Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I think she
keeps him locked in her basement.
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"Alright. Let's try it again."
Kagome and Kaede stood at the edge of the forest, sweating in the hot noon sun. A target stood about fifteen feet in front of them.
"Now concentrate your energy. Feel it flow through you."
"I feel ridiculous." Kagome grumbled.
She stood with her legs braced apart, back straight, head high. Her arms were bent as if she were holding a bow.
"Just close your eyes and concentrate."
Kagome sighed but did as she was told.
"Now focus." Kaede's voice instructed softly. "Pretend that ye is about to release an arrow. Concentrate on the power that ye puts into that arrow."
Kagome scrunched her eyes as she tried to focus. She could feel it . . . there, underneath her fingertips!
Kaede watched as a bright pink light began to form in Kagome's right hand.
"Good. Concentrate, concentrate. Now. . . release!"
Kagome's eyes flew open as a small pink ball of light burst from her hand. It traveled a few feet before skidding onto the grass and dissolving. Kagome watched it disappear, then dropped her arms in defeat.
"Better." Kaede said.
Kagome hung her head.
"Not good though."
"You've only just begun child." Kaede said, patting Kagome on the shoulder. "Give it some time."
Kagome's head snapped up, a determination etched onto her face.
"You're right! Let's do it again!"
She raised her arms and flashed the elderly miko a winning smile.
"After all, practice makes perfect, right?"
Kaede nodded and the two continued to train until Shippo called them for lunch.
************ ************ ************ ************
"Hey runt, pass that tray over here."
"You could ask a little nicer, Inu-Yasha."
"Pass the tray or I'll bop you on the head with it."
"Kagome!"
"Inu-Yasha."
Kagome tried to sound stern, she really did but she just couldn't. She was in too good a mood. After the trauma of the past week, it felt good to just sit around with everyone and have a nice, normal lunch. Even Shippo and Inu-Yasha's arguing was comforting. Ever since the confrontation with the bandit, everyone had been a little tense, including her. It seemed that they were all finally starting to relax.
Inu-Yasha and Shippo continued to squabble but Kagome ignored them, opting to lie back on the grass and soak up some sun instead. Since it was such a nice day outside they had decided to have a picnic lunch.
Everyone was finished eating except for Inu-Yasha and Shippo. Kaede had gone inside to take a nap, claiming that food and the heat made her old body tired. Kirara had fallen into a burr patch earlier and was now covered from head to tail with the prickly nuisances. Sango had started to brush them out of her fur but Miroku had gallantly offered to take over the job. They sat off to the side, Kirara in Sango's lap, Miroku on her side, gently brushing the cat. Kagome suspected that Miroku's interest in Kirara's fur had little to do with his concern over the cat's well-being. It was more likely that he offered because while brushing the feline, his hand was able to skim Sango's thigh every now and then without fear of retribution. Kagome smiled. Yes, things were certainly getting back to normal.
The peaceful mood was ruined though, by the sudden appearance of a whirlwind. It zoomed around the little group before promptly landing on Inu-Yasha. The whirlwind quickly ceased, revealing Kouga, one foot on the ground, the other propped on Inu-Yasha's head.
"Kouga, you wimpy wolf bastard. . . " Inu-Yasha growled, swiping at the wolf prince.
Kouga easily dodged the move and knelt by Kagome. He grasped her hands and looked into her eyes.
"Kagome! How have you been? Dog-crap over there hasn't been giving you any trouble, has he?"
"Nothing I can't handle." Kagome said, blushing.
Kouga began to laugh, then stopped suddenly, his nose sniffing the air. He sniffed the air around him, turning his head this way and that. Finally he turned back to Kagome. His eyes narrowed and he leaned into her. Just as quickly he pulled back, abruptly releasing her hands with a growl. He jumped up and stalked over to Inu-Yasha.
"What did you do to her? What did you do to my woman?"
"What are you talking about Kouga? I didn't do anything to her! And she's not your woman!" Inu-Yasha snarled, coming nose to nose with Kouga.
"Her scent! Her scent is different! Can't you smell it?"
Inu-Yasha just stared at Kouga, a look of confusion on his face. Kouga stared back at him, then snorted.
"You can't, can you? Your inferior dog nose hasn't picked it up yet."
Inu-Yasha growled.
"My nose is just as good as yours Kouga! There's nothing wrong with Kagome's scent."
To prove his point, Inu-Yasha walked over to Kagome, grabbed her hand and sniffed it. As soon as he did, his eyes widened and he dropped Kagome's hand. Kouga smirked.
"See? I was right. It is different."
"It's only slightly different."
"It's pure." Kouga said with a sneer. "I'll ask you again, what did you do to her?"
"Nothing!"
As the two canine youkai continued to argue, Kagome made her way over to Sango.
"Do you have any idea what this is about?" she whispered.
"I think so. Kouga said your scent was more "pure". I think your new powers have increased your ability to purify things, thus changing your scent. A purer scent would of course be unpleasant to Kouga, since he is a demon after all."
"Oh. Why didn't Inu-Yasha pick up on it then?"
Sango shrugged.
"Most likely because he's only half-demon. The purifying scent doesn't bother him."
"What about Shippo?"
"Shippo's nose isn't as strong as either of theirs. Wolf youkai are much less refined than foxes. Their instincts are more primal."
"Ah. I should probably break this up, huh?"
Sango looked over at Kouga and Inu-Yasha. They had progressed from verbal sparring to physical. Sango sighed.
"Probably. If not they'll eventually end up hurting themselves."
Kagome nodded.
"Inu-Yasha. . .oswari!"
************ ************ ************ ************
Inu-Yasha refused to talk to Kagome for the rest of the day. After the "sitting", Kouga had said his good-byes and left in his usual whirlwind, uprooting several small plants along the way. He had promised to return to Kagome once she was "back to normal."
Kagome smiled. Even if Inu-Yasha was mad at her for sitting him, he should be happy at one thing. Her new scent seemed to repel Kouga, meaning that he wouldn't be around for awhile. Not that the thought of repelling her friend made her happy, but she took anything that made Inu-Yasha more agreeable as a blessing.
Clouds rolled lazily across the sky, uncovering the moon so that light shone through the window into Kaede's hut. Kagome yawned and snuggled deeper into her pillow. It had been a long day and she was tired. The moonlight coming in was bothering her so she turned away from the window. In doing so, she missed the glowing pair of red eyes that peered through it, watching her.
********************************************************************
"Alright. Let's try it again."
Kagome and Kaede stood at the edge of the forest, sweating in the hot noon sun. A target stood about fifteen feet in front of them.
"Now concentrate your energy. Feel it flow through you."
"I feel ridiculous." Kagome grumbled.
She stood with her legs braced apart, back straight, head high. Her arms were bent as if she were holding a bow.
"Just close your eyes and concentrate."
Kagome sighed but did as she was told.
"Now focus." Kaede's voice instructed softly. "Pretend that ye is about to release an arrow. Concentrate on the power that ye puts into that arrow."
Kagome scrunched her eyes as she tried to focus. She could feel it . . . there, underneath her fingertips!
Kaede watched as a bright pink light began to form in Kagome's right hand.
"Good. Concentrate, concentrate. Now. . . release!"
Kagome's eyes flew open as a small pink ball of light burst from her hand. It traveled a few feet before skidding onto the grass and dissolving. Kagome watched it disappear, then dropped her arms in defeat.
"Better." Kaede said.
Kagome hung her head.
"Not good though."
"You've only just begun child." Kaede said, patting Kagome on the shoulder. "Give it some time."
Kagome's head snapped up, a determination etched onto her face.
"You're right! Let's do it again!"
She raised her arms and flashed the elderly miko a winning smile.
"After all, practice makes perfect, right?"
Kaede nodded and the two continued to train until Shippo called them for lunch.
************ ************ ************ ************
"Hey runt, pass that tray over here."
"You could ask a little nicer, Inu-Yasha."
"Pass the tray or I'll bop you on the head with it."
"Kagome!"
"Inu-Yasha."
Kagome tried to sound stern, she really did but she just couldn't. She was in too good a mood. After the trauma of the past week, it felt good to just sit around with everyone and have a nice, normal lunch. Even Shippo and Inu-Yasha's arguing was comforting. Ever since the confrontation with the bandit, everyone had been a little tense, including her. It seemed that they were all finally starting to relax.
Inu-Yasha and Shippo continued to squabble but Kagome ignored them, opting to lie back on the grass and soak up some sun instead. Since it was such a nice day outside they had decided to have a picnic lunch.
Everyone was finished eating except for Inu-Yasha and Shippo. Kaede had gone inside to take a nap, claiming that food and the heat made her old body tired. Kirara had fallen into a burr patch earlier and was now covered from head to tail with the prickly nuisances. Sango had started to brush them out of her fur but Miroku had gallantly offered to take over the job. They sat off to the side, Kirara in Sango's lap, Miroku on her side, gently brushing the cat. Kagome suspected that Miroku's interest in Kirara's fur had little to do with his concern over the cat's well-being. It was more likely that he offered because while brushing the feline, his hand was able to skim Sango's thigh every now and then without fear of retribution. Kagome smiled. Yes, things were certainly getting back to normal.
The peaceful mood was ruined though, by the sudden appearance of a whirlwind. It zoomed around the little group before promptly landing on Inu-Yasha. The whirlwind quickly ceased, revealing Kouga, one foot on the ground, the other propped on Inu-Yasha's head.
"Kouga, you wimpy wolf bastard. . . " Inu-Yasha growled, swiping at the wolf prince.
Kouga easily dodged the move and knelt by Kagome. He grasped her hands and looked into her eyes.
"Kagome! How have you been? Dog-crap over there hasn't been giving you any trouble, has he?"
"Nothing I can't handle." Kagome said, blushing.
Kouga began to laugh, then stopped suddenly, his nose sniffing the air. He sniffed the air around him, turning his head this way and that. Finally he turned back to Kagome. His eyes narrowed and he leaned into her. Just as quickly he pulled back, abruptly releasing her hands with a growl. He jumped up and stalked over to Inu-Yasha.
"What did you do to her? What did you do to my woman?"
"What are you talking about Kouga? I didn't do anything to her! And she's not your woman!" Inu-Yasha snarled, coming nose to nose with Kouga.
"Her scent! Her scent is different! Can't you smell it?"
Inu-Yasha just stared at Kouga, a look of confusion on his face. Kouga stared back at him, then snorted.
"You can't, can you? Your inferior dog nose hasn't picked it up yet."
Inu-Yasha growled.
"My nose is just as good as yours Kouga! There's nothing wrong with Kagome's scent."
To prove his point, Inu-Yasha walked over to Kagome, grabbed her hand and sniffed it. As soon as he did, his eyes widened and he dropped Kagome's hand. Kouga smirked.
"See? I was right. It is different."
"It's only slightly different."
"It's pure." Kouga said with a sneer. "I'll ask you again, what did you do to her?"
"Nothing!"
As the two canine youkai continued to argue, Kagome made her way over to Sango.
"Do you have any idea what this is about?" she whispered.
"I think so. Kouga said your scent was more "pure". I think your new powers have increased your ability to purify things, thus changing your scent. A purer scent would of course be unpleasant to Kouga, since he is a demon after all."
"Oh. Why didn't Inu-Yasha pick up on it then?"
Sango shrugged.
"Most likely because he's only half-demon. The purifying scent doesn't bother him."
"What about Shippo?"
"Shippo's nose isn't as strong as either of theirs. Wolf youkai are much less refined than foxes. Their instincts are more primal."
"Ah. I should probably break this up, huh?"
Sango looked over at Kouga and Inu-Yasha. They had progressed from verbal sparring to physical. Sango sighed.
"Probably. If not they'll eventually end up hurting themselves."
Kagome nodded.
"Inu-Yasha. . .oswari!"
************ ************ ************ ************
Inu-Yasha refused to talk to Kagome for the rest of the day. After the "sitting", Kouga had said his good-byes and left in his usual whirlwind, uprooting several small plants along the way. He had promised to return to Kagome once she was "back to normal."
Kagome smiled. Even if Inu-Yasha was mad at her for sitting him, he should be happy at one thing. Her new scent seemed to repel Kouga, meaning that he wouldn't be around for awhile. Not that the thought of repelling her friend made her happy, but she took anything that made Inu-Yasha more agreeable as a blessing.
Clouds rolled lazily across the sky, uncovering the moon so that light shone through the window into Kaede's hut. Kagome yawned and snuggled deeper into her pillow. It had been a long day and she was tired. The moonlight coming in was bothering her so she turned away from the window. In doing so, she missed the glowing pair of red eyes that peered through it, watching her.