Chapter 3- The Cat Awakes
Sango and Kagome carefully removed the demon's clothing and prepared water and a rag to clean her wounds. "She sure does have a lot of cuts." Kagome said "Yes, they are so deep, but healing before our eyes." Her friend said as she cleaned the particularly deep wound on her right forearm made by Inuyasha. After they had finished cleaning her, the two girls placed a blanket over her. Kagome took a clean rag dunked it in a bowl of fresh water and placed it over her forehead, which was warm with fever. Shippo was investigating the hut when he came over to the girls. "Inuyasha sure is acting weird." He stated bluntly. Sango's eyes met Kagome's. They had both realized it, but neither had said a thing. Sango was the one who addressed the little fox's concerns, "I'm sure he's just upset about the carnage." She assured him. "Still," Kagome said, "He seems to be acting strangely around this demon." "She's not a demon." Shippo said getting strange looks from both of the girls. "She's only half demon, I can smell it." He sniffed the air demonstrating. "H-half demon?" Kagome asked, "That means she like... Inuyasha." She almost whispered the words. A sharp voice disturbed them with a hiss, "She's nothing like me." Kagome's head whipped around startled, Inuyasha and Miroku stood in the door way sweating and covered in dirt from the graves they'd just dug. "I'm going to wash off." He turned and walked out and down to the river.
Inuyasha removed his kimono and walked into the river, he needed to wash the stench off of him. The stench of blood, death, battle, dirt, and Naraku overwhelmed his sensitive nose. He held his breath and plunged under the water. With his eyes closed, feeling the cooling water, Inuyasha got lost in thoughts of his past. He hadn't even recognized the village when he came upon it. Of course it had been 60 or so years since he had been there. He felt his feet skim the bottom of the river. Not wanting to remember he kicked off the dirt and sprung to the surface of the river. Taking in a gulp of fresh air he treaded water for a while, lost in thought. What's going to happen when she wakes up? Will she remember her promise? He almost laughed at the thought, Promise, yeah right, more like threat. With a sigh he realized the sun was almost setting and soon his friends would start looking for him. He swam to the river bank and lowered himself to the ground to shake himself off. Water sprayed everywhere. He put on his Kimono and slowly walked back to the village, wondering what he was in for.
Sango and Miroku began cooking outside the hut soon after Inuyasha left. Kagome and Shippo were in the hut watching over the half-demon girl. The scents of meat and some vegetables they had found in a small garden behind the hut filled the air. Sango slowly poked at the embers cooking the kabobs they had made. "Sango?" Miroku asked probingly. "Yes?" she answered. "What do you think is going on here?" He asked. She stopped poking the fire and turned to him. Miroku watched her intently, his eyes probing hers. "I'm not sure. I guess that Inuyasha knows this female half-demon somehow, but I have no idea what their connection could be." Miroku scratched his chin. "There is a lot about Inuyasha's past that we still do not know. I'm sure he will open up to us when he is ready. Speaking of ready..." He inched closer to her and put his arm around her, "When do you think they'll be ready to, you know, hear about us?" Sango rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. Miroku has told her of his feelings for her after their last battle, but they had chosen to keep it from their friends because they were all getting too close to completing the jewel and killing Naraku to make it even more complicated. "I think its best to wait a little while longer." The comment got a groan from Miroku. "Why? They won't care, they'll be happy for us." He raised his voice slightly. "Shhhh, Kagome or Shippo will hear you." She warned. "I don't care," he said taking her hands in his, "I love you Sango." Her cheeks burned red, he'd never said the words before, just that he had feelings for her. She took her right hand from his and placed it on his cheek, "just a while longer, until we complete the jewel and our mission." Sango was more worried about the final battles then she let on. Gods forbid anything happen to any of them, she didn't want and more pity then the rest of them. "Please Miroku, please know that I love you too, more then anything." Her eyes began to tear up. Miroku leaned in and kissed her softly, then pulled away, "Don't worry so much Sango. We're going to be alright."
Inside the hut Kagome's patient began to stir. Kagome knelt before her and remoistened the rag on her head. "Are you alright?" She asked. The half demon slowly opened her eyes, "What is your name, so that I might properly thank you? "I'm Kagome, what's your name?" She smiled, "I'm Hikaru." She slowly sat up holding her head trying to shake off the dizziness. "Be careful," Kagome warned. "I'll be fine." Hikaru stated, then she realized she was only covered by a blanket, "Um, where are my clothes?"
"Over here!" called Shippo, "We tried to clean and sew them." He brought over all of her clothes but her armor and sword.
"Thank you young kitsue", smiled Hikaru as she pat his head. Shippo smiled appreciatively. "Would you mind stepping outside while I changed?"
"Not at all, I'll see if dinner is ready." He said as he left.
Kagome helped Hikaru stand and dress, all of her scars had faded except the ones made by Inuyasha. Hikaru moved to her armor and began to put it on her shoulders. "You won't need that," Kagome said, "We won't hurt you."
Hikaru turned to her and smirked, "I wouldn't be so sure." She adjusted her armor and attached her sword. She slowly turned to Kagome, "How long have you known that demon Inuyasha?"
Kagome was a little shocked, "Inuyasha, well, we've known each other for almost a year and a half I guess."
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your business with him?" Her voice remained calm and even.
"Well," Kagome thought about not telling her about the jewel but then realized that she seemed like she could be trusted. Kagome left out some of the details, like the fact she was from a different time, but told her about how she'd destroyed the Shikron Jewel and how they were piecing it together.
"What will you do with the Jewel? Will you use it for good or evil?" She asked a little more testy.
"I assure you," Kagome said, "I want to purify the jewel, it is too evil in its current form."
"Are you sure he can be trusted?" the half demon inquired further.
Kagome was getting angry, "Of course he can! Inuyasha is a great person, he wouldn't harm anyone that didn't deserve it!" She though for a moment about his deeper demon side, the side that had killed an army of thieves, humans, he'd felt terrible about it, and still does.
Hikaru quickly closed the distance between Kagome and herself. She was a few inches taller then the full blooded human, yet shorter then Inuyasha. "I hope then you know a different Inuyasha then I did." She let her words hang in the air. Hikaru shook her head but still smiled at Kagome, with sadness in her eyes. "I apologize if I offended you Kagome. Come, my friend, let us eat the meal you have prepared, I am in your debt."
Kagome and Hikaru walked out of the hut only to meet Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and a newly cleaned Inuyasha, who scowled at Hikaru.
Sango and Kagome carefully removed the demon's clothing and prepared water and a rag to clean her wounds. "She sure does have a lot of cuts." Kagome said "Yes, they are so deep, but healing before our eyes." Her friend said as she cleaned the particularly deep wound on her right forearm made by Inuyasha. After they had finished cleaning her, the two girls placed a blanket over her. Kagome took a clean rag dunked it in a bowl of fresh water and placed it over her forehead, which was warm with fever. Shippo was investigating the hut when he came over to the girls. "Inuyasha sure is acting weird." He stated bluntly. Sango's eyes met Kagome's. They had both realized it, but neither had said a thing. Sango was the one who addressed the little fox's concerns, "I'm sure he's just upset about the carnage." She assured him. "Still," Kagome said, "He seems to be acting strangely around this demon." "She's not a demon." Shippo said getting strange looks from both of the girls. "She's only half demon, I can smell it." He sniffed the air demonstrating. "H-half demon?" Kagome asked, "That means she like... Inuyasha." She almost whispered the words. A sharp voice disturbed them with a hiss, "She's nothing like me." Kagome's head whipped around startled, Inuyasha and Miroku stood in the door way sweating and covered in dirt from the graves they'd just dug. "I'm going to wash off." He turned and walked out and down to the river.
Inuyasha removed his kimono and walked into the river, he needed to wash the stench off of him. The stench of blood, death, battle, dirt, and Naraku overwhelmed his sensitive nose. He held his breath and plunged under the water. With his eyes closed, feeling the cooling water, Inuyasha got lost in thoughts of his past. He hadn't even recognized the village when he came upon it. Of course it had been 60 or so years since he had been there. He felt his feet skim the bottom of the river. Not wanting to remember he kicked off the dirt and sprung to the surface of the river. Taking in a gulp of fresh air he treaded water for a while, lost in thought. What's going to happen when she wakes up? Will she remember her promise? He almost laughed at the thought, Promise, yeah right, more like threat. With a sigh he realized the sun was almost setting and soon his friends would start looking for him. He swam to the river bank and lowered himself to the ground to shake himself off. Water sprayed everywhere. He put on his Kimono and slowly walked back to the village, wondering what he was in for.
Sango and Miroku began cooking outside the hut soon after Inuyasha left. Kagome and Shippo were in the hut watching over the half-demon girl. The scents of meat and some vegetables they had found in a small garden behind the hut filled the air. Sango slowly poked at the embers cooking the kabobs they had made. "Sango?" Miroku asked probingly. "Yes?" she answered. "What do you think is going on here?" He asked. She stopped poking the fire and turned to him. Miroku watched her intently, his eyes probing hers. "I'm not sure. I guess that Inuyasha knows this female half-demon somehow, but I have no idea what their connection could be." Miroku scratched his chin. "There is a lot about Inuyasha's past that we still do not know. I'm sure he will open up to us when he is ready. Speaking of ready..." He inched closer to her and put his arm around her, "When do you think they'll be ready to, you know, hear about us?" Sango rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. Miroku has told her of his feelings for her after their last battle, but they had chosen to keep it from their friends because they were all getting too close to completing the jewel and killing Naraku to make it even more complicated. "I think its best to wait a little while longer." The comment got a groan from Miroku. "Why? They won't care, they'll be happy for us." He raised his voice slightly. "Shhhh, Kagome or Shippo will hear you." She warned. "I don't care," he said taking her hands in his, "I love you Sango." Her cheeks burned red, he'd never said the words before, just that he had feelings for her. She took her right hand from his and placed it on his cheek, "just a while longer, until we complete the jewel and our mission." Sango was more worried about the final battles then she let on. Gods forbid anything happen to any of them, she didn't want and more pity then the rest of them. "Please Miroku, please know that I love you too, more then anything." Her eyes began to tear up. Miroku leaned in and kissed her softly, then pulled away, "Don't worry so much Sango. We're going to be alright."
Inside the hut Kagome's patient began to stir. Kagome knelt before her and remoistened the rag on her head. "Are you alright?" She asked. The half demon slowly opened her eyes, "What is your name, so that I might properly thank you? "I'm Kagome, what's your name?" She smiled, "I'm Hikaru." She slowly sat up holding her head trying to shake off the dizziness. "Be careful," Kagome warned. "I'll be fine." Hikaru stated, then she realized she was only covered by a blanket, "Um, where are my clothes?"
"Over here!" called Shippo, "We tried to clean and sew them." He brought over all of her clothes but her armor and sword.
"Thank you young kitsue", smiled Hikaru as she pat his head. Shippo smiled appreciatively. "Would you mind stepping outside while I changed?"
"Not at all, I'll see if dinner is ready." He said as he left.
Kagome helped Hikaru stand and dress, all of her scars had faded except the ones made by Inuyasha. Hikaru moved to her armor and began to put it on her shoulders. "You won't need that," Kagome said, "We won't hurt you."
Hikaru turned to her and smirked, "I wouldn't be so sure." She adjusted her armor and attached her sword. She slowly turned to Kagome, "How long have you known that demon Inuyasha?"
Kagome was a little shocked, "Inuyasha, well, we've known each other for almost a year and a half I guess."
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your business with him?" Her voice remained calm and even.
"Well," Kagome thought about not telling her about the jewel but then realized that she seemed like she could be trusted. Kagome left out some of the details, like the fact she was from a different time, but told her about how she'd destroyed the Shikron Jewel and how they were piecing it together.
"What will you do with the Jewel? Will you use it for good or evil?" She asked a little more testy.
"I assure you," Kagome said, "I want to purify the jewel, it is too evil in its current form."
"Are you sure he can be trusted?" the half demon inquired further.
Kagome was getting angry, "Of course he can! Inuyasha is a great person, he wouldn't harm anyone that didn't deserve it!" She though for a moment about his deeper demon side, the side that had killed an army of thieves, humans, he'd felt terrible about it, and still does.
Hikaru quickly closed the distance between Kagome and herself. She was a few inches taller then the full blooded human, yet shorter then Inuyasha. "I hope then you know a different Inuyasha then I did." She let her words hang in the air. Hikaru shook her head but still smiled at Kagome, with sadness in her eyes. "I apologize if I offended you Kagome. Come, my friend, let us eat the meal you have prepared, I am in your debt."
Kagome and Hikaru walked out of the hut only to meet Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and a newly cleaned Inuyasha, who scowled at Hikaru.