Author's Notes: Bwaaah! I'm back! Enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review! Oh, and occasionally there will be some lyrics after the 'previous chapter' part. Only if the lyrics match the chapter though!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters!
Previous Chapter:
Inuyasha holds Kagome in his right arm as everyone; Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kagome, watch as the barrier wavers and fades away into the darkness. Sango, Miroku, and Kagome all gasp, while Inuyasha's eyes were widened in shock.
Sango reaches out to touch the barrier to make sure what she saw was true. Her hands touch nothing but air. Sango whips around and exclaims to Kagome, "How did you do that?!"
Though the answer was obvious just by the look on Kagome's face. Her eyes were filled with confusion and her mouth was agape.
"I-I d-don't know," Kagome stuttered out.
A long moment of silence came after that, and Kagome was the first to recover. She laughs nervously and says, "I guess we'll have to get out now, won't we?"
They all nod, as they start to regain their senses back. Sango was the next who spoke first, "Don't let anyone know about this, they're a couple slaves here who are loyal to Naraku.
Kagome nodded her head approvingly.
"Alright," both Inuyasha and Miroku said.
As they walk back to their slave rooms, they all have one question in mind, 'How did she do that?'
Except Kagome's was different, it was similar, 'How did I do that?' The question ran in her mind, repeating over and over, as she silently packed, but excitement about the escape soon took over.
In the Shadows
Chapter 5Out
Kagome packed two of her slave kimonos. She had three in all, but she left the really old and ragged kimono there.
She took the deep purple kimono that was for special occasions — not that there were much anyways. The other slave kimono was a dark brown kimono that she was already wearing. Nice colours, huh? Naraku's choice. She was disgusted with it, especially since she had seen it since she was little.
Kagome mentally rolled her eyes.
The kimonos weren't the nice kind. It was really cheap and the material was rough, but who was she to complain? What do you expect from Naraku?
Kagome sighed and thought, 'I wish I could own a really pretty kimono with all the sparkles and flowers on it...'
She continued packing. She put her deep purple kimono on a piece of cloth along with some undergarments. Then she remembered something. Her money! She quickly took it out of her only hiding place; which was underneath her bed mattress. She examined the greenish-yellow little bag that kept her money. Kagome had worked hard to trade for it, although it didn't even reach a silver. She tied it to her kimono.
Kagome draped a light blanket around her shoulders. She would have to use it as something to keep warm with. It was summer, but even in the nights it was still a little chilly.
Kagome picked up a long stick from her bed. She had taken it from outside before she came in. She put it in the pile of belongings and tied the piece of cloth around the stick tightly.
She picked it up. She made a face. It was a little too heavy. It wasn't that she couldn't hold it; it was just that it wasn't comfortable for travelling. 'Oh well,' she told her self, 'I need everything I have in here, so deal with it Kagome!'
'There,' she thought with a little smile, 'I'm done packing, say good-bye to this room for the last time!'
Kagome looked beside her. Sango was attaching the piece of cloth to the stick. Sango looked up and saw Kagome. They both smiled.
"Ready to go Sango?" whispered Kagome excitingly.
"Yup, can't wait to get out of here!" Sango whispered back.
"Same with me," Kagome said.
They both headed out the door. Inuyasha and Miroku had quickly packed what they needed and had left to grab some horses to ride on.
Kagome and Sango stepped outside and looked around. They didn't see any guards. 'Good,' they both thought.
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Inuyasha and Miroku rounded a corner with two horses and saw Kagome and Sanfo waiting patiently by the slave room door.
On the way back, they had picked up some bread, ham and cheese from the kitchen. Miroku had figured out that they would save more money for the trip that way. It was easy to take some food; the guards were all asleep. Thinking about the thought almost made Inuyasha snicker.
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They neared Kagome and Sango. Kagome was the first to notice them. Her eyes widened a bit and they hear her say, "Two horses?"
Inuyasha quickly puts a finger one his mouth and makes a shushing sound. He said whispering, "Yeah."
Kagome's anger was lit, but she didn't explode yet. She opened her mouth to say something when Inuyasha quickly adds.
"And before you even say something, I have two reasons why there are only two horses. One; the other horses were guarded by some guards that weren't asleep, and two; you don't know how to ride a horse, do you?" He said eyeing both Kagome and Sango at his last statement.
Kagome's cheeks were tinted with pink, 'How stupid could she have been?' She shook her head.
Sango's voice was heard, and it said, "I know how to..."
Inuyasha looked at Sango and simply said, "But, you don't want to two males riding the same horse now do you? It won't matter to you, but remember, you are travelling with us. Wouldn't that just look weird now?" He smirked.
"Yeah, I guess so," Sango said.
Kagome sighed, giving up, "Okay, how are we going to sit then?"
"Well, one of you has to ride with Miroku and the other has to ride with me," Inuyasha answered.
Kagome was going to sit with Miroku, because no way was she sitting with Inuyasha. But when she thought of Miroku's hands, her mouth opened. 'No way!' She thought.
Inuyasha saw this and bit back a laugh, but Kagome heard. She sent him a glare.
Kagome's face suddenly brightened at an idea that came to her mind. She spun around quickly and gave Sango her best puppy eyes. Sango's eyes widened in realization. She wasn't going to fall for the eyes. No way was she sitting with that pervert.
"Can you please sit with Miroku?" Kagome pleaded.
No was the simple reply that was returned to Kagome, but that didn't stop her from retreating.
"Please?" Kagome's eyes shining.
Sango sighed, she couldn't stand the eyes! Besides, Kagome was always there when she needed her. "Fine, but only this once," Sango said.
Kagome's face brightened up immediately. "Thank you so much Sango! I owe you!" She quickly gave Sango a hug. She heard Sango mutter a 'your welcome' under the hug.
Kagome turned around and looked at Inuyasha.
"Why do these beautiful ladies here not want to sit with me?" Miroku's voice said.
A moment of silence washed by...everything seemed to freeze in time before Kagome and Sango turned their heads towards Miroku's direction. They gave him glares.
Miroku held up his hands defensively, and said, "I swear, if it's my hands, don't blame it on me! They have a mind of their own," Miroku said innocently.
Sango continued to glare at him, while Kagome said, "Sorry Miroku, but the 'mind' those hands have scare me," she stretched out the word 'mind'.
Miroku pretended to look hurt — which by the way, he failed miserably at it. "Do you really hate the mind my hands have?"
"Yes, yes I do," Kagome said simply.
Miroku clutched his heart and said, "There's only so much pain one heart can take."
Kagome turned around and said to Inuyasha, "Well, I guess I'll be riding with you! Though it's not much better than riding with Miroku..." Kagome trailed off and stuck out her tongue.
'She looks so cute doing that...' Inuyasha thought. He was so busy thinking about that; he didn't have enough time to think of a comeback. He only came up with a 'feh, let's just go'.
Kagome nodded. Kagome had to sit with her legs on one side because of the kimono she was wearing. Inuyasha helped her climb up first and after he made sure she didn't fall off, he climbed up too.
They waited for Sango and Miroku to get up.
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Sango got on the horse, and not soon after Miroku followed. She saw that he was holding a staff.
"Hey, where did your staff appear from?" She asked Miroku.
Miroku turned around and said, "Oh, I had it with me all along! I just kept it under my robes so that Naraku wouldn't see."
"Oh," Sango said, "I see."
Inuyasha signalled them to go when he saw that they were on the horse.
Sango wasn't scared of riding because she was used to it. When they reached the gate, she looked around her surroundings for the last time...until she noticed that Miroku's hands were close to her. A little bit too close...
She decided to give him a warning first, so she said, "Oh, and don't you dare try anything Miroku." She glared holes at the back of Miroku's head.
Miroku's hands quickly retreated back to his side and he laughed nervously and said, "Of course I wouldn't!"
Sango rolled her eyes.
Miroku jumped off the horse when they neared the gate. Sango was confused at first, but then figured out what they were going to do.
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When they were close enough to the gate, Inuyasha and Miroku jumped off the horses and ran to the two guards at the gate. They quickly knocked the guards out.
They got back on the horses and they rid a bit faster than before. When they crossed the gate, Kagome turned her head and look at Naraku's castle one last time. The image of the castle brought a shiver down Kagome's spine. 'I'm glad I'm leaving for good,' thought Kagome.
Inuyasha noticed her shiver and asked if she was cold. She said she wasn't.
'Well, I'm glad he cares," Kagome said, noting that he tried to cover up his concern, although he failed.
"Okay then, we're going to go at a faster pace, so hang on tight to me or else you'll fall off!" Inuyasha teased.
Kagome nodded and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's waist. Her first thought was how good it felt.
Inuyasha's first thought was how soft and gentle her arms were.
Inuyasha turned his head behind and shouted to Miroku that they were going faster. Inuyasha's sharp hanyou senses saw that Miroku nodded.
Inuyasha kicked the horse's side lightly, and it went faster. Miroku and Sango were about a couple metres behind them.
First it was scary at such a fast speed, but then Kagome enjoyed it. She loved how the images flashed past her. Even though it was dark, Kagome could still make out the trees and the bushes. She unconsciously leaned on to Inuyasha's back. When she realized what she had done, she didn't want to pull back; so she didn't. She smiled in content.
What she didn't notice was that a small grin was on Inuyasha's face too.
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It was near dawn when they decided that they could sleep since they were at a safe distance from Naraku's castle. They stopped in an opening clearing in the forest. They made a fire in the middle; they wasted no time in sleeping. Soon Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha fell asleep against a tree.
Kagome peeked one eye open. Good. Everyone was asleep. Even though she trusted the people around her, the journal was something private to her. Something special. She didn't want too much people to know about it. She took her journal out from her bag and took the key out from her locket. She began writing her escape starting a new entry in her journal.
Inuyasha awoke to sounds of shuffling and pages flipping. He quickly opened his eyes and tried figuring out where the sounds were. He looked across from him and saw Kagome writing something in a book. He thought she was planning some kind of attack, but when he focused his eyes on what she was writing it was the opposite from what he thought. He only read a part of what she was writing because he soon found out that it was not his business to be reading it. What he read had said...
...yay! I'm finally away from Naraku's evil clutches. God, it feels so good to be free! Being stuck there all your life sure sucks! I've haven't really been out of the evil castle...maybe only once...
He had stopped there. 'So she's been a slave all her life, huh? That's strange...Naraku never takes babies as slaves...' If you were to look into Inuyasha's eyes, you would see sympathy even though he didn't want to show it.
He saw Kagome close her book and look around her. Luckily she looked the other way opposite from Inuyasha first, which gave him time to shut his eyes and pretend to be asleep. He slightly opened an eye after he heard a soft click, he wondered what it was. He watched Kagome as she put away her book in her bag. She fixed the blanket that she had with her securely around her.
She leaned back onto the tree and closed her eyes. Inuyasha watched her face with amusement until he heard steady breathing, meaning she had fallen asleep.
Soon, he too fell asleep watching Kagome's sleeping form...
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They woke up after a couple of hours of sleep. It wasn't a very long time, but it helped the sleepiness.
Inuyasha was his ignorant, inconsiderate self again. He woke up everyone by roughly shaking their shoulders.
Kagome sighed, while watching the trees zoom by the sun. Inuyasha had insisted on going at a faster pace so they could make it to the castle on time. "Are we there yet?" Kagome asked Inuyasha, she was very bored.
"Can you just shut up and wait, wench?" Inuyasha said, clearly annoyed. The question was more of a statement.
"Somebody's grumpy today," Kagome said simply.
"No I'm not. You are the one who is whining about this and about that," Inuyasha shot at her.
"Whatever, Inuyasha..." Kagome's voice faded away as we see Miroku and Sango riding.
They both sigh, and Sango asks, "They never give up do they?"
"Nope," was Miroku's answer.
They turn their attention from Inuyasha and Kagome to the road in front of them. They sigh again.
After a moment of silence, Sango spoke.
"Watch the hand, monk."
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It was about midday when they finally reached a village. They had eaten their food earlier, so they were going to buy more to eat at the village.
As they enter the village, they get off the horses. It was a semi-busy village. Normally, at this time of the day the streets were flooded with people. There were only a couple of people here and there in this village.
Kagome looked around the village with amusement in her eyes. The last time she had been in a village was when she was ten. That was six years ago...so long ago. It was her first and last time outside of the castle until now. That time she had to buy food for the kitchens.
They walk through the village. Soon they come to a stop as Inuyasha buys some food at a stand.
Something shiny catches Kagome's eyes. She focuses on what it is and realizes that it's a bracelet. She walks over to the stand dragging Sango along across from where the Inuyasha and Miroku are. They both look at the bracelets on the table.
Kagome picks up a bracelet that catches her eye. It was beautiful! It was a silver bracelet with some stars and hearts hanging from it! Kagome's eyes sparkled.
Meanwhile, Sango had a bracelet that caught her eye too. Sango normally wasn't interested in bracelets or necklaces, but this bracelet was amazing! It was a silver bracelet with coloured glass beads hanging from it!
Kagome and Sango ask the man who owns the stand how much their bracelets cost.
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Inuyasha and Miroku had just finished buying food when they noticed that Kagome and Sango weren't with them. They looked around and saw that they were across them. They start walking towards them. Inuyasha and Miroku see Kagome and Sango ask the owner something and then they count the money they have in their bags. After a moment, they both have disappointed looks on their faces.
When Inuyasha and Miroku reach them, they put down the bracelets and they start talking to each other. Though Kagome and Sango didn't notice them.
"That sucks Sango! I don't have enough money for the bracelet! I need a silver..." Kagome was talking to Sango.
"Same here..." Sango sighs, "Oh well..."
Inuyasha and Miroku appear just then, and they ask them what bracelet they wanted.
Kagome and Sango point to theirs, but then Kagome asks, "Why?"
"Well, remember, you did my work at Naraku's castle? You said that I had to buy you something."
Inuyasha took some money out of his red haori and paid for the bracelet. He handed it to Kagome. Kagome held it in her hands.
Kagome eyes widened in shock and looked at Inuyasha. She said, "You still remember? I thought that you would forget it by now... How do you have that much money? Didn't Naraku take all the money from you?"
Inuyasha's expression was emotionless; he had learned to cover it long ago. Though sometimes his façade failed him.
"There's something called, 'putting most of your money in your shoe,'" Inuyasha answered, ignoring the first part of Kagome's question. He crossed his arms across his chest.
Kagome's face brightened, she squealed, jumped up and down and hugged Inuyasha to death.
"Thank you so much, Inuyasha!"
Inuyasha held back a smile when he noticed how happy Kagome was. A silver was nothing compared to the rest of his money.
Kagome took a step forward, and embraced Inuyasha.
Inuyasha was caught off guard when Kagome embraced him, and he almost fell backwards. His arms automatically held on to her since he was falling. Luckily, he balanced himself, and didn't fall.
He let go of her when he felt his face go hot. A light shade of pink was tinted across his face.
"Hehe. Whoops, sorry, Inuyasha," Kagome said, and she let go of him. She turned away to try to put on her new bracelet and she missed the light blush that was on the hanyou's face.
Kagome tried to put on the bracelet, but it was hard to hook it on. Her face showed concentration. Inuyasha watches this from the corner of his eye and thinks, 'She's so cute when she's like that...'
"Here, let me try."
Kagome looks up and curiously, gives the bracelet to Inuyasha. He wrapped it around her wrist and in a second he was done.
Kagome said a quiet thank you and turned to Miroku and Sango who were watching them. They had an evil smile on their faces. Kagome blushed, but she quickly smiled when she noticed that Sango had a bracelet on her hand too.
Kagome pulled Sango to a side and started to talk to her. Inuyasha and Miroku walked ahead.
"So, what happened between you and Miroku?" Kagome asked with a mischievous grin on her face. She noted the red blush that appeared on Sango's face.
"I accidentally hugged Miroku..." said Sango, her face turning a deep red.
Kagome laughed, "Just that? Come on Sango, you and I both know that you want something more from him." Kagome stuck out her tongue.
Sango blushed even more if that were even possible. Kagome saw this and said, "Alright, I'll leave you alone to your thoughts now!"
With that, Kagome ran to where Inuyasha and Miroku were, with Sango hot on her heels.
Boy was it going to be a long day.
A/N: Hey! I know that was a short chapter...but the one after the next one is going to be interesting! Ooooh, and the next chapter is called 'The Castle.' Yippie! The next chapter is more like a filler....it kinda explains what happens later on...
Thank you to all my reviewers! I plan on posting 2-3 chapters a month! And if I'm feeling good, I'll post a fourth one! It also depends on how much reviews I get ::hint hint:: Please tell me how you think of my chapters...it helps a lot!
Next time!
purity=starz
Posted - August 16, 2004 2:48PM
Re-edited – September, 4, 2004