Author's Notes: This one may be dedicated to all the Kouga fans out there. I know you all have imagined him with normal clothes, even though the less the better and fur is nothing to complain about, but I added a few scenes with Kagome's friends that adds both humor and answers some of the questions floating in our heads when we think about our sexy wolf leader. But to me, Inuyasha's always the sexiest!! Other than that, darker times rise to meet Kagome and the others in ways none of them ever imagined…
Falling Sakura Blossoms on Festival Day
After rolling his arm and cracking his shoulder, Inuyasha turned to the demon exterminator behind him. "Feh, you worry too much, Sango. Just because Miroku can't help himself when it comes to eye candy, doesn't mean the rest of us are blind to what really matters."
Nodding, the taijiya consented. "I know. Just watch her, Inuyasha, and be on your guard."
"Nee-chan's gonna be fine!" Souta walked up to the duo. "Kouga-niichan's with her!"
"WHAT!!??" Inuyasha shouted.
"Hey, aren't you supposed to be sick today?" Sango asked suspiciously. Being sick was the only reason why Souta wasn't at school also today.
"U-ummm…" Souta backed up slowly, then made a mad dash for his room. After seeing what Miroku went through the day before, he didn't want to be next.
Inuyasha clenched a fist. "Damn that wimpy wolf! First he tries to take my girl, then he takes my fans! I'm gonna kill him!" With that, the hanyou took off at lightning speed towards the school.
Giggling to herself, Sango said, "He can try, but no one could ever take your place, Inuyasha."
Kagome chatted normally with her friends, the previous day's events forgotten for the moment. But even then Kagome remembered Ayumi's bewildered look earlier that day: "I didn't know chicken pox could have that kind of effect on you!"
Slowly Kagome's smile faded. If Inuyasha and Kouga-kun hadn't been there, I probably wouldn't be here now, laughing about it.
"Kagome-chan, are you listening?" Eri asked.
"Eh?" Kagome put on her smile again. "Sorry! I guess I've been a bit of a space case lately, huh?" But with Subaru-sama gone, I should have nothing to worry about, right? But even as she thought this, the miko had a sinking feeling in her gut that told her the worst was yet to come.
"I asked you if you wanted to go to this year's Sakura Festival." Eri repeated.
"That's today?" Thinking about it, would it be a good idea to take everyone to the festival? She could see it now…
Miroku flirting with all the women…
Sango beating him over the head with Hiraokotsu…
Shippo eating all the candy…
Inuyasha with his ears?
Kouga with his tail!?
"I DON'T THINK THAT'D BE A GOOD IDEA!!" She shouted.
Her friends looked at her strangely. "Why not?" Yuka asked.
"What's got you all excited this time, Kagome?"
That voice. Please, Kami, don't do this to me…Slowly Kagome turned around and stared in horror as Kouga landed in front of her, this time dressed much differently.
From head to toe he was dressed in all black, but a long leather trench coat flew slowly behind him to cover his tail, which stuck out of a hole Kagome's mother probably had made in the pants earlier. His hair was still in a ponytail, but a black cap covered his youkai-like ears, adding even more mystery to the attire. "K-Kouga-kun!!" Kagome exclaimed.
"So what do you think?" His face was slightly tinted red.
Before Kagome could find the words, let alone breath, Yuka and Eri squealed and ran Kouga's side. Incidentally, the wolf reacted the same way Inuyasha did the first time – fists ready for a rumble, but then when the girls' turned to squeezing his muscles and fawning over him, he relaxed – no he indulged in the attention.
"So this is Kouga?" Yuka asked.
"You never said he was so cute!" Eri agreed.
"So adorable!"
"So hot!"
Then both girls smiled. "So SEXY!!!"
Kagome sweatdropped. "Yeah well, I guess it slipped my mind…"
"Kagome!" Inuyasha ran up and stopped next to Kagome.
"Ah, so you made it after all, Dog Cr-" Kagome slammed her hands over his mouth.
"I-Inuyasha, w-what are you doing here?" She managed. I am in so much trouble if my friends find out Inuyasha's a hanyou and Kouga's a youkai! Then she noticed Ayumi reaching for Inuyasha's exposed ears, seeing as the hanyou had left in such a hurry, he hadn't remembered his own hat.
Before the miko could stop her, the girl had her hands on the hanyou's ears and was slowly rubbing them, while the hanyou tried to restrain his annoyance.
"Man these look so real!" Ayumi exclaimed, pulling her hands back. "I heard some people were dressing up for the festival, but I never thought you the type for costumes, Inuyasha-kun."
Kagome laughed nervously. "Yeah, of course! That's why I didn't want to go with you guys earlier cause I was planning of dressing up with Inuyasha!" She lied.
Yuka blinked. "So where's your costume?"
Kagome waved away the question. "Oh, I haven't had time to buy it with my sickness and all." The lies just come so naturally now it's kinda scary.
"Well there's no time like the present!" Ayumi giggled as she latched on to Kagome's arm. "Let's all go to the festival together and we'll buy your costume on the way, Kagome-chan!"
"But I…"
"That sounds like a GREAT idea!" Eri and Yuka pulled Kouga along by his arms.
Inuyasha crossed his arms as the group left. "Feh, no one can make me do anything I don't want to."
But he soon regretted his words when Kagome came back and pulled him by the ear. "Unless you want me to "s-word" you in public, you're coming."
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay!" The poor hanyou protested.
"Subaru-sama! Are you all right? AHH!" The monk cried out as the priest tossed him aside and out of his way and he staggered towards his private chambers.
"NO one is to disturb me, understand?" He growled.
"Y-Yes, O Great One!" The young man scurried to his feet and dashed down the garden path.
With a wave of his hand the mighty doors flew open and screeched to a halt. He was barely staying on his feet now, but he would make it to his destination. He had to.
As soon as he was completely inside the darkened chamber, the doors slammed loudly behind him, blocking out any poor soul on the other side.
Stumbling, Subaru made it to a small table covered in statues of the great Buddha and candles. "Forgive me, but I must not be stopped. I will reach the heavens and if I must slaughter everyone in my path, I will do so." Opening a drawer in the table, Subaru brought up a small bottle filled with a strange glowing green liquid. Then he began to think back to the day the stranger dressed in a white baboon suit came to him in Feudal Japan…
"W-Who are you!?" Subaru gasped as the man appeared suddenly inside the sacred prayer grounds.
"You don't belong here with these humans. You are greater than they." His voice was low and convincing.
Subaru glared at the intruder. "What do you know about me?" He pulled up his prayer beads. "Are you a youkai?"
"I am a friend. And I can help you." He said. Out of his furry robe, his pale hand brought up a green bottle. "If you drink this, you will obtain the power you desire so greatly."
Subaru's eyes widened and he reached forward, but stopped and peered at his supposed savior. "Why are you doing this for me?"
"A simple exchange of services." A small smile broke under his "hood". "The Shikon no Tama has recently been shattered and now lay scattered all over the world. I want them."
"B-but I do not have the ability to see such shards. Only the one they call Kikyo's reincarnation can see them." Subaru said. The breaking of the jewel was nothing new, but why would this youkai want them?
"When word spreads about the location of a shard, I want you to look into it. Find as many as you can and in exchange…" Naraku brought up his hand once more. "Even if you do not wish to use it now…is it not worth keeping? Do you not wish to rise above these underlings and rise to where you truly belong?"
Everything he said rang true and Subaru found himself reaching forward and clasping the bottle. "I don't know why you wish to use it. You will only corrupt it." He said cockily.
Naraku only smiled as his form slowly disappeared. "Ah, but it is far more beautiful when it is dark and corrupted. And far more powerful."
When he thought he was alone, Subaru looked down at the green bottle in his hands.
"More prestige awaits you if you are successful, great monk." Naraku's voice said one more time before fading completely.
The months passed and Naraku did indeed return to visit the monk known then as just Subaru. "Well?"
Subaru bowed and dug into his pockets, bringing out six shards in total. "I have the leads to many more, but have yet to obtain them."
Naraku took the shards and smiled. "And here is my end of the deal." Behind him the mighty doors opened once more and on the other side, laid out row by row, were monks praying to Subaru himself.
"Oh great Subaru-sama!" They praised.
Subaru couldn't believe it. "S-Subaru-sama…?"
Naraku nodded. "Continue to do good work and many more will join these ranks." Then he disappeared once more.
Smiling, Subaru felt his heart sore. Now THIS is how I should've been treated…
Now he stared at that same bottle which he had reserved from using until now. "Naraku…let us see if this potion of yours truly works." Closing his eyes Subaru downed the fluid and felt it burn the inside of his throat. Smashing it against the ground he fought the pain he felt stretch out to all parts of his body.
Slowly his arms grew longer and more muscular, turning from peach to a deep brown. His legs did the same and his fingernails extended to powerful look claws. A tail grew from behind and black fur covered his shoulders and waist. His mouth extended with rows and rows of demonic teeth and his eyes grew into large blue disks. A black mane grew from his hair and he was at least fifteen feet tall now.
"Yes! Yes I can feel it! I can feel the raw power!" Subaru roared. "Inuyasha! You will be my first victim!" His laugh extended far past the walls of his sanctuary, but none had the courage to venture into and check on their master. For he was a monk no more, but a youkai bent on revenge.
"Oh, Kagome-chan you look so cute!" Ayumi clasped her hands.
Kagome sweatdropped and couldn't believe she agreed to this. She was dressed up like what she could only explain would be a hanyou, except her friends didn't know that. She had a headband on that gave her black ears similar to Inuyasha's and a black furry tail that resembled Kouga's.
Speaking of the youkai leader himself, he walked behind Kagome with Yuka and Eri still on his arms, but his eyes were glued to Kagome's…backside. She was dressed in black from head to toe too, which in her opinion was too hot for the spring afternoon, but the black tights that acted as pants hugged her body so tight, the wolf thought he was going to break out with a nosebleed.
A quick punch to the shoulder by Inuyasha brought Kouga's eyes back to focus. "You keep doing that and I'll make sure you won't be able to do anything for a long time." He spoke in a low voice only Kouga would be able to pick up and cracked his knuckles.
"Oh look!" Kagome brought everyone's attention to the stuffed animal rack of the game stand they were passing. "They're so cute!" She said, pointing at the large white dog stuffed animals on the top shelf.
Ayumi agreed. "But you'd have to be a good shot to win something that big." She commented. The stand was lined with rifles full of bee bees that were to be shot at moving targets.
Kouga released himself from the junior high schooler's arms and crackled his knuckles. "Don't worry, Kagome. I'll get it for you." He dug into his pocket and took out some money.
Gasping, Kagome asked, "Where'd you get that money from?"
He smiled. "Your mother." He handed what he thought was the right amount to the man and grabbed a hold of one of the guns, waiting for the game to start.
"Anyone else want to test their skills!" The man announced.
Inuyasha was fuming and jumped forward, landing on another of the stools. "I can do better than him any day!" He slammed money on the counter and grabbed another rifle, glaring at Kouga as he did so.
Kagome blinked. "Inuyasha? You too?"
Thinking back, Kagome looked into her purse and saw her money wallet was missing. "Inuyasha…"
"Get ready! Set! Fire!" The man started the game and slowly targets moved back and forth some closer than others, but if either boy wanted to win that particular stuffed animal, they'd have to land a hit on the yellow targets moving back and forth and behind the other targets.
All at once, both started firing and growling, frustrations mounting as neither succeeded. They were used to battling youkai and firearms had only recently been introduced to Feudal Japan, so they no real experience.
"You'll never beat me!" Kouga exclaimed.
"Watch me!" Inuyasha shouted back, his eyes glued to the targets as they moved back and forth.
Kagome sighed. Why do they always have to be like this?
"Kouga-kun's really competitive, isn't he?" Yuka blinked.
"Inuyasha-kun too." Ayumi giggled. "Kagome-chan must feel so lucky."
"Kagome-chan?" A voice said from behind.
Turning around curiously, Kagome saw Sango coming with Shippo in her arms, and Miroku walking next to her. "Hey you two! What are you doing here?"
"Your mother thought it might be a good idea to get out of the house and lent us some funds to have fun here." Miroku smiled. "She and the rest of your family will be joining the festivities a little later."
"I see things are back to normal with you two." The miko commented with a nod.
Smiling, Sango nodded, then noticed Kouga and Inuyasha. "I see things are back to normal with them as well."
Kagome nodded. "Yeah, if normal is finding any reason to fight with each other, then yeah."
The game was over and Kouga shouted triumphantly. The man behind the counter handed Kouga the white dog stuffed animal and the wolf leader happily handed it to Kagome-chan. "Here you go."
She forced a smiled. "A-arigatou, Kouga-kun."
Inuyasha clenched a fist, but stopped when he heard someone else shouting about another game. He grabbed Kagome's hand and ran off. "Come on, Kagome! I'll win you one of these!" He shouted.
Sango and Miroku held back their laughter while Kouga chased after the hanyou. "They ain't nothing here you're better at me in!"
"Just watch me!" Inuyasha yelled back.
Slowly everyone followed. If anything, the competition was entertaining.
The youkai once known as Subaru, watched the festivities below from atop a nearby rooftop. Pitiful beings. They enjoy themselves, while I am forced to suffer in this lowly existence. He glared at the children with thier balloons and games. It was all useless… and it was all going to end…
Shippo munched happily on his cotton candy as Kagome precariously balanced the multiple stuffed animals won from Kouga and Inuyasha's competition. Even Yuka and Eri carried a couple.
Presently both boys were battling it out at a dunking game. The rules went from who could hit the target, to who could hit the target in less throws. Now they amused themselves simply by dunking the already shivering man posted at the booth.
Kagome watched amused, but soon got that sinking feeling again. What? What is this feeling trying to tell me? She looked around her immediate area trying to pinpoint its source. When her eyes looked up, and fell upon the horrible oni-looking creature and stared into his menacing blue eyes, she instantly knew. Kami, no…
Inuyasha and Kouga were still laughing their heads off, when the hanyou noticed Kagome's fear-stricken look. "Kagome?"
The miko started backing up as her mind froze and she dropped all the toys piled in her hands. All these people…I have to get them out of here!
By now, even Kouga stopped his game to stare at the miko. "Hey, Kagome, what's the deal?"
Inuyasha stepped right up to Kagome and grabbed her shoulders. "Oi, Kagome! Snap out of it!"
But Kagome could only whisper, "We have to get out of here."
"What? Why!?" Inuyasha demanded.
Turning, she shouted to her friends. "You have to get out of here now!!"
All of them gasped, but it was too late.
Subaru smirked and bounded for the miko. What better way to hurt his enemy, then to take away his one true love?
Both boys looked up at the same time and saw the mighty oni leap into the air and come down straight towards…
" "Kagome!!"" They both shouted.
Racing forward, Inuyasha shouted to the wolf next to him. "Kagome! Now!"
"Right!" The wolf leader scooped up Kagome and dodged to the side while Sango and Miroku took Kagome's friends to safety.
Pulling Tetsusaiga from its sheath, Inuyasha jumped up to meet the threat. "Eat this!" He released a Kazu-no-Kizu.
It slammed into Subaru head on, but only manage to throw him back into another building. The implosion sent a shockwave throughout the entire festival, and pure chaos ensued.
Kagome recovered in Kouga's arms. "He's back!" She shouted. "Subaru-sama wasn't dead!"
"Are you sure!?" Kouga asked in disbelief.
Nodding, Kagome stared at the monster as he recovered from the rubble to face off with Inuyasha.
"Kagome-chan!" Eri shouted in worry.
"Stay back! It's too dangerous!" She shouted to her friends.
"W-what is that thing!?" Yuka screeched.
"Inuyasha, when last we fought, you managed to catch me off guard with your combined attack. But now I am stronger and you will pay in the worst of ways!" Subaru shouted.
"Feh, the way I see it, you just got uglier! You're still a pansy-ass human now in a youkai's skin!" The hanyou retorted.
Inuyasha's wrong. His power… it's immensely stronger than it was before. Kagome thought.
Subaru opened his mouth and blew poisonous shouki in all directions. "You will all die by my hand! One way or another!"
"Everyone get to higher ground!" Inuyasha shouted. He jumped up and watched relieved as Kouga jumped up with Kagome and Sango and Miroku got Kagome's friends.
"Inuyasha!" Shippo shouted from Miroku's shoulder. "Look down there!"
The hanyou's golden eyes widened as he watched hundreds of humans fall to the deadly shouki. They couldn't get away fast enough and there were too many to save for the small group.
"It's a genocide!" Ayumi shouted in tears.
Subaru laughed and blew more shouki all around him. Now the first three stories of the district was covered in the purple gas.
When they landed on one of the rooftops, everyone looked down in sadness. People fell one by one: man, woman, and child alike.
How can he be so cruel!? Kagome wondered.
Subaru looked up and this time locked eyes with his nemesis. "Didn't I tell you? You will all perish!" Two black balls of energy formed in his hands and he threw them at the building they were standing on. More blasts formed in his hands and he threw them repeatedly at their building and at the surrounding buildings and towers.
With a groan, the building's supports gave out and everyone tumbled down back to the ground…
"Kagome! Kagome!"
Slowly Kagome's eyes opened and she stared into the worried face of Inuyasha.
"Are you hurt?" He asked, cradling her in his arms protectively.
She shook her head, but her body refused to respond when she tried to get to her feet. "I-I can't move."
"It's the shouki. You breathed in too much." The hanyou explained. "I was able to blow most of it away with kazu-no-kizu, but…" He turned and slowly Kagome followed his gaze.
All around her, about a five-block radius, buildings were nothing but rubble and in between the giant boulders and pieces of the once skyscrapers, people lay strewn upon the debris.
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh Kami…" She breathed. Then she remembered. "Sango-chan. Miroku-sama!" She tried to get up, but it took a lot of effort, mostly with Inuyasha's help.
"They're fine. Sango had her mask and Miroku used his monk's robe. Shippo's fine too, but Kagome…" He paused. "Your friends."
Kagome's eyes widened and when she looked over towards where Sango and Miroku were helping the survivors, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi lay side by side, unmoving. "N-No!" She pushed Inuyasha away and crawled over to her friends. "Wake up! Please wake up!"
"Kagome, they're alive! But they breathed in so much, I don't know when they'll wake up." He told her sadly.
Kagome now cried openly and cradled Eri's head in her arms. "Why? Why did it have to be them?" Kagome rocked her friend back and forth and tried to come up with a reason.
Suddenly, Kagome remembered something Miroku had said earlier that now made her blood run cold. "Your mother thought it might be a good idea to get out of the house and lent us some funds to have fun here. She and the rest of your family will be joining the festivities a little later."
"M-Mama! Souta!" She forced herself to her feet and fought back the dizziness. She almost fell over if Inuyasha's hadn't caught her.
"Don't push yourself. If they're here, we'll find them." He assured.
It was three hours later and there was still no sign of Kagome's family. She was still under the effect of the shouki, but she was determined to find them. The local enforcement had come and the ambulance too. Everyone searched through the rubble to find any survivors and get them to a hospital. Kagome's friends had already been taken earlier.
"Grandpa! Mama! Souta!" Kagome couldn't help but cry in worry.
Inuyasha used his nose to help find any body, living or dead, but had yet to find Kagome's family either. Both Kouga and himself had pulled dozens of people from the wreckage, but the numbers kept growing.
Suddenly, his nose picked up Kagome's mother's perfume and he raced towards the direction, coming to a particular pile of cement and rubble. "Oi! Wolf! Over here!" The hanyou shouted.
Kagome heard the shout and came running along with Kouga. "Find something?" He asked.
Inuyasha started pulling up pieces of cement and shouted. "Just help me, dammit! We don't have much time!"
Even Kagome started helping in hopes of finding them. "Mama! Souta! Answer me!"
When Kouga lifted another boulder and tossed it to the side, a small hand reacted to the released pressure. "Nee…chan…"
Kagome gasped and frantically began digging deeper. Souta's body was broken in several places, maybe even internal bleeding, but he was alive.
"Souta!" She cried happily as Kouga carefully pulled the boy up.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha found Kagome's grandfather and mother nearby. They were in just as bad shape if not worse.
Kagome shouted at the top of her lungs. "MEDIC!!"
They're all here. Kagome stared at the already filled hospital room at her friend and family. He did this to all of them. She thought darkly.
The doctors had said that it would be a while, but in time, they would all recover from the mysterious poison and the broken bones of her family could be set and casted. But Kagome stayed there as long as she could, before they sent her home, saying there was nothing more she could do for them.
Back at the house, Inuyasha and the rest of the group sat together sadly, watching the rising smoke of the fires cause by the destruction from afar. They were all but put out and the humans were able to handle the rest.
Inuyasha was worried for Kagome. This was the heaviest blow she had taken since they met and he was wondering how she was doing. Getting up without a word, Inuyasha walked to the shed that held the bone-eaters well and quietly stepped up behind Kagome.
Even without turning around, she knew who it was. "He did this to them because he wanted to hurt me."
"No, don't you see? He hates all humans and did this as a personal payback to all of them." He retorted.
Kagome, who had no more tears to cry, shook her head. "He went too far this time."
Her voice was darker than Inuyasha ever remembered hearing before. "We'll get him for this. I swear it."
She turned to Inuyasha, and the hanyou gasped as Kagome's eyes were red from exhaustion and from crying. "This time, it's going to be different." She turned back to the well and stared at it without emotion and without thought. "He wants to fight us, he'll do it on our terms. When we say and where we say."
"Kagome?"
Kagome didn't answer, but instead balled her hands into fists down at her sides. I'm taking this back to the other world. No more will innocent people be killed by the monster you have become, Subaru-sama. And even if it costs me my life, I will see you burn in hell for this…for all eternity.
Author's Notes: Things always seemed darker before the light. Kagome has reached that dark time and if light is on the other side, the path to it will be paved in the blood of the one responsible. No matter what the costs.
