The Sweetest Scent
Chapter 2: Familiar Scents and Strange Feelings
:-: Aoura Maiden :-:
The serenity lasted less then a week. Though, in that time, the rest of the group definitely noticed a difference in the two. Miroku, as usual, was the first to say something.
"So, it seems something has happened recently between you and Kagome." He commented to InuYasha one day as they were resting for lunch.
"What nonsense are you babbling now, Miroku?" InuYasha snapped. Sango, Kagome and Shippo were off getting some fresh water from a near by river while Miroku and InuYasha discussed their next plan of action.
"I've just noticed that you and Kagome have been getting along quite well the past few days. It's quite unlike you two." InuYasha scowled. Miroku continued unaware of the half-demon's reaction. "Usually, by this time, you'd have said something to offend her, Kagome would have used the 'S' word and gone back to her own time though the well. Leaving you face down in the dirt to think about how hard headed, rude, inconsiderate and stupid you've been."
Miroku had his back to InuYasha as he spoke, so he had no idea that the half demon was slowly approaching him, claws bared and ready to strike. Lucky for him, Kagome, Sango and Shippo had finally returned.
"InuYasha...sit!" Kagome commanded, seeing what Miroku could not.
"Gahhhh!" Was all InuYasha could cry out as he was pulled to the ground by the prayer beads around his neck.
"Oh, Kagome. You're back." Miroku said casually, standing and turning to face the arrivals. Stepping around the still grounded and mumbling InuYasha, he approached the women.
"Damn you wench..." InuYasha grumbled as he got shakily to his feet.
"Now InuYasha, that's no way to talk to Lady Kagome." Miroku said, slipping his hand over her shoulder. "Women, especially beautiful ones, should be treated with the up most respect." Kagome blushed. Sango scowled. Shippo turned away, knowing exactly what was going to happen next.
"You know InuYasha, you could learn something from..." Kagome began but quickly stopped as Miroku's hand slid down from her shoulder to her lower back and a little beyond that. Letting out a shriek, Kagome pulled away from him and towards InuYasha as Sango, with amazing speed, took her place next to him. Though, instead of his hand making the move, it was Sango's.
SLAP!
Miroku's right cheek turned a bright shade of red and the shape of a hand was clearly visible.
"Heh. You want me to be more like that?" InuYasha asked Kagome as Sango began shouting at Miroku, who tried to explain that he was simply trying to prove a point.
"So, what was that you were saying about treating women with respect, Miroku?" Shippo asked playfully.
While Sango continued to reprimand Miroku and Shippo was being 'disciplined' by InuYasha for his most recent comment on how nice he looked with dirt on his face, Kagome sat back and enjoyed the beautiful day. She knew there was nothing she could do about the bickering so she simply took a seat under a near by tree and began to pet Kirara who jumped into her lap.
"Nice day, isn't it Kirara?" She asked the 2 tailed cat, who let out a happy purr in response. Sighing heavily as InuYasha attempted to strike poor Shippo for the umpteenth time, Kagome suddenly had a strange feeling; a familiar-strange feeling, an uneasily familiar feeling. She jumped to her feet, sending Kirara flying a few feet with an irritated hiss.
"Shards!" She said in shock. Everyone froze. Miroku and Sango had stopped arguing and InuYasha paused mid-hit, still gripping Shippo by his tail. They all turned and looked at Kagome.
"What?"
"There are Shikon shards near by!" She exclaimed. "Over there." She pointed towards the West. "And they're coming right at us! Really fast!" InuYasha dropped Shippo, who landed with a less then graceful 'thud', and began sniffing the air.
"Wolves." He growled. If there were shards moving that quickly towards them, and the scent of wolves lingered in the air that could only mean one thing. "Kouga. Why that dirty bastard son of a..."
"InuYasha!" Kagome threatened. Acting out of shock (though it was more out of fear) InuYasha fell silent, cowering backwards. He didn't want her to have to use the word again.
Suddenly, the wind began to pick up. Everyone looked to Miroku, expecting him to have activated his wind tunnel for some reason, but found the rosary still encircled it, keeping it securely closed. InuYasha's sensitive nose quickly picked up a familiar scent on the strange wind; the scent of an enemy.
"I knew it was him." InuYasha snapped. "I could recognize that mangy mutts' scent a mile away." As the words left his mouth, he quickly shot a glance towards Kagome, to see if she had the look that went with the word, but she didn't. He let out a sigh of relief. Taking another look at her, though, he noticed something was wrong. She was looking wide-eyed at a fixed point off in the distance, where the trees were beginning to sway and bend as the source of the strange winds neared.
"Uhh...Kagome?" Shippo asked, jumping on to her shoulder. "Hello? Kagome? Are you alright?" Kagome blinked, shook her head clear and looked around.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She finally answered. "It's just something about these shards that's giving me an uneasy feeling." Everyone stared at her with concern. "Something just doesn't feel right." Since Kagome was the only one who could see the shards, if she thought something was wrong, no one dared doubt it.
"Alright, you stay here." InuYasha ordered Kagome. "Miroku. Sango. Come on." The two nodded in agreement and began to follow the half demon in the direction of the strange winds.
"Kirara, stay here and protect Kagome!" Sango called back. Kirara jumped in front of Kagome, proving that she wouldn't budge if her life depended on it.
"Wait! InuYasha!" Kagome shouted after the group as they raced off.
"Don't worry Kagome. I'll protect you." Shippo reassured her proudly. Kagome gave him a half-hearted smile, but continued to stare off in the direction of her companions. Whatever was out there, it was waiting for them. Whatever was about to happen, it wasn't going to end in their favor.
"I have to go after them." She exclaimed, rushing off to join the others. With Shippo hanging on to her for dear life and Kirara making chase, Kagome lead the way, hoping against hope that nothing had happened to her friend, yet.
A/N: I know this chapter is a little shorter then the first, but I couldn't write the next part without posting this one first. Enjoy!!
:-: Aoura Maiden :-:
