Chapter 14 – Gunjukoujou (War Plant)
Things were relatively good while the group traveled again. Inuyasha and Kameko kept their remarks to each other as kind as they could managed. It was clear that they weren't going to be getting along anytime soon. Kagome had hoped they would, but could clearly see that its wasn't going to happen. Sango also tried to discourage Miroku from liking Kameko, but that wasn't going to well either. Little Shippou was content to have the attention of two girls now. He got twice the sweets from their time because of it. Miroku…well, as mentioned before, was trying to spend time with Kameko. When they had come to get her from Sesshoumaru she had held his hand, temporarily forgetting that he had already, basically, asked Sango to marry him when all was said and done.
'I was just really happy to see them all, and it felt good to hold his hand,' Kameko thought as they walked. 'It was comforting.' Then her subconscious decided to betray her. 'So was the kiss with Sesshoumaru though.' Then she groaned. 'Oh geez, here we go again.' Sure, she would have kissed his toad of a servant, Jaken, if he saved her, because she would have kissed anything for sake of being alive. She had to admit though: Sesshoumaru was good looking. Not Miroku-good-looking (for Miroku was hot!) but…actually there was no one to compare Sesshoumaru to. He was in his own league. His features were somewhat soft, like a woman's, but had that undeniable manliness to them. The undeniable hot, gorgeous manliness to them…
'Focus,' she told herself. 'Need to keep your head straight here. No chance for slip ups.'
"Kameko? Kameko?" Kagome asked, shaking her friend's shoulder.
Kameko looked at her. "Huh? Que?"
The miko leaned towards her ear. "Poor Miroku has been trying to talk to you for the past mile."
The American looked over at the houshi, who looked a little dejected. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about things. Ugh, I'm such a dunderhead."
Kagome smiled. "No, but I guess its good that you haven't been talking to him, because Sango isn't giving you death glares."
Kameko took a peek in the taiji's direction that seemed somewhat happy. "I know. I temporarily forgot that the were engaged or whatever."
"It just that you like him though," her friend finished for her.
She shrugged. "I guess."
Kagome sighed. "I can't say that I approve of your taste. He is a good guy. But I guess its better than you liking someone like Sesshoumaru."
She blushed. 'If you only knew what was going through my head, Kagome,' she thought. "I should go talk to her," Kameko said. "I don't want to fight with her, especially since she has that boomerang thing. Nope, don't want to know what that feels like."
Kagome watched as she walked faster to catch up with Sango. Good, they were going to work things out. She hated to see her two friends fight, much less over Miroku. Who would have thought someone would argue over Miroku. What was this world coming too?
"Sango-san?" Kameko said tentatively as she came up besides the taiji. It was better to approach her politely.
Sango looked at her. "Hm?"
She looked down at the ground. "Look. I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"F-for Miroku. He's asked you to marry him and I'm denser than Inuyasha, so I've been acting like a idiot and-"
"Its ok," Sango said. "Its not up to me or you whom he likes, but himself. If he decides on you, then that is fine, for then it means that we are not meant to be. If he doesn't, then this is just a test that he and I need to get through."
Kameko blushed in awkwardness. "Look. I really don't want to be a test between you two-"
"And neither do I. That is life though."
She looked at the taiji. This was clearing paining her, though it didn't show on her face, but in her eyes. "What ever you decide, Sango-san."
Sango gave her a small smile. "Sango-chan or just Sango will just do." Along with her smile she gave a small laugh. "Its funny, you seem like Kagome-chan when you speak to me. Not all of her, but enough to recognize that you two are similar."
Rubbing the back of her head, Kameko gave a feeble laugh. "Uh, thanks."
'Yet you seem so much like Umannhanta no Eraikiraa, in the tales ofukuro told when I was younger,' Sango thought.
"So, we're ok then? We're on good terms right?" Kameko asked.
The taiji nodded. "Yes."
~*~*~*~*~
The smell of something cooking woke Miroku. Slowly he fractured his dark purple eyes open, sunlight stinging them as they did. When they adjusted to brightness he saw double Kagomes watching over something on her contraption. It took him a moment to realize that at least one of the Kagomes looked a little different than usual. This one was not in her usual attire of green and white. She had a red streak that hung over her right eye, and her eyes were green.
'Kameko, baka,' he scolded himself and sat up. When he did he saw the inu-hanyou sitting near the girls, looking like he was ready to drool over whatever they were making. 'Ramen,' he told himself, 'you're slow today.'
"Hurry up!" Inuyasha insisted.
"Heel, boy," Kameko said with a smirk. The hanyou glared at her, but didn't reply.
"Morning Miroku!" Kagome greeted him. "Breakfast is almost ready."
"Feh. I get first servings," Inuyasha said and crossed his arms inside his haroi.
"Serving, Inuyasha, serving, then if there is anything left over you can have it," Kameko said in a motherly tone.
"I don't have to listen to you. You don't tell me what to do."
"Inuyasha, I agree. Wait for the leftovers," Kagome said in the same tone.
He huffed, "Fine."
Miroku smirked; it was apparent who did tell Inuyasha was to do. He shook his head and looked around the camp. Shippou was still sleeping on Kagome's sleeping bag and Sango was… "Where's Sango?"
"She went to go bathe in the near by hot spring," Kameko said and stirred the ramen.
With out looking up from watching Kameko stir Kagome scolded him too. "Don't you dare go there, Miroku," came the warning.
It was also apparent who helped keep Miroku inline too.
Breakfast was enjoyable. Kameko had added some a food item she brought from her land.
"What is this?" Sango had asked, poking at some red tomato stuff with her chopsticks. Kirara had also been given some, and was enjoying it next to her mistress.
"Its called salsa. My Nana had made some, mild, to give to Kagome's family. I took some and here it is."
Shippou took a bite of his ramen and salsa concoction. His eyes weld up as he swallowed. "Ah! Hot! Hot!"
"Blow on it, it'll cool it down," Kagome suggested.
"No! Spicy hot! Water! Where's water?" He screamed as he bounced around them.
Inuyasha growled. The kitsune was disrupting his breakfast, of his favorite food too. "Knock it off!" He grabbed Shippou by the tail and tossed him. In the distance there was faint splash as the fox youkai landed in the hot springs.
"Actually, milk would have been better," Kameko said calmly, as if nothing had happened. She had obviously adjusted to the antics. "But since we don't have any on hand, I suppose water will have to do." She stuffed a fork into her mouth that was just plain salsa.
"I saw you put a different type of sal-sa," Kagome said trying the word out, "on your ramen then ours. Is it different?"
She nodded her head. "Its extra hot, but now that I think of it. I might have given Shippou mine because this salsa tastes weak." She sighed. "Poor boy, didn't realize it till now. I only guessed it because the rest of you weren't behaving like him."
After stopping at a near by farm was Shippou's burning mouth stopped.
"I'm sorry Shippou, I didn't mean to give you my ramen," Kameko apologized as he drank from the water bottle now filled with milk.
"Its ok, I forgive you," he replied as he made a smacking noise from his last gulp.
They continued to travel on.
~*~*~*~*~
Before they knew it a week had passed. Inuyasha seemed restless.
"What's wrong with him?" Kameko asked, nudging Kagome in the side.
"He's probably getting antsy. He hasn't really gotten the chance to fight anything since that ghost."
"You know," Inuyasha snapped. "I can hear you two whispering back there."
"Who says we were whispering, mitad perro?" Kameko asked.
Kagome groaned. It seemed like those two were never going to get along.
"What did you call me?" he demanded. By now the group had stopped walking. He turned to Kagome. "What did she call me, Kagome?"
Great, now she was being dragged into this. "I don't know, Inuyasha. I think its Spanish."
"Right, it is. I could insult you here to Timbuktu and you wouldn't know what I was saying. I think its best that you don't, there are children present." She gestured to Shippou.
"Timbuktu?" Sango said, looking at Miroku, who just shrugged. They were sitting on Kirara and looked confused.
"Look, stop talking in that weird…" Inuyasha didn't finish the sentence. His ears were alert. Kameko took one of the spears that were hanging next to her backpack and looked ready to throw it at the slightest move.
Seeing this Sango put a hand on her boomerang. "What is it?"
"A youkai," Inuyasha and Kameko said together.
"Its big," Inuyasha said, "and smells of plants."
Shippou clung to Kagome's leg. "Is that good or bad?"
"I'm hoping for good," Kagome replied. Miroku got off of Kirara and stood next to Kagome. Sango also dismounted, but went to Kameko and Inuyasha.
"It's taking its time getting here," Kameko said. The hanyou just grunted in reply and withdrew the Tetsusaiga from its sheath.
After a moment they could hear it draw nearer, causing the trees to rustle. As it came closer the ground shook with it also. Various rodents and animals came running past them, to get away from the youkai that was stomping toward the group.
The kitsune gulped. "I think Inuyasha is going to get his wish to fight."
Kagome nodded. "I hope he finishes it quickly."
Finally the youkai came into view. It was tall, maybe thirteen feet, had wide shoulders and its body was covered in plant like things. "Where is she?" it roared and stepped closer.
Inuyasha withdrew his sword. "Turn around, before I slice you in half."
He laughed. "You? I can smell that you are nothing more than a puny hanyou. And that's saying a lot considering that I don't have nose." He narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha. "Where is she? The one that can sense the Shikon no Tama shards?"
'He's after Kagome!' Inuyasha thought. "Heh. I don't know what you're talking about, jerk. Like I said, you better leave before I kill you."
'He's after me!' Kagome thought, and Shippou clung tighter to her.
"If things go bad, you need to leave Kagome-sama," Miroku said, stepping front of her, ready to fight. "And you go with her, Kameko-san."
Kameko had been just behind Inuyasha, ready to throw her spear, with Sango at her side. She turned her head to look at Miroku. "What?" She was ready to fight, to show that she could pull her own weight around here.
"I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you," Miroku said, looking into her eyes.
She looked at the ground, then out of the corner of her eye looked at Sango. The taiji-ya didn't seem to hear Miroku, or if she did she chose to ignore it. "No. You go with if things turn bad, Miroku. I know someone who'd be devastated if anything happened to you." Kameko turned her attention back to the plant youkai that was verbally sparing with Inuyasha. In her peripheral vision she did see Sango this time turn and look at her. Her expression was unreadable.
"I'm not going anywhere," Kagome protested. "I am not leaving my friends behind."
"I am getting tired of this!" the plant youkai snarled. "Hand over the girl or else."
"Or else what?" Inuyasha said indignantly. "You're going to make some flowers grow?" He snorted at the thought.
"Why do you seek the girl that can detect the Shikon no Tama?" Miroku asked.
"To get Naraku, measly human. I had a shard before and wish to have it back. I figure while I am at I will take the whole thing. I hear it is nearly complete, and it could make me very powerful. I have heard tales of the girl that can tell where it is." He looked from Sango, to Kagome, and then to Kameko. "I see three human girls here. I will just take all of them then, and when I find out which one she is, I will kill the other to."
"No, you can't do that!" Shippou shouted.
The giant plant just laughed. "I would like to see you try, young one." Before anyone could react he stretched out his hand towards the group. His forefinger began to grow and extend towards Sango.
A/N: Ahhh! What's going to happen? Tune in next month. Yeah, I was going to write more, but I decided a cliff hanger was in need. M'kay, sorry about the delay in updating. College is hectic. I've already had one midterm. Egh. Thanx to all that have reviewed and waited patiently for this! Hope you enjoyed it. If forget if I used any new words that you don't know. Uh, if I did, just ask about them.