Disclaimer: I am not the author nor owner of Inuyasha. In other notes, these tales are meant to occur way after the 400th manga in the Inuyasha. Rumiko is currently working her way to at least 500.
Title: New Journey
Still a dog, Kagome raised her head sleepily from the wall where she was pressed. Inuyasha was lain in front of her, separating her from the packs of wolves who dozed sprawled out all along the cave. Kagome tried to step over Inuyasha. At her movement, Inuyasha flicked his ears and got up. The two walked quietly outside, passing Kouga and the rest of the wolf demon tribe.
With early morning grumpiness, Inuyasha complained. "I never thought I would be sharing the same roof with that fleabag."
"Oh well," said a cheerful Kagome. "Thanks for being so patient, Inuyasha."
Kagome lapped up water from a pool and the two wandered up to the lookout, so they could search the skyline for sign of Songo and Miroku.
Inuyasha broke the silence. "I can smell Songo and Miroku out there. It's just probably no good to see them. They don't recognize us." Kouga raced up to them abruptly.
"Good morning Kagome," said Kouga consolingly. "Don't worry, I'll soon have this worked out. I'll kill that so-and-so demon who did this to you." Kouga patted her head. Inuyasha was angered by this, so he snapped at Kouga and growled angrily.
"Keep your hands off, wolf," threatened Inuyasha.
Sure enough, Kirara came flying up with everyone on her. Shippo jumped off and hugged Kagome as they landed.
"Kagome!" exclaimed Shippo. "What happened to you, you're a dog! I missed you so much." The little fox buried himself in Kagome's fur and clung to her.
"Kirara," asked Songo solemnly, "are you sure that's Inuyasha and Kagome?" Kirara purred, pleased with herself, for a reply. Songo was satisfied.
"Kouga," asked Songo, "what happened to these two?"
Kouga arms crossed his arms somewhat sourly. "Some demons caught them off guard. Worst of all, it's permanent." Songo and Miroku looked alarmed.
"Permanent, what do you mean?" asked Songo.
"It means," said Kouga ominously, "that if we don't kill the one who cast this spell, they'll stay in this form forever."
Miroku held his cursed hand to his head and shook his head mournfully. Songo knelt down beside Kagome.
"Don't worry Kagome, we'll reverse this," she consoled. Kagome licked Songo on the cheek.
In the afternoon, the wolf demons and Inuyasha's group joined to make an attack on the demon's stronghold. Songo marched, her boomerang held high. Miroku walked beside her, his magic scroll spells in hand. The rest of the main characters were there, as well as a small army of wolves and wolf demons. Everyone marched boldly up to the ravine where the cave opening was. Ayami determinedly held up a handful of flower petals. As if on signal, she blew them out, revealing the door. Ayami called to her wolves.
"All right," shouted Ayami, "we're going in!" Kouga also shouted to those in his command.
"You too, move out!"
Everyone picked up their weapons as a bunch of wolves moved forward, sniffing cautiously. Without warning, from above and all around, the very well-dressed demons appeared. There were a few dozen of them. The demon which had transformed Kagome and Inuyasha was among them, apparently their leader.
"Well, well," said the leader. "It looks like they're asking for a full battle. Let's give it to them." At these words, the battle began. Demons swooped in from above, wolf demons from behind, and everyone went everywhere, hacking, chewing, tumbling with each other.
Kagome shouted, or rather barked, over the noise. "Kouga! That's the one over there!" Kouga looked over to see the demon she was gesturing to. Kagome looked like a setter pointing to a partridge.
"All right!" bellowed Kouga. "Prepare to eat dirt, you!"
Kouga leapt up at the leader, who smirked and evaded. He drew his sword and swung it at Kouga, who evaded. Inuyasha leapt up to bite the demon. Annoyed by his intrusion, Kouga yelled at him. "Stay out of this, runt!"
The demon leader knocked Inuyasha off with a volt of energy and caused the earth around to crack. He leapt up the rockface. Kouga and Inuyasha leapt up after him.
Kagome called out worriedly. "Inuyasha!"
Ayami did the same. She yelled, "Kouga!" as she saw him disappear from sight.
The two girls climbed up after them. Miroku just barely caught sight of the girls disappearing from view as his staff clashed and he avoided fire. Unable to do anything but fight, Miroku launched out a stack of sacred sutras.
Up on top of the rock, where the men had climbed, there was a fierce battle going on. Kouga was trying to pound the demon, but he kept having to avoid the sword and its lightening attacks. The leader held out a hand and launched a mini tornado which nearly knocked Kouga off, but Kouga started running and created a wind of his own, breaking the tonardo.
"Hah," laughed Kouga. "Nice try but you're going to have to do better than that."
Inuyasha took this opportunity to charge in, ducking the sword. He fastened a jaw on his wrist and flipped the demon onto his back, exposed. The leader then used fire to stave back Inuyasha, breaking the ground. But Inuyasha still had the robe of the fire rat and he pushed his way through the fierce winds. The leader, having gotten to his feet, and Inuyasha stood face to face at the edge. Inuyasha charged in once more but so did Kouga.
"He's mine runt!" yelled Kouga.
Inuyasha and Kouga both closed in on the demon leader. But the demon leader conjured up a tornado of wind that carried him away. The damaged ground beneath Inuyasha and Kouga began to crack, and they slipped to the edge, barely holding on. Kagome and Ayami both freaked out, calling their respective boy's names. They both tried to reach the one they cared for most, and the ground gave way, sending all four of the characters tumbling down to a forest far below. A landslide sound could be heard, accompanied by screaming (or howling).
Inuyasha fell, with Kagome not far behind. He plummeted through the air, and ended up slamming into the branch of a tree. A second later, Inuyasha caught Kagome by the scruff with his teeth. However, her weight and motion were too much and they fell a few feet down to the ground. Inuyasha got up grumbling but Kagome raised herself limping.
"Ow," moaned Kagome licking her paw gingerly. Inuyasha came up and gave her a reassuring lick.
"It's alright Kagome," murmured Inuyasha consolingly. After a while he spoke.
"Why didn't you stay back?" asked Inuyasha softly.
"Because I couldn't, you were falling."
Inuyasha turned his head dismissively. "Why didn't you help Kouga? You were closer to him."
"Inuyasha," said Kagome, "I couldn't think about that. All I knew was that you were falling, and that you were everything in the world to me. I knew I had to stop you no matter what."
"Wench," put in Inuyasha irritably. "If you hadn't have come, the cliff might not have crumbled like that. Beside, you could have gotten yourself killed as usual."
"Is that all you have to say to me?" said Kagome almost bored.
"What?" said Inuyasha.
"Because if you keep talking like that, I swear I'll keep you from defeating that demon. That way I can keep you all to myself."
"What!" said a confused and alarmed Inuyasha.
Kagome slide up against Inuyasha and rubbed her head under his cheek. Inuyasha the dog moved away suddenly.
"Kagome!" shouted Inuyasha. "Stop doing that!"
"Why?" asked Kagome. "Do you doubt that I love you more than Kouga-kun?"
Inuyasha was non-plussed. "It's not like I don't believe you exactly."
"Then what?" asked Kagome as if it was a dare.
Kagome muzzled Inuyasha gently. He softened and bent down to muzzle her in return. He rubbed his nose in her sweet fur, testing it with his teeth. Then he stuttered awake.
"Ungh, ah, Kagome," stuttered a Inuyasha.
Kagome shook her head, smiling at his reluctance. "No, that's all right. Shippo told me. But I want to know something Inuyasha. Would you trust me to bite you?"
Inuyasha started shaking and dared to ask, "Kagome, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that after all that has happened, all that we've been through, with Kikyou, with Naraku, and all that has tried to confuse us, would you love me enough to trust me for the rest of my life?"
Inuyasha got control of himself and slide closer to Kagome. He abandoned himself to whisper in her ear, "Of course I'd trust you. I've learned to trust you, with all of my life." Inuyasha leaned in closer to Kagome with teeth resting on her neck. But then he pulled back.
"Inuyasha?" asked Kagome before shifting away.
"I'm sorry Kagome, as much as I wish I could."
"Why not?" asked Kagome.
"You know I'm only a half demon. Do you really want to bind yourself to that?"
Of course they were interrupted. Before they could say more, Kilala and the others flew overhead to land. They didn't notice anything at all.
"Kagome, Inuyasha," asked Songo, "what happened to Kouga and Ayami?"
Kagome shook her head while Inuyasha got up to sniff them out.
Not far way, while Inuyasha and Kagome were talking, Kouga and Ayami sputtered and waded out of a small stream. They flopped on the bank and looked up.
"Damn!" said Kouga. "Now where did that mutt get off to, Kagome better be all right."
"Are you all right, Kouga," asked Ayami uncertainly.
"Yeah, yeah," said Kouga rudely as he stood. Ayami caught his hand with an angry look.
"Wait Kouga," said Ayami dangerously. "I have something to say to you."
"Yeah, yeah," said Kouga, "you're going to remind me of the night of the lunar promise." Ayami promptly punched him.
"Wench, what did you do that for!" bellowed Kouga, rubbing his head.
"To get you to listen. When are you going to look at me, Kouga? It's more than just a promise anymore. I always hoped, I knew, but seeing you and hearing all I could about you only convinced me more that you were the man I wanted to wait for. Seeing you in danger broke my heart. In that moment, I wanted to be with you more than anything, even if it meant falling from that cliff."
"Ayami," thought Kouga to himself before listening to the rest of Ayami's tirade.
"Don't you get it?" yelled Ayami. "You're so dense that you can't see that Kagome isn't in love with you! She wants Inuyasha more than anything! They may not bear the marks of possession, but they trust each other and know each other as if they were leaves from the same tree! You don't have any place in that!"
"Shut up!" yelled Kouga heatedly. "I'm never giving up on Kagome!"
"Why not? Aren't I good enough? Haven't I waited all these years? Moreover, don't you owe it to your kin to strengthen the alliance between the scant wolves left? Our people has been ravaged, Kouga! First Naraku, then all these wars, then these mountain demons! Don't you owe it to your people to have pups? Couldn't I do that for you?" Kouga calmed down a little, but still wanted the last word in.
"You don't know anything," he said brushing her off. Kouga leapt off flying.
"That Ayami," he thought to himself, "maybe she isn't as young as I thought."
Back with Inuyasha, everyone was piled on Kilala and getting a ride back to the wolf den. Miroku sighed as theyflew. Miroku was seated up front, with Inuyasha the dog on his lap. Songo was behind that, with Kagome the dog on hers. Shippo was hanging on at the very end.
"Somehow," complained Miroku bitterly, "I wish Hachi had stayed here with us."
Songo spoke apologetically to Kilala. "I'm sorry Kilala, I'll give you an extra bowl of fish tonight." Kilala gave a contented purr before landing on the edge of wolf den. Everyone got off. Miroku looked somberly at the setting sun.
"Somehow," spoke Miroku, "we must resolve this. Or else there's no hope for any of us."
To be continued.
