed love for me, or even denied that he still loved Kikyo, but our conversation in the forest had established one thing. He was my best friend and so I would never truly lose him.
Other than the training and the dead miko wandering around, life was getting strangely peaceful. My family frequently came to see us practice. Their new hut was completely finished and my mother seemed quite content to spend her days helping Kaede. It made me wonder if she actually wanted to go back home.
Rin and Souta had become fast friends in our absence, and when Shippou wasn't training, the kitsune joined their games. Having Mom around freed Jaken to attend to Sesshoumaru's wishes and the toad had immediately taken advantage of that fact. We hadn't seen him or his master for days. Inuyasha kept grumbling about traitors, while Yuki stayed silent. She had forgiven my actions, but not herself. I often caught her scratching at the crescent moon on her forehead, failing miserably in trying to erase it. No matter what she said, I knew she did indeed feel as humans feel. She was heartbroken.
Five days after our return to the village, I was sitting with my mother, watching Yuki and Shippou perform illusion tricks for Souta and Rin. "Mom? Do you want to stay here?"
My mother smiled and leaned against a tree. "Kagome, I do like it here very much, but I have responsibilities in our time. Not to mention the fact that Souta needs to go to school. He's too young to miss so much, really. Although I'm sure he'll catch up once you and Inuyasha beat this Naraku, and we return home."
I bowed my head slightly. She said 'we'. I didn't know how to tell her how hard it would be for me to leave this era.
"Kagome! Look at me!" Shippou called. I looked up and laughed. There was a smiling Inuyasha where Shippou had been moments before. He turned around. "Look! No tail!"
The real Inuyasha came across the clearing and stared at Shippou. "Feh. Not that good of a copy, if you ask me." He crossed his arms and lifted his nose in his typical fashion.
Shippou mimicked him and we all laughed.
"Oh Shippou! You have Inuyasha down perfectly!" I declared. My eyes started tearing with laughter when Inuyasha glared at me.
Finally, Shippou returned to his normal form and bounced over to me, with Yuki walking close behind. "He's advancing rapidly, Kagome," she commented. "You have a very talented son."
My mother's eyes widened for a moment, but Shippou quickly calmed her fears. "Don't worry, Mrs. Higurashi. Kagome is like my adopted mom. She takes care of me."
"Just like my Lady Yuki does for Rin!" chirped the little girl who had followed the blue-haired demon over to us. She held out a few wildflowers to Yuki, who immediately set upon making a flower chain for Rin's hair.
She was done in seconds. "Yes, Rin-chan, just like me taking care of you," she said softly as she set the flower crown on the girl's head.
Rin immediately grabbed Shippou and dragged him back to Souta, who was bugging Inuyasha about Tetsusaiga. The hanyou looked a bit overwhelmed as my brother plagued him with questions.
Bored of watching Inuyasha squirm, I took out the Orb and held it up to the light.
"Figure anything out about the Orb?" asked Yuki. She had begun to clean her sword next to me.
"No, I just can't figure out what the seer wanted me to do with it." I sighed and let my hand drop. "If I can't figure it out, what good will it do?"
"Well, I agree with Kaede, you'll figure it out when the time comes," my mother said.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin's voice carried across the clearing. My head jerked up and, sure enough, the Western Lord was greeting Rin. About time he came back. I shook my head in annoyance. Yuki sat next to me, her head still bent over her katana.
After a few minutes, he walked over to us and stood in front of Yuki. "Will my mate not welcome my return?" His face was impassive.
She turned cold eyes onto him. "I was not aware you had a mate in your grace, my Lord." She pulled back when he took the katana out of her hands. "What are you doing? That is my weapon. Why would you want something made by a human?"
"Wench, bite your tongue before you insult me further. It is worthless anyway." He threw down the sword so the point was buried in the earth and beckoned to Rin. The little girl ran and collapsed in Yuki's lap, but didn't stop staring in adoration at Sesshoumaru. "My Lady will take care of Rin. She will also treat me with the proper respect and dress appropriately for a youkai of her station. She will give me an heir or several if I so wish. She will adhere to my rules and my word. If that is all perfectly clear, you may return to me as my mate."
After removing Rin from her lap, Yuki stood up and put her hands on her hips. "And my Lord will give me the respect I deserve. He will help me raise and protect any children under our care. And he will once in awhile stop being a cold jackass and admit his feelings." She let out a long breath and brushed her hair out of her eyes.
Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow at her and then leaned forward. "What have you done to your forehead? To my mark?"
She twitched and pressed her hair back over her marred crescent moon mark. "Do we have to talk about this here and now?"
"As the young miko told me, it is impossible to keep secrets within this group. An irritating fact I have experienced several times already."
Before Yuki could talk back, there was a crash of lightening and an old man on a three-eyed ox appeared. My mother jumped and grabbed my arm but I just rolled my eyes. Totosai always had a knack for showing up at the strangest moments. I just wished it hadn't been when Sesshoumaru was making a poor attempt at reconciliation. The old man's huge eyes peered around him for a few moments while we all recovered from our surprise.
"Totosai! You old codger! What are you doing here?" asked Inuyasha. He stalked up to the demon sword-smith.
"He's here on my request, little brother," explained Sesshoumaru. He turned to Totosai. "You did not keep pace very well, old man. Give me the sword."
"Ah, yes. Lord Sesshoumaru, you remember our deal. I would make the sword only if you didn't touch it. Can't say I trust you with it." He lifted a katana that had been sitting in his lap. "It turned out quite well, if I do say so myself. Where is she?" Sesshoumaru pulled Yuki to her feet, and immediately released her hand. Totosai scratched his head and took in Yuki's leather-clad figure. "She doesn't look like she's from around here."
"Of course she isn't, old man! Sesshoumaru, what the hell is this about a new sword? The last time you actually succeeded in getting a new sword, it's smith came after us possessed by a demon's aura." Inuyasha was glaring at his brother.
The Western Lord just shifted his eyes to Yuki, who now held the katana with a look of awe on her face. It sang as she released it from its sheath and gleamed with a green light. "Try it out, girl," encouraged Totosai. "It is called Dokkasou. It seems to take after Lord Sesshoumaru's claws."
"Poison..." Yuki whispered as she took a few practice swings that left streaks of shimmering green behind. She stopped in mid-swing and looked at Sesshoumaru. "This is where you've been. You had Totosai use your own fang, didn't you?"
"Of course. Where else would I find a fang powerful enough for the Lady of the Western Lands?" His voice was cold and sarcastic, but I watched his eyes linger on her face for a moment too long.
"I just can't believe you actually went out and had this made, when you hated me so much. Or at least that's how you acted," she whispered. She seemed too surprised to care what effect her words would have.
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Don't get too excited, woman. I had originally planned for the sword to be an incentive for you to return to your own time."
"A bribe?" questioned Yuki. "That seems a bit underhanded for you. Why didn't you just kill me?"
He swallowed and I realized that we were all staring at him. I averted my gaze until I heard him whisper, "I couldn't." He fixed his amber eyes on Yuki and lifted his chin to its usual position. "Rin would be heartbroken if I killed you."
Yuki was smiling softly as she sheathed Dokkasou. She bit her lip in thought, walked up to Sesshoumaru and hugged him tightly. "I love you too, my Lord Sesshoumaru." She pulled away. Bowing, she gave him a shy smile. "And thank you for the beautiful sword."
Sesshoumaru stood rigidly with his arms at his sides until she let go. "You are welcome," he finally said. After glancing around him at our shocked faces, he smirked at Yuki. "Does this mean I get my heir soon?"
Yuki smiled and shrugged. "We'll see."
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///
"That's the only time I've ever seen Sesshoumaru shocked," I teased Yuki. "Except for the time when I pulled out the Tetsusaiga when neither he nor Inuyasha could." We were sitting down to breakfast the next morning.
The Lady of the Western Lands ran her fingers down the edge of Dokkasou. "I can imagine that was a pretty big blow to his considerable ego." She grasped her chest in mock horror. "A human! Touching the Tetsusaiga? Unthinkable!"
I raised an eyebrow. She had really loosened up since killing Ryu. "You get mean when you're in love."
Yuki rolled her eyes and set her katana down again. "Yesterday afternoon, after his little confession, he told me my swordsmanship was atrocious. Then, he mentioned how he should go and kill some humans because he hasn't spilt enough blood recently. I think I'm allowed to make fun of him a bit, since he so obviously delights in teasing me."
"Ah, so he's trying to recoup his manliness?"
"Demonic prowess, yes. Doesn't Inuyasha do that?"
"Are you kidding?" I laughed. "It's his defining trait. Show emotion and then make all attempts to erase that fact from everyone's mind."
She smiled and let her fingers glide across the wooden floor. "Men are such difficult creatures, demon or not. Nevertheless, I am pleased that Inuyasha is now my brother. And maybe I'll have a sister soon too." She winked at me.
I blushed, but was saved from answering by the entrance of Jaken.
"My Lady! Lord Sesshoumaru commands your presence outside!" He turned a disdainful eye to me. "The human is to come also."
"Jaken." Her voice had dropped its playful tone and now sounded deadly.
"Um... Yes, my Lady?" He stuffed his hands inside in sleeves and bowed his head slightly.
"Treat Kagome as you would treat me or our Lord Sesshoumaru, or I shall be very displeased. And then I might use you for practicing my snow magic." Her eyes flashed blue.
Jaken yelped. "Yes, my Lady!" He scampered out the door.
Yuki smiled. "My Lord is right. That is fun." She tugged on my sleeve. "Come on, let's see what the boys are up to."
We walked out into the rice paddies, where the rest of the group had already congregated. Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Miroku were talking in low tones while Kikyo, Sango and the wolves hovered around them. Jaken yelped and tried to scamper away when Yuki approached, but Sesshoumaru caught him by the collar. "Jaken, tell the others what you told this Sesshoumaru."
"Yes, my Lord." He cleared his throat. "My Lord Sesshoumaru has not been idle. He commanded me to travel to the Western Lands and gather his army. I did so. Unfortunately, an entire army cannot move as quickly as one demon, such as myself. They will not be arriving for a few days, and I have heard news that Kagura and Kanna will be attacking much sooner than that."
"Where did you hear that?" questioned Inuyasha with a snarl.
"One of our scouts came back," he paused, "in pieces. It took me awhile to get the blood off the accompanying scroll with the information, but I finally managed it." He finished with a simpering smile at Sesshoumaru, who just glared in return.
"So what do we do about it?" I asked.
"Well, we should at least be able to choose our battleground," said Kouga. "We should camp away from the village, where we have higher ground and a good lookout."
Inuyasha snorted. "The mangy wolf is right for once. The large field to the south should be good."
An hour later, we were standing in the field, and the wolf clan immediately began setting up camp. The others wandered away quickly as well. Inuyasha and Yuki decided to spar a bit, since Yuki was so eager to test Dokkasou. Sesshoumaru settled near the fire with Jaken hovering around his feet. Sango and Miroku once again disappeared and Shippou decided to watch the sparring match. This left Kouga and me standing alone, awkward and silent. As the quiet set in, I realized that I wasn't sure why I had allowed our friendship turn sour. When had it become hard to talk to him?
"Kagome."
I looked up at the wolf prince. "Yes, Kouga?"
"You're beautiful and I love you."
Well, he certainly got right down to it. My face flushed and I started to stammer, but he just held up his hand to silence me.
"I wanted you to know that before I let you go." He sounded apologetic.
I blinked. "Huh?"
He grabbed my hand. "I know that you have feelings to sort out. For some reason, dog turd has gotten mixed up in it. Our connection is also interfering with your concentration on this battle. So I think that I should free you from our promise to each other. You no longer have to be my mate."
"Oh, okay." My eyes were nearly popping out of my head.
He winked at me. "When you know what you want, we'll talk again. And remember, if dog turd gives you any more trouble, I'll always be here for you." With that, he turned away and went to help his clan.
I bit my lip and, after a moment, twisted to watch Inuyasha and Yuki fight, but when I did, I found they had stopped. They were both staring at me with sad, curious eyes. Yuki finally gave me a soft smile as I walked towards them. "So," she began with a casual tone, "it's finally over between you two?"
After glancing at Inuyasha, I gave her a half-smile. "I didn't even know it had even started." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Inuyasha grin at the ground for a moment.
Suddenly, Sango and Miroku burst through the foliage to my left. Miroku ran up to Inuyasha. "I sense demon auras. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands."
Yuki closed her eyes and sniffed the air. "He's right. I have no idea how they've hidden their scent from us for so long." She sheathed Dokkasou and darted over to the camp to alert the others.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said, "I think you should stay in back. Take out the flying demons with your arrows. I don't want you near the actual battle."
I frowned but nodded. I had no skill with a sword and knew I would be of no use in the front line.
Yuki strode up to me and pressed a small metal object into my hand. "It's a derringer. It only has five shots in it, so I don't want you to use it unless it's completely necessary." She caught the worried look on my face and flipped back the sides of her leather duster. Her sides were covered in ammunition and guns. "Don't worry, I have my own."
"I thought you said I should stick with the arrows."
She gave me a wry smile. "You should. Remember that it's just in case. If I hear the gun go off, I'll come and help you."
"Thanks, Yuki. You really have moved past the self-preservation phase, haven't you?" I said as I checked to make sure the safety was on.
Arching an eyebrow, she said, "Well, I don't know about that, but we might be getting there." She jerked her head up to the sky and frowned. "They're here."
A/N: Okay... this chapter was originally going to be a simple little filler to bridge the gap from getting back to the village into the battle with Kagura, but it turned into much more, eh? I also used the chapter to fix the problem of Yuki's human-made sword – it wouldn't last against other demons' swords and attacks, so she needed a new one. Also... I know absolutely nothing about guns, but I always thought Millie from Trigun was very cool with her bazillion derringers (tiny guns that usually only hold one or two shots, although it goes up to five). If Kagome uses a gun, derringers are definitely her thing.
Don't forget to review and tell me what you want as the wish on the jewel. Thanks!
Golden Fire
Chapter 18: Dokkasou
We stayed in the village for nearly a week. During the day, we trained constantly. Shippou was developing his illusionist skills and I was practicing archery more than ever. Yuki was slowly getting a grasp of her snow powers, but she didn't dare trying the darker side of her magic. Miroku and Sango also frequently escaped to 'train'.
Inuyasha spent much of his time with Kikyo. For the first time in three years, I didn't feel jealous. He hadn't expressed love for me, or even denied that he still loved Kikyo, but our conversation in the forest had established one thing. He was my best friend and so I would never truly lose him.
Other than the training and the dead miko wandering around, life was getting strangely peaceful. My family frequently came to see us practice. Their new hut was completely finished and my mother seemed quite content to spend her days helping Kaede. It made me wonder if she actually wanted to go back home.
Rin and Souta had become fast friends in our absence, and when Shippou wasn't training, the kitsune joined their games. Having Mom around freed Jaken to attend to Sesshoumaru's wishes and the toad had immediately taken advantage of that fact. We hadn't seen him or his master for days. Inuyasha kept grumbling about traitors, while Yuki stayed silent. She had forgiven my actions, but not herself. I often caught her scratching at the crescent moon on her forehead, failing miserably in trying to erase it. No matter what she said, I knew she did indeed feel as humans feel. She was heartbroken.
Five days after our return to the village, I was sitting with my mother, watching Yuki and Shippou perform illusion tricks for Souta and Rin. "Mom? Do you want to stay here?"
My mother smiled and leaned against a tree. "Kagome, I do like it here very much, but I have responsibilities in our time. Not to mention the fact that Souta needs to go to school. He's too young to miss so much, really. Although I'm sure he'll catch up once you and Inuyasha beat this Naraku, and we return home."
I bowed my head slightly. She said 'we'. I didn't know how to tell her how hard it would be for me to leave this era.
"Kagome! Look at me!" Shippou called. I looked up and laughed. There was a smiling Inuyasha where Shippou had been moments before. He turned around. "Look! No tail!"
The real Inuyasha came across the clearing and stared at Shippou. "Feh. Not that good of a copy, if you ask me." He crossed his arms and lifted his nose in his typical fashion.
Shippou mimicked him and we all laughed.
"Oh Shippou! You have Inuyasha down perfectly!" I declared. My eyes started tearing with laughter when Inuyasha glared at me.
Finally, Shippou returned to his normal form and bounced over to me, with Yuki walking close behind. "He's advancing rapidly, Kagome," she commented. "You have a very talented son."
My mother's eyes widened for a moment, but Shippou quickly calmed her fears. "Don't worry, Mrs. Higurashi. Kagome is like my adopted mom. She takes care of me."
"Just like my Lady Yuki does for Rin!" chirped the little girl who had followed the blue-haired demon over to us. She held out a few wildflowers to Yuki, who immediately set upon making a flower chain for Rin's hair.
She was done in seconds. "Yes, Rin-chan, just like me taking care of you," she said softly as she set the flower crown on the girl's head.
Rin immediately grabbed Shippou and dragged him back to Souta, who was bugging Inuyasha about Tetsusaiga. The hanyou looked a bit overwhelmed as my brother plagued him with questions.
Bored of watching Inuyasha squirm, I took out the Orb and held it up to the light.
"Figure anything out about the Orb?" asked Yuki. She had begun to clean her sword next to me.
"No, I just can't figure out what the seer wanted me to do with it." I sighed and let my hand drop. "If I can't figure it out, what good will it do?"
"Well, I agree with Kaede, you'll figure it out when the time comes," my mother said.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin's voice carried across the clearing. My head jerked up and, sure enough, the Western Lord was greeting Rin. About time he came back. I shook my head in annoyance. Yuki sat next to me, her head still bent over her katana.
After a few minutes, he walked over to us and stood in front of Yuki. "Will my mate not welcome my return?" His face was impassive.
She turned cold eyes onto him. "I was not aware you had a mate in your grace, my Lord." She pulled back when he took the katana out of her hands. "What are you doing? That is my weapon. Why would you want something made by a human?"
"Wench, bite your tongue before you insult me further. It is worthless anyway." He threw down the sword so the point was buried in the earth and beckoned to Rin. The little girl ran and collapsed in Yuki's lap, but didn't stop staring in adoration at Sesshoumaru. "My Lady will take care of Rin. She will also treat me with the proper respect and dress appropriately for a youkai of her station. She will give me an heir or several if I so wish. She will adhere to my rules and my word. If that is all perfectly clear, you may return to me as my mate."
After removing Rin from her lap, Yuki stood up and put her hands on her hips. "And my Lord will give me the respect I deserve. He will help me raise and protect any children under our care. And he will once in awhile stop being a cold jackass and admit his feelings." She let out a long breath and brushed her hair out of her eyes.
Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow at her and then leaned forward. "What have you done to your forehead? To my mark?"
She twitched and pressed her hair back over her marred crescent moon mark. "Do we have to talk about this here and now?"
"As the young miko told me, it is impossible to keep secrets within this group. An irritating fact I have experienced several times already."
Before Yuki could talk back, there was a crash of lightening and an old man on a three-eyed ox appeared. My mother jumped and grabbed my arm but I just rolled my eyes. Totosai always had a knack for showing up at the strangest moments. I just wished it hadn't been when Sesshoumaru was making a poor attempt at reconciliation. The old man's huge eyes peered around him for a few moments while we all recovered from our surprise.
"Totosai! You old codger! What are you doing here?" asked Inuyasha. He stalked up to the demon sword-smith.
"He's here on my request, little brother," explained Sesshoumaru. He turned to Totosai. "You did not keep pace very well, old man. Give me the sword."
"Ah, yes. Lord Sesshoumaru, you remember our deal. I would make the sword only if you didn't touch it. Can't say I trust you with it." He lifted a katana that had been sitting in his lap. "It turned out quite well, if I do say so myself. Where is she?" Sesshoumaru pulled Yuki to her feet, and immediately released her hand. Totosai scratched his head and took in Yuki's leather-clad figure. "She doesn't look like she's from around here."
"Of course she isn't, old man! Sesshoumaru, what the hell is this about a new sword? The last time you actually succeeded in getting a new sword, it's smith came after us possessed by a demon's aura." Inuyasha was glaring at his brother.
The Western Lord just shifted his eyes to Yuki, who now held the katana with a look of awe on her face. It sang as she released it from its sheath and gleamed with a green light. "Try it out, girl," encouraged Totosai. "It is called Dokkasou. It seems to take after Lord Sesshoumaru's claws."
"Poison..." Yuki whispered as she took a few practice swings that left streaks of shimmering green behind. She stopped in mid-swing and looked at Sesshoumaru. "This is where you've been. You had Totosai use your own fang, didn't you?"
"Of course. Where else would I find a fang powerful enough for the Lady of the Western Lands?" His voice was cold and sarcastic, but I watched his eyes linger on her face for a moment too long.
"I just can't believe you actually went out and had this made, when you hated me so much. Or at least that's how you acted," she whispered. She seemed too surprised to care what effect her words would have.
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Don't get too excited, woman. I had originally planned for the sword to be an incentive for you to return to your own time."
"A bribe?" questioned Yuki. "That seems a bit underhanded for you. Why didn't you just kill me?"
He swallowed and I realized that we were all staring at him. I averted my gaze until I heard him whisper, "I couldn't." He fixed his amber eyes on Yuki and lifted his chin to its usual position. "Rin would be heartbroken if I killed you."
Yuki was smiling softly as she sheathed Dokkasou. She bit her lip in thought, walked up to Sesshoumaru and hugged him tightly. "I love you too, my Lord Sesshoumaru." She pulled away. Bowing, she gave him a shy smile. "And thank you for the beautiful sword."
Sesshoumaru stood rigidly with his arms at his sides until she let go. "You are welcome," he finally said. After glancing around him at our shocked faces, he smirked at Yuki. "Does this mean I get my heir soon?"
Yuki smiled and shrugged. "We'll see."
///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///*///
"That's the only time I've ever seen Sesshoumaru shocked," I teased Yuki. "Except for the time when I pulled out the Tetsusaiga when neither he nor Inuyasha could." We were sitting down to breakfast the next morning.
The Lady of the Western Lands ran her fingers down the edge of Dokkasou. "I can imagine that was a pretty big blow to his considerable ego." She grasped her chest in mock horror. "A human! Touching the Tetsusaiga? Unthinkable!"
I raised an eyebrow. She had really loosened up since killing Ryu. "You get mean when you're in love."
Yuki rolled her eyes and set her katana down again. "Yesterday afternoon, after his little confession, he told me my swordsmanship was atrocious. Then, he mentioned how he should go and kill some humans because he hasn't spilt enough blood recently. I think I'm allowed to make fun of him a bit, since he so obviously delights in teasing me."
"Ah, so he's trying to recoup his manliness?"
"Demonic prowess, yes. Doesn't Inuyasha do that?"
"Are you kidding?" I laughed. "It's his defining trait. Show emotion and then make all attempts to erase that fact from everyone's mind."
She smiled and let her fingers glide across the wooden floor. "Men are such difficult creatures, demon or not. Nevertheless, I am pleased that Inuyasha is now my brother. And maybe I'll have a sister soon too." She winked at me.
I blushed, but was saved from answering by the entrance of Jaken.
"My Lady! Lord Sesshoumaru commands your presence outside!" He turned a disdainful eye to me. "The human is to come also."
"Jaken." Her voice had dropped its playful tone and now sounded deadly.
"Um... Yes, my Lady?" He stuffed his hands inside in sleeves and bowed his head slightly.
"Treat Kagome as you would treat me or our Lord Sesshoumaru, or I shall be very displeased. And then I might use you for practicing my snow magic." Her eyes flashed blue.
Jaken yelped. "Yes, my Lady!" He scampered out the door.
Yuki smiled. "My Lord is right. That is fun." She tugged on my sleeve. "Come on, let's see what the boys are up to."
We walked out into the rice paddies, where the rest of the group had already congregated. Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Miroku were talking in low tones while Kikyo, Sango and the wolves hovered around them. Jaken yelped and tried to scamper away when Yuki approached, but Sesshoumaru caught him by the collar. "Jaken, tell the others what you told this Sesshoumaru."
"Yes, my Lord." He cleared his throat. "My Lord Sesshoumaru has not been idle. He commanded me to travel to the Western Lands and gather his army. I did so. Unfortunately, an entire army cannot move as quickly as one demon, such as myself. They will not be arriving for a few days, and I have heard news that Kagura and Kanna will be attacking much sooner than that."
"Where did you hear that?" questioned Inuyasha with a snarl.
"One of our scouts came back," he paused, "in pieces. It took me awhile to get the blood off the accompanying scroll with the information, but I finally managed it." He finished with a simpering smile at Sesshoumaru, who just glared in return.
"So what do we do about it?" I asked.
"Well, we should at least be able to choose our battleground," said Kouga. "We should camp away from the village, where we have higher ground and a good lookout."
Inuyasha snorted. "The mangy wolf is right for once. The large field to the south should be good."
An hour later, we were standing in the field, and the wolf clan immediately began setting up camp. The others wandered away quickly as well. Inuyasha and Yuki decided to spar a bit, since Yuki was so eager to test Dokkasou. Sesshoumaru settled near the fire with Jaken hovering around his feet. Sango and Miroku once again disappeared and Shippou decided to watch the sparring match. This left Kouga and me standing alone, awkward and silent. As the quiet set in, I realized that I wasn't sure why I had allowed our friendship turn sour. When had it become hard to talk to him?
"Kagome."
I looked up at the wolf prince. "Yes, Kouga?"
"You're beautiful and I love you."
Well, he certainly got right down to it. My face flushed and I started to stammer, but he just held up his hand to silence me.
"I wanted you to know that before I let you go." He sounded apologetic.
I blinked. "Huh?"
He grabbed my hand. "I know that you have feelings to sort out. For some reason, dog turd has gotten mixed up in it. Our connection is also interfering with your concentration on this battle. So I think that I should free you from our promise to each other. You no longer have to be my mate."
"Oh, okay." My eyes were nearly popping out of my head.
He winked at me. "When you know what you want, we'll talk again. And remember, if dog turd gives you any more trouble, I'll always be here for you." With that, he turned away and went to help his clan.
I bit my lip and, after a moment, twisted to watch Inuyasha and Yuki fight, but when I did, I found they had stopped. They were both staring at me with sad, curious eyes. Yuki finally gave me a soft smile as I walked towards them. "So," she began with a casual tone, "it's finally over between you two?"
After glancing at Inuyasha, I gave her a half-smile. "I didn't even know it had even started." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Inuyasha grin at the ground for a moment.
Suddenly, Sango and Miroku burst through the foliage to my left. Miroku ran up to Inuyasha. "I sense demon auras. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands."
Yuki closed her eyes and sniffed the air. "He's right. I have no idea how they've hidden their scent from us for so long." She sheathed Dokkasou and darted over to the camp to alert the others.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said, "I think you should stay in back. Take out the flying demons with your arrows. I don't want you near the actual battle."
I frowned but nodded. I had no skill with a sword and knew I would be of no use in the front line.
Yuki strode up to me and pressed a small metal object into my hand. "It's a derringer. It only has five shots in it, so I don't want you to use it unless it's completely necessary." She caught the worried look on my face and flipped back the sides of her leather duster. Her sides were covered in ammunition and guns. "Don't worry, I have my own."
"I thought you said I should stick with the arrows."
She gave me a wry smile. "You should. Remember that it's just in case. If I hear the gun go off, I'll come and help you."
"Thanks, Yuki. You really have moved past the self-preservation phase, haven't you?" I said as I checked to make sure the safety was on.
Arching an eyebrow, she said, "Well, I don't know about that, but we might be getting there." She jerked her head up to the sky and frowned. "They're here."
A/N: Okay... this chapter was originally going to be a simple little filler to bridge the gap from getting back to the village into the battle with Kagura, but it turned into much more, eh? I also used the chapter to fix the problem of Yuki's human-made sword – it wouldn't last against other demons' swords and attacks, so she needed a new one. Also... I know absolutely nothing about guns, but I always thought Millie from Trigun was very cool with her bazillion derringers (tiny guns that usually only hold one or two shots, although it goes up to five). If Kagome uses a gun, derringers are definitely her thing.
Don't forget to review and tell me what you want as the wish on the jewel. Thanks!
