Pure Breed: Chapter 6
"Let's go over this once more, just to make sure I understand. You want me to help you search for the jewel shards?"
"I've said that ten times you dumb wolf! Do I need to draw you a picture?" Inuyasha was trying to explain their situation to Koga, who couldn't come to grips with the fact that Inuyasha actually wanted help from his rival.
"And why, pray tell, should I help you, dear pup?" Koga asked.
"Have you gone blind?" Inuyasha responded, putting his face mere inches from Koga's. "Look at me! I'm human."
"True. I guess I can't leave my Kagome in the protection of a weak mortal as your self."
"Feh. I'm not so weak I couldn't mop the floor with you any day of the week. The only reason I haven't beat you into the ground is because she told me not to." Inuyasha claimed, pointing an accusing finger at Kagome.
"She didn't say I couldn't fight! I'd be more than happy to test your theory, you insolent dog!" Koga challenged, flexing his claws. Kagome immediately put herself between the pair and tried to reason with them, while Hakkaku held Koga back.
Through this whole ordeal, Miroku had been staring at Ayame, and this had not escaped Sango's notice. "He better not be thinking what I think he is thinking." Sango said to herself silently. Miroku however, being Miroku, was thinking just that.
"God she is beautiful. Koga's quite the fool for passing her up." Miroku thought. His hand began to wander freely towards Ayame's backside. He stopped himself. "What are you thinking? Don't do this to yourself! You're with Sango now, and you aren't going to blow it." he silently told himself.
"Come on," his perverted side coaxed. "One little grope isn't going to blow your chances with anyone."
"No!" his conscience retaliated. "I'm above that now. I'm past it. That Miroku is dead."
"Oh I disagree. I'm very much alive. And you know you won't be able to ignore me for long."
"No!" Miroku screamed in his head. "No, no, no! You've tricked me to many times. Get out of my mind. I'm crazy enough to be fighting with my own brain as it is."
"Uh, Miroku?" Kagome said worriedly, waving a hand in front of his face. "You ok?" Kagome had finally managed to calm both Koga and Inuyasha, and the search for the shards was about to resume.
"What's wrong with the perv? He don't look to good." Inuyasha commented.
"Thank you, Capitan Obvious." Koga said sarcastically.
"I know what's up with him." Sango growled. "And I know exactly how to snap him out of it." she said, now with a mischievous grin on her face. She brought down her Hirakotsu upon his head, raising a lump the size of a goose egg. Miroku snapped back to reality, quite relived.
"Thank you my dear Sango. I needed that." Miroku said gratefully.
"Uh oh. I think I may have caused some permanent brain damage this time." Sango thought. "Your welcome, I guess. Let's go." Sango finished as she pulled Miroku by the arm, trying to catch up with the rest of the group.
As late afternoon came upon feudal Japan, Koga picked up a scent. "Demon, this way." he reported, beckoning for the others to follow. They came upon a large bear demon. Koga cracked his knuckles and made a move to attack, but Inuyasha stopped him.
"Stand down, you amateur. I'll take this one."
"Are you crazy? You'll get slaughtered!" Kagome objected, grabbing by the arm.
"Probably, but I've never fought in my human form before. If I don't take the chance now, I'll never know how strong I am like this." Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but Inuyasha was already charging toward the bear, unsheathing the Tetsiuga.
"Hey, ugly!" The bear turned around and noticed Inuyasha. Inuyasha leapt at the bear, aiming to strike its head, but he was easily knocked aside by one sweep of the demons paw. The bear began to make its move to attack Inuyasha, but an arrow pierced his side. He turned and noticed Kagome and the others, as the young priestess knocked another arrow to her bowstring.
"What the hell is she doing?" Inuyasha wondered. Why was she turning the bear's attention to herself? "Oh well, can't complain!" he said aloud. He jumped on the bears back and rammed the Tetsiuga straight through his neck. The bear didn't even seem to notice, and kept lumbering towards Kagome, who had a very obvious look of nervousness on her face.
"Stand aside you insolent puppy! Let a real demon take care of this." Koga advised, charging the demon. Koga delivered a kick to the bears head, making its neck turn 180 degrees. The bear slumped to the ground, its neck broken.
"That was very easy." Koga drawled, enjoying nothing more than making Inuyasha look weak in front of Kagome. "You really have lost your touch, dear pup."
Kagome walked over to the demons body, and withdrew the shard. She then turned on Inuyasha, furious.
"You moron! How could you possibly think you could take on a demon the way you are now? As long as the Tetsiuga won't transform, you can't fight. Don't you ever scare me like that again."
"Sorry." Inuyasha mumbled. "I didn't mean to worry you; I just wanted to know if I could still fight as a human."
"It's ok, I forgive you." Kagome said, shocked Inuyasha had actually admitted his folly. "Just don't do it again."
It was night. The wolf demon tribe lay asleep by the fire, but Inuyasha and Kagome were both still awake. Neither had said a word for a while now, because Kagome could tell that Inuyasha was deep in thought.
"Are you okay Inuyasha? You haven't been very chatty since this afternoon." Kagome asked, her eyes full of concern.
"I'm just thinking." was Inuyasha's simple reply.
"What about?"
"I don't wanna talk about it."
"Why not? Don't you trust me?" Kagome asked, knowing his answer would be the same as it always was. But it wasn't.
"Of course I trust you Kagome. I just don't feel like talking about it. Maybe later." Kagome just sighed in response." Inuyasha sighed. "Do you want me to stay here with you and the others?"
"Of course I want you to stay with me Inuyasha. What gave you the idea I wouldn't?" Kagome asked.
"Well, now that I'm human, there's not much I can do anymore, since I can't fight. It would be easier to collect the rest of the jewel without me, now that you have Koga and his tribe to help you." Kagome leaned her head on Inuyasha's shoulder.
"Its true that you can't fight anymore, but that doesn't matter. You're not just muscle to collect the jewel shards with. You're our friend. And we'd never want you to leave us. I know I wouldn't."
"I'd never want to leave you either Kagome."
"You wouldn't?" Kagome asked, wondering if she had imagined what she just heard.
"No. I know I've said that you're just a shard detector, but that's not true. The truth is that I…well, I uh…" Inuyasha stammered.
"What? The truth is you what?" Kagome asked, knowing only too well what he was about to say. She was doing her best to keep a straight face.
"Come on you dolt! You've come so far! Don't wuss out now!" Inuyasha screamed at himself in his head.
"The truth is I…I love you Kagome." Kagome felt like her heart was about to explode inside her chest. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him the most passionate kiss one could imagine, and didn't pull away until she felt as if she was about to suffocate.
"I love you too, Inuyasha."
"Really? I never woulda guessed." Inuyasha said sarcastically.
"Oh, shut up." Kagome laughed, punching him playfully in the arm.
"Aw isn't that sweet?" Inuyasha and Kagome turned to see Sango and Miroku, standing not ten feet away. They both turned beet red.
"How long have you been standing there?" asked Inuyasha, knowing he would need a miracle for the two to have not seen.
"Since your little stuttering episode." Miroku answered. "Inuyasha, you dog! I never would've guessed you had it in you!"
"Shut up monk. Besides, what have you two been off doing?" Inuyasha smirked. Now it was Sango and Miroku's turn to blush.
"You really don't want to know. Really." was Sango's reply.
"Sure they do!" Miroku said cheerfully, earning him a slap across the face.
"That's okay Miroku." Kagome said with a sly grin on her face. "I think I've got a pretty good idea. Anyway, we better get some sleep if we want to have the energy to keep traveling tomorrow." Both couples went to sleep, with nothing on their minds but their partner. Save Inuyasha. He was more interested in the look on Koga's face when they told him tomorrow.
