A/N: Hey Guys! Thanks so much for all your patience and reviews! Ya'll are the best! ^_^ I've got a ton of new plot ideas I want to start writing, but I'm holding them off until I'm closer to the end of this one! *determined face* I will finish this story!!
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
A special thanks goes out to KagomeHikari8 for that awesome picture she sent me and all the wonderful praise she's showered me with! Thanks girl!
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Mistaken Identity
Chapter 13
Go Fish…
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Kagome stood, frozen to the spot, as Kouga and Inuyasha fought it out near the forest edge. No one had landed an attack yet; they simply dodged around each other like well-choreographed dancers, Kouga more nimbly than Inuyasha.
"See, mutt? You're no match for me!" Kouga bragged, aiming a kick at Inuyasha's head.
"Keh! You haven't even hit me yet, you wimpy wolf!" Inuyasha called back with a smirk as he leaped aside to avoid being hit.
With a mighty lunge, Kouga leapt high into the air and dove down at Inuyasha, landing a smashing punch on his left shoulder. Inuyasha staggered back from the blow, but managed to rake his sharp claws across Kouga's chest – ripping the clothes replacing his armor with deep scratches.
Glaring fiercely at the other, the two stood panting for a few moments to regain their breath. The peace didn't last long, however, when Inuyasha whirled towards Kouga, who raced forward as well, and the combat was resumed again. Neither one seemed to be paying any attention to their own personal health as they concentrated completely on damaging the opponent.
Kagome's mouth was agape in horror as blood began splattering the ground in tiny, red droplets.
"St…stop…," she whispered in an effort to end the violence. Of course, she wasn't heard over the battle cries and hisses of pain. Kagome blinked back tears as she watched Inuyasha take an especially painful kick to the stomach.
"Stop…," she tried again, a little more forcefully. Once again, she was ignored as the fight grew steadily worse. A crowd was beginning to form on the waterfall's cliff as Kouga's tribe gathered round to watch their leader. Occasional boos and cheers sounded when a particularly tricky move was executed.
Kagome was disgusted at it all. How could they just sit and watch, and even encourage them to hurt each other was beyond her.
Her own anxiety was nearing breaking point: there was only so much a girl unaccustomed to bloody fights could take.
"Stop!" she yelled, finally, in a voice that broke with emotion. "Please! Stop…"
Inuyasha and Kouga paused, glancing towards Kagome with questioning looks. "What the hell, Kagome? I was just about to beat him!" Inuyasha complained. But then he saw the tears flowing silently down her cheeks.
Abandoning the battlefield, he ran over to Kagome and glared down at her. "What're you crying for?" he asked, desperately trying to stifle the worry he felt from entering his voice.
Frowning up at him, Kagome scowled. "How can you even ask that?! You're getting hurt! And so is Kouga! You guys are so incredibly stupid!"
Inuyasha gawked at her. "That's it? You're crying because of these little cuts? That coward could never hurt me!"
Kagome began sobbing again, "Idiot!" she cried, poking a purple bruise already blossoming on his cheek. Inuyasha yelped in surprise and recoiled back, clutching a hand to his abused face.
"What was that for?!"
"See! You are hurt!"
"Stupid girl…" Inuyasha muttered in annoyance. "I would've been fine if you hadn't jabbed it!"
"Men and their pride!" she ground out, flinging her hands up in the air and turning on her toe to stalk off.
"Don't worry Kagome!" Kouga called after her, in what he must have felt was reassurance. "I'll kill him for you and then you'll never have to put up with him again!"
Kagome sprang back around, looking far less than reassured. "No! I don't want you guys to fight! Especially over me! Geez, if you guys have a score you want to settle that badly then figure out a way to do it without murdering each other!"
Kouga looked confused. "You mean…no fighting…?"
Kagome sighed with irritation. "Look, why don't you ju-"
"Kouga!!" she was interrupted my Mohawk-Man and company dashing up to their leader. "There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Why? Did something happen, Hakkaku?" Kouga asked.
'Hakkaku…I guess Mohawk-Man does have a name…' Kagome thought absentmindedly.
Holding up his deck of cards, Hakkaku explained, "Ginta and I thought you might want to play with us!"
Kagome almost fell over. They had been looking everywhere for him for that…?
Kouga cocked an eyebrow and a smirk spread across his face.
"Mutt!" he called in Inuyasha's general direction, gesturing him over with his hand.
Inuyasha scowled angrily. "What'd you call me?!" he bellowed, pouncing towards Kouga with every intention of bashing his head in. Kouga, however, easily side-stepped, and Inuyasha crashed past.
"Follow me," Kouga commanded.
"Yah right…I'm not taking any orders from you!" Inuyasha ground out while picking himself up off the ground.
Kouga smirked arrogantly. "So you're giving up? Kagome's mine? Always knew you were just a big chicken…"
That did it.
"Keh…" Dejectedly, he trailed off after Kouga. Avoiding Kagome's glares she kept shooting him for trying to attack Kouga again.
They reached a cave, the one Kagome had woken up in upon her arrival to Kouga's tribe. Hakkaku and Ginta were already there, speaking amiably to one another. They waved jovially to Kagome who smiled in spite of herself and gave a little wave back, much to Inuyasha's dismay, but before he had a chance to scold her, Kouga turned to him with a wide smirk.
"I happen to be the champion at Go Fish," he declared proudly.
"Congratulations." Inuyasha rolled his eyes sarcastically.
'This game's all about luck, dummy, you can't be an expert…' Inuyasha thought to himself.
Kouga, however, didn't seem to catch it and simply ignored him.
"So, we're going to play for Kagome!"
Said girl sputtered indignantly. "You're playing cards for me!? Don't be ridiculous!" She looked meaningfully to Hakkaku and Ginta for some back-up, but they had already starting dealing the cards.
Kagome sighed and sunk to the ground in exasperation, muttering conspiratorially to herself.
"Hey!! I see you trying to hide those cards!"
"What the hell are you talking about! You're the one planning to cheat! I can tell!"
This was going to be a loooooong game….
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kagome's assumption turned out wrong in two ways.
One, the game started innocently enough, but quickly became a competition full of shifty eyes and accusing glares. If truth be told, they were acting like two year olds.
Second…well, the 'game' certainly wasn't going to be lasting much longer…
"What are you trying to pull? That's not a match!"
"Freak! You just don't want to lose!"
"Are you blind?! That's a six!"
"It's a nine!"
"Six!"
"Nine!"
"Count the friggin' diamonds! It's a six!"
The two were now on their feet and in each other's faces, Kagome patiently sitting on the sidelines – content to let them settle the dispute themselves as long as neither one attacked.
But of course, Inuyasha wasn't a man of words. Swinging his fist out, he caught Kouga across the jaw. It wasn't a very hard hit, Kouga was able to block it, but it didn't escape Kagome's frosty glare.
"Inuyasha! What have I told you about hitting?"
Inuyasha looked up at her easily. "Whoops! Guess it slipped…"
Kagome scoffed. "Suuuuuuuure…" Standing up, she smoothed her dress and announced, "I'm leaving! You two are impossible!" First, however, she glanced towards the card which had started the argument. "By the way…that is a six…" before trouncing out of the cave and into the forest.
Inuyasha shot a triumphant smirk at Kouga, "I told you so!" before calling after Kagome to get her butt back here. She was already out of hearing range, though, as well as out of sight.
"Wait!" Kouga stopped him as he began to charge off after the runaway girl. "I can't follow her, because I have to stay with my tribe, but she's my woman! You better not make any moves on her!"
Inuyasha scoffed. "I had her first, wolf!"
Kouga crossed his arms, "I bet she likes me better than you, anyways!"
Inuyasha ignored him and just leapt off.
"Tell Kagome that I'll check up on her sometime!!"
Inuyasha continued to ignore him as he sped off into the woods. He tried not to let what Kouga had said bother him.
"Stupid wolf was probably just saying that!" he assured himself. But still…
I bet she likes me better than you, anyways…
He couldn't get those words out of his head…and he couldn't figure out why they made his head hurt so much…
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Author's Note: Poor Inu…well, not so much of a cliffhanger this time, huh? I'll do my best update ASAP!! Please review!!