Yep, it took me a long time, but it's posted. ^^ Happy, Akira-chan? Well, I have an idea for next chapter, and I'm gonna to do the unthinkable-explain Angela's and Biiru's story. Of course, that's next chapter. But a few interesting things are-*ahem*-revealed in this one.
As usual, I own everything. Seriously!
~*~
Akira silently pointed out another person, and Inuyasha battled through a few flames and dragged them out while she walked directly through an inferno.
Kuso. . .I didn't mean to do this! I didn't!
The way Inuyasha had snapped at her had just set her off. She had always had a dangerous temper, and her miko powers weren't something one wanted hurled against them. She hadn't meant to hit anything with the fireball, but. . .it had just kind of happened. One moment her and Biiru were fighting, just like they used to, and next the town was on fire.
The hours wore on. They saved most of the town, but about six or seven people lost their lives. Akira said nothing as they dug graves for the few, remembering her old town. The remains of the village looked like her town had.
Inuyasha continued to silently glance at her. Finally, she threw down her shovel, glared at him, and snapped, "What?"
"You ready to talk yet?"
She glowered at him, picking up her shovel. "No."
"When you are, you realize I'm gonna kill you."
"Right back at you."
The hanyou smirked. "That a challenge, miko?"
She held one hand in front of her near him. A small fireball appeared there. "You wanna make it one?"
He looked at the fireball, and then smirked. "Fine. After Kagome proclaims this town to be fixed, we'll kill each other in the barren field over there. Near the well."
She raised an eyebrow. "After Kagome declares it okay?"
He nodded. "I have a sinking feeling I'll be enlisted to re-build the whole damn place."
"Ah." They continued to dig in silence, but each with a slight smile on their face. Kaede sighed, and looked back at her ruined village. A few homes she had managed to shield from the fire were safe, but that was it. She walked back into her house, where she could still hear the idle chatter of Kagome, Megan, and Miroku as they dug. Ang was still listening, but glanced at her when she
"It's dead, baba. You may as well go find another town."
"The people are alive."
"They have nowhere to live. They'll probably leave." Kaede glanced again at the young girl who was watching the fire burn under the pot. "He's not helping. Akira might be able to kill him."
"He doesn't think she'll go that far. Plus, he's seen Biiru save how many people now? He trusts him. This is his way of offering her the chance to blow off steam."
Ang snorted. "I see."
"How long are you going to not move?"
Ang shook her head. "As you can tell, I can move just fine. However, it requires too much energy for me to really want to."
". . .So you're telling me you're fine but lazy."
She scowled. "No, I'm telling you I'm fine but don't have energy."
"You seemed fine before."
"Don't you get it, baba? I was alive because Shi wanted me alive. Once I lost purpose in her great plan, there was no need to keep me alive. The energy she gave me disappeared."
"Energy from death?"
She smirked. "More like she didn't allow her energy to get any stronger than it already was. It's kinda hard to explain. . ."
Kaede nodded, stirring her soup. "I see. She didn't allow herself to overcome you. So what's stopping her now."
"Why should she kill me? She knows I hate being powerless. Biiru is keeping me alive off his damn energy. . .and she knows I hate him. . ."
"Why do you hate Biiru?"
Ang didn't answer. She stared off into space, watching the fire of the pot, idly wondering why Kaede never seemed to put it out. Finally, she replied, "That's something for me to remember."
"Why doesn't he know?"
". . .It's a long story, and it's all their fault," she said, nonchalantly pointing up to the ceiling. "If they hadn't interfered, it would be so much simpler, and so. . ." she stopped again, and didn't continue. Kaede glanced at her in confusion.
"The gods interfered in what?"
"If I wanted to tell you, I would have told you by now."
They sat silently until the soup was done, and Kaede called the workers inside. Megan and Miroku were talking quietly, pushing each other back and forth, playfully. Biiru sat down next to Ang, keeping a silent eye on her. Akira and Inuyasha continued to bicker, arguing over how strong the Tetsusaiga would be if Akira burnt the handle off it. Which led into an argument over how she would reach it if he was shielding it, which led into another argument, which eventually became a contest to see how much soup they could eat before having to breathe. Kagome was asking Kaede about some herb she had found growing nearby the graves, which Kaede seemed fascinated by.
"Oy, baba!"
"Hmm? What do you want, Inuyasha?"
"What kind of soup did you make?"
Kaede glanced at the pots surrounding him and Akira. "All that without tasting any of it. . ." She smiled almost sadistically. "Well, Kagome bought me something she called 'chili peppers' and a recipe. . ."
Akira and Inuyasha both suddenly jumped up, and ran over to Kaede's bucket of water. A quick yet brutal battle ensued, ending with Akira being sat on, screaming death threats while Inuyasha gulped down the bucket.
". . .telling how to make hot chili soup."
Angela started laughing. Biiru rolled his eyes and thrust a bow of it in her face, which she accepted out of surprise. "Eat."
She glowered at him. "Why should I?"
"Because you'll die of starvation if you don't."
She idly stirred the soup around the bowl for a few seconds, and then looked back up at him, scowling. "Which translates into, 'If you don't eat it I'll jam it down your throat.' Right?"
He nodded. Kagome sat down next to her, and smiled. "It's good. You'll like it, I promise." She accepted a bowl from Kaede, smiling. She ate hers slowly, aware of the adverse effects it could have on your. Akira and Inuyasha had run off to find the nearest stream a mere five seconds ago, after all.
Ang didn't comment, and then sighed, putting the soup down. "I trust it'd be good. Look how much those two ate. I'm just not hungry."
"It'll restore your energy faster."
"Sé."
"I thought you wanted to stop depending on me?"
"Hago."
"Then why won't you eat it?"
"No quiero a."
He groaned quietly. "Could you please speech in English? Not all of us took Spanish."
"Si no puedas entienda espanol, es tu problema."
"Je sais pas pourquoi tu soyez tres stupide."
Angela sighed. "Fine. You don't speak French, I don't speak Spanish."
"Deal."
Kagome looked at them in surprise. "We're not speaking English, you realize."
They both looked at her like she had suddenly turned into Jaken and was now rapping along to "Without Me."
"Nani?!"
"This is Japan. Do you think we speak English all the time? And this is feudal Japan. I don't think they've even met any English-speaking people yet."
"I don't speak Japanese." Ang carelessly took a sip of the soup. "I only know a few phrases."
". . .You sound like you're speaking Japanese to me."
"I'm not, I assure you. And doesn't Japanese change quite frequently? Your words would be too altered for them to understand?"
Kagome looked surprised. "I-I hadn't thought of it. They all speak exactly my dialect. . .I hadn't thought about the possible differences. . ."
Ang shrugged. "Maybe it's a side effect of the well. Ability to understand everyone you talk to." Then she looked horrified. "Are you telling me if I went to Spain everyone would be speaking English?"
Biiru laughed. Seeing Kagome's confusion, he explained, "She loves Spanish. It's her second language. She only knows catch phrases in Japanese."
"Oh."
Biiru glanced back at Ang, and then spazzed. "Ah! You ate all of the soup!" She smirked. "I thought you didn't want any," he complained.
"It's just fun to piss you off."
He sighed, and Kagome wonderingly went back to her food. I thought she hated him. But she's certainly not acting like she loathes him right now. In fact, if I didn't know better, that'd almost be flirting. . .
She looked up, and noticed Akira and Inuyasha were back. Akira looked exceedingly wet and happy, while Inuyasha looked both wet and partially crispy. She sighed to herself. She realized with a start Inuyasha was looking at Biiru with an expression that she could usually associate with Kouga.
She looked back at Ang. Nah. . .
~*~
Today's Usage: 16
Record: 73