You know what, I am very sorry about the lack of updates, but my teachers have been giving me less mercy then usual. Like this weekend for example, the only thing I did the whole time was work on my stupid Charlie Chaplin report! And tonight I had long assignments from each class! And I know it sounds weird, but the more pressure that's put on me, the longer it takes me to do things.
Yeah. Not all boys who got their girlfriend pregnant will stay with them….the basterds…
Chapter 3. Growth Spurt
Kagome was sitting under a large tree doing her algebra. When she really thought about it, homeschool was a really good idea. She didn't have to walk around school all day hearing students whispering rumors about her getting "knocked up" and questions about who the father was. And when it came to shard hunting, all she had to do was go home, get her homework, and go back to the well! It took no more then five minutes to do, actually. Best of all, Grandpa didn't have to call the school anymore and feed them silly excuses or stories about her fake illnesses! ^__^
"I should have thought of this a long time ago!" Kagome said aloud to herself. "Would've saved me a lot of stress."
She heard the grass crunching as if someone was walking toward her. She looked up and saw Shippou holding a top, a teddy bear, a box of crayons, a cup and ball, a baseball, and a pair of wooden swords. With a loud grunt, he dropped everything on a soft patch of grass under the shade of the tree. He gave her a large excited grin. "Okay, Kagome! I'm ready for the baby!" ^_^
Kagome blinked, then smiled at him and her eyes grew large and watery. "Oh, Shippou!" she was touched.
Shippou giggled and held up one of the wooden swords. "I can't wait till he gets here!" he imagined a happy little toddler only a little bit shorter then him wearing a chibi red kimono. His image of the baby had long, fluffy black hair, large brown eyes, and little dog ears that were perfect triangles on top of his head. He imagined himself and the baby skipping along a beaten dirt path surrounded by rich green grass, trees that swayed and sang, and a bright blue sky up about with a sun that smiled down at them.
"We're going to have lots of fun!" Shippou chimed. "We'll play hide and seek, and crack the whip, and we'll chase grasshoppers, and I'll teach him how to make paper boats, and-!"
He was so adorable! Kagome hated to burst his bubble, but-
"Shippou-chan! The baby doesn't come for another eight months or so!" she said.
Shippou stopped listing his ideas and his jaw dropped. "Another eight months?! What's he doing during all that time?!?!"
Kagome laughed and hugged him. "The baby is busy growing during that time! Until then, you'll have to be a good boy and wait patiently."
Shippou sighed and cuddled into her arms. "Don't worry about Inu Yasha, Kagome."
Her smile faded as he reminded her of him. Inu Yasha still denied any connection to the child.
"I have an idea." Shippou looked up at her with a heroic look on his face that Inu Yasha sometimes got after he one a battle. "We should find Shio!"
Kagome's
eyes widened. "Uh, Shio?"
"Yeah, Shio!" Shippou said.
"He'll know what to do about Inu Yasha!
He has connections!" he smiled and nodded.
Kagome sweatdropped. "Connections?"
"That's what he told me!" Shippou said. "What do you think? Wanna try it?"
He had a point. Shio was a master at knowing how minds such as Inu Yasha's worked and how to bend it to his will. However, Shio was also a master at getting into endless amounts of trouble. He was very smart, but Kagome never considered Shio to be a perfect roll model for Shippou.
"I guess so," Kagome finally replied. "I can't think of anything else."
Shio's trail took Sumiko to a large castle in the East with a high white wall surrounding it to keep out invaders. Sumiko approached the gate where there were two guards holding spears. She paused in front of them, a smelly little red head from the outside, with a little white monkey hanging over the back of her right shoulder, and dirt spots on each cheek.
She put her hands behind her back and rubbed her fingers. The guard on the left looked down at her with a serious expression on his flat face. He had a large nose and even larger forearms. The guard on the right raised an eyebrow at her and gripped his spear tighter between his fingers. Sumiko took one step forward and the spears crossed in front of her making a clink sound. She blinked down at the spears and looked up at the two guards. "Excuse me," Sumiko stepped back and bowed politely. "My name is Sumiko. I'm here to pick up my big brother, Shio-sama."
The gaurds were not impressed at her polite request.
"You're a goblin child, aren't you?" the guard on the left asked.
Sumiko gasped at him, taken aback that he would ask such a thing. "Sumiko doesn't know what you're talking about!" she smiled cutely with large sparkly eyes. "There's no goblin as cute as me!"
"Whatever you are, we cannot and will not authorize a magic creature such as yourself to enter our village." The guard on the right said.
"Sumiko's not a creature!" she said looking hurt. Then she pointed at the gate. "Shio-sama's in there, he's a wizardy demon person!"
"Impossible!" both guards said at the same time before the one on the left said, "The guards of this castle monitor this gate day and night, only aristocrats, courtesans, and other important people of the like are let in."
"We know magical creatures when we see them." The guard on the right said.
"Why don't you run along home to your oni parents!" the guard on the left said, he was beginning to get annoyed with her.
"Sumiko isn't an oni either!" she stamped her foot, though it wasn't very threatening.
The guard on the left raised his spear and whacked her across the face with the blunt end. She fell backward and put a hand over the hot, throbbing red mark he left there. She looked up at them with tears lining her eyes. "Owie." T_T
"Get lost before we really hurt you!" the guard on the right said. Sumiko crawled a few feet away sniffling, stumbled forward and got up on her left foot. All of a sudden, a gust of wind blew past. It wasn't weak, it wasn't strong. It rippled through the grass and launched the seeds of dandelions into the air. They danced in circles and zigzags and passed by Sumiko's face.
Her eyes watered even more, as she felt a tingling in her nose. She gulped and felt it coming. "Ah…..ah…..TIEU!"
BLING!
The guard's eyes popped.
"Ugh…" Sumiko sniffed and wiped her hands on the grass. Her hands were different though. They were bigger. They were in a different shape too. She looked at both of her hands at the same time in mild shock. She looked down at herself and the front of her shirt was sticking out so that she couldn't see her stomach. She stood up dusted herself off and felt her hips which where rounder. She was higher off the ground too. She must have been as tall as Shio.
"Whoa!" she heard one of the guards say. Sumiko turned back to look at them. They were gaping at her like she was a display of fireworks.
"Did that little brat just become a hot chick??" the guard on the left asked the other guard.
"Unless my eyes are deceiving me, yes!" the right guard said.
The left guard then turned to the right guard. "I'll bet the prince of the castle would like to have her."
"Yeah. We might even get promoted if we present her to him!" the right guard said. They readied their spears and began to approach her with evil smirks on their faces.
All of a sudden, Sumiko frowned and said in an older, deeper, femme fatal voice, "Not today, Shitheads!"
View of the sky.
POW! CRACK! BANG! OW! CRASH! SNAP! POW!
Somehow, they were still conscious, but the two guardslay on the ground in pain, moaning and twitching.
Sumiko dusted her hands then reached up and ran her index finger down the length of the raw mark that ran from the corner of her forehead, across the bridge of her nose, and down her cheek. "It still hurts." She said. "How dare you put a scar on a woman's face?!"
They trembled, fearing for their lives.
"Ha. Don't flatter yourselves," she despised their cowardice. "I'm not going to kill you – today." She folded her arms. "Still, you must be punished."
Her eyes fell upon a sheathed knife on the belt of the right guard. She pulled it out and held it up for examination. It was almost as good as new; very clean, very sharp, so very perfect for what she had in store for them….
She sliced the air with it a couple of times before looking back at the guards. She gave them a flat smirk. "I'm in the mood for a little castration."
The guards screamed.
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
So the group was on the road again. Inu Yasha didn't even argue about the change of plans, and for many different reasons, everyone wanted to find Shio. Inu Yasha walked in front with his hair shadowing his eyes and his head tilited forward. Kagome walked while pushing her bike. Shippou sat in the bike basket, Sango walked next to Kagome, chatting with her about girly things. Miroku walked behind them. He wasn't in back because he was slow, he was in the back so that he could watch Kagome and Sango's backsides shift back and forth as they walked. He found it a lovely show, especially since he hadn't been caught yet.
Inu Yasha had been silent for a long time. He was either thinking deeply (I know, it's a shock…), withdrawing himself from situations of explanation, very confused, or some combination of the three. Miroku walked past the girls and behind him. He had to leave his perfect view for a moment, but he would be back to watch it later. He began to walk next to Inu Yasha, who didn't seem to notice he was there for some reason. Miroku watched him out of the corner of his eye.
"Inu Yasha?" he suddenly said.
"If you're going to lecture me on how I'm a jerk, I don't want to hear it." Inu Yasha stated.
"Relax," Miroku said. "I've just come to ask why you're going to see Shio."
Inu Yasha paused for a moment, thinking over what he could tell him and what he couldn't.
"I'd like to talk to him."
"About what?"
"I'll know when I get there."
"Come on, Inu Yasha," Miroku said. "Is Shio really the only person you can go to talk about things?"
Inu Yasha's shoulder got colder. "No offense." He said gruffly. This meant he was done speaking.
Miroku sighed and glanced over his shoulder at the girls. "How are you feeling, Kagome-sama?"
"Do you need to rest?" Shippou asked in a sweet little concerned voice.
Kagome shook her head and smiled at them as if it would guarantee her answer. "I'm fine, thank you."
Sango smiled too and said, "In a way it's exciting that you're going to have a baby. Are you excited."
Kagome's smile grew brighter. She loved babies, and had been imagining how her future offspring would look ever since she was a little girl able to understand that that was what little girls do later on in life. "I know, hopefully I won't screw this up." ;;;;
Inu Yasha finally looked up at Miroku. His golden eyes were large and filled with many different emotions at once. "I don't get it." He said to him.
Miroku looked away from the girls, "What don't you get?"
"Yesterday, you weren't talking to me." Inu Yasha said not looking at Miroku, "Now you're treating me like everything's hunky dory…"
"Ah yes, well," Miroku started, "I was very disappointed in you yesterday, Inu Yasha. I think that men who run if they make mistakes like that are extremely cowardly, and whether it was your child or not, I was still surprised that you would leave Kagome to fend for herself."
"What?!" Inu Yasha looked up at him in shock.
"Think about it, Inu Yasha," Miroku said in a serious but gentle tone of voice. "Does Kagome seem emotionally or physically ready to take care of a baby by herself?"
After that, Inu Yasha grew paler and became ever more like a zombie then before. He remained braindead before Shippou struck a nerve with his high pitched voice in saying, "Can I be the father?"
Inu Yasha half facefaulted and almost spun his head all the way around to look back at them.
Kagome gave a nervous laugh and patted him on the head. "I don't know about father, but you can be the big brother if you want!"
"Yay!" ^__^ Shippou cheered.
"He has a point though," Sango said. "If Inu Yasha's not going to do anything, you might want to find a replacement father or something."
"You think so?" Kagome asked.
Sango shrugged. "It might help."
…….
"How about Kouga?" Shippou asked.
Inu Yasha glared straight ahead, yeah right, that whimpy wolf would infect the kid with his stupidity!
Miroku watched him interestedly.
Kagome sweatdropped. "Well, Kouga is loyal, but I don't think so."
"Then how about Jinenji?" Sango asked. "He likes you."
A vein popped on Inu Yasha's forehead. That oafish, whimp? He's not good enough to protect Kagome!
"Jinenji is very sweet and kind to me," Kagome said. "But there's a huge age difference….Plus, I like him more as a friend."
Shippou, Sango and Kagome looked up at the sky while thinking before Sango asked. "Wait, what about that Hojo guy you were talking about from you time?"
Inu Yasha began to tremble with his anger, seething silently.
Miroku blinked, and his eyes were wide open as he watched him. "Sweet."
Inu Yasha's blood was boiling and his heart was pumping like crazy. The little Inu Yasha blood cells were running around inside of the factory-like organ shouting and trying to get things under control. Emotion workers flipping switches and pressing buttons, trying to calm him down.
One of the lesser ones ran up to another one and shouted, "She can't take much more of this!"
"Hurry, red blood cell!" the other one grabbed his shoulders and pointed across the room. "Get to the main power switch! STOP THE MADNESS!!!"
The red blood cell ran across the chamber and up to a huge switch. On one side, it was marked "Flight" and on the other side it was marked "Fight". He grabbed the lever and pulled it down to fight.
Kagome shrugged and looked upward. "Well, Hojo is very confident, and trusting, and sweet, and he gets all As…but…."
"Oh come on!!" Inu Yasha shouted, unable to stand it any longer.
Everyone stared.
He got up in Kagome's face. "Whoever this Hoho guy is, he sounds like a throw pillow! Why do you keep attracting stupid idiots?!?"
"Well you're the first one I found, Inu Yasha!!" Kagome shouted back even louder.
He backed off for a moment, shocked that someone her size could contain such a voice and temper.
"Unless you start feeling the urge to step in pal, I suggest you back off!!!" she shouted.
*Cheetah growl*
Everyone backed away in fear, especially Inu Yasha. He hid behind Miroku. He peaked around him at her and Miroku said. "Oh my…" ;;;
Inu Yasha gulped and said in a small voice. "I hope that's the mood swings talking…" ;;;;;
~_~_~_~_~_~~_~
In a part of the castle was the court, where the family sat and hired entertainment to please famous guests and rich friends. Shio sat on his forelegs. He looked to his right where the princess was sitting with her parents. On the other side of the parents was their plump son, the prince, who was such a sicko, even Shio found him distasteful. He looked to his right where there were five other very attractive men watching the Harpsichord and chime musicians and dancers hired to perform that afternoon. They were the princesses other concubines. He looked down at his wrists and ankles, which where shackled together with spell scrolls tied into the works. He sighed heavily. T_T
Finally the music ended and there was clapping.
"Thank you, thank you!" the small band leader bowed with the other players on either side of him. "We're here all week!" They bowed some more and walked off into the crowd. The lord of the castle was about to call for the next performer when all of a sudden –
DING DONG!
Everyone: Oo *looking around confused*
"Was that a doorbell?" the lady of the castle asked.
"I think so," the lord said, stupefied. "But weren't doorbells not invented till the twentieth century?"
A guard went to open the door. A beautiful Arabian woman drapped in silky robes covering her whole body and her head. The only thing visable was her eyes, her milk chocolate colored forearms and hands. And her wrists were lined with yellow gold bracelets. There came a few whistles from various men as she walked across the floor. She kneeled in the middle of the floor in front of the lord and lady and the room went silent. Then some of the musicians from the side realized that was their cue. One of them manned the tambourine and shook it for fourteen counts before the Japanese musicians who somehow had Arabian flutes started playing them. The woman stood up and struck a sharp foot stance. She began to walk forward in cross footsteps moving her hands in wavelike motions with the music, she turned right as soon as she was right in front of the lord and lady. As she passed Shio she glanced down at him. He was staring up at her wide eyed. Her eyes were diamond shaped, and deep brown with long eyelashes, she winked at him a second before she reached a stone statue on the far end of the room.
As soon as she got there, other types of Arabic horns joined in and that was when she dropped the hood of her robes back on her shoulder. Her hair was raven, soft, and wavy. She dropped the rest of the robes and she was dressed like a belly dancer underneath it all. Veils, silkiness, strange curved shoes, stomach showing, hanging beads on her outfit, and a red veil covering her mouth and nose. She pulled a large red veil from behind her long hair and used it to dance with.
The prince leered at the belly dancer as she glided past him. "Who is she?" he asked in a deep serpent-like voice.
The lord and lady had no idea. No one knew who invited her, but she was so good to watch, no one complained.
Shio raised an eyebrow at her. She was obviously an enchanter. She was weaving a spell on them all. He was almost surprised that no one at all was able to feel the excess magic that she carelessly spilled with each dance move. Too much. The only human in the room who didn't seem impressed was the princess sitting next to him. She scowled at the belly dancer. Probably jealous that the dancer was able to attract so much attention.
The belly dancer's hips quivered and all of the beads bellow her navel jingled like a tambourine. She twisted her long veil around her wrists and pointed at him.
His eyes widened when he realized she was pointing to him. The princess noticed too and hissed at her parents, "Get that whore out of here, now!"
"Wait now, dear. It's just part of the dance." The lady patted her daughter's shoulder. The princess gave the dancer a warning glare as she pranced over to Shio wrapping her veil tighter around her wrists. Shio looked up at her. He decided to pretend to be entranced like every other men in the room. Which wasn't hard, because without the suspicious aura, he thought she was a total fox. She did the quivering hips again right in front of his face then dropped her wrists behind his neck, and pulled him forward with her veil. He got to his feet and she wafted around him. The magic got stronger, most of the enchantment came from the fabric in the veil. She whirled around and tossed the veil into the air. Everyone gasped as it came down on top of them, and they both disappeared in a puff of red smoke.
BLING!@#$!%^&*()
Shio fell backwards and was surprised when he landed outside on the grass. He looked up and saw Sumiko, his short, cute, eleven year old sister. "Sumiko?!"
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Confused? Good! ^_^