Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns them all, except those I made up.
Chapter 33
"I…I…I COULD HAVE SWORN YOU WERE DEAD!" Shippo screamed, crouching next to the hanyou to get a good look at the tiny flea.
Myouga attempted to latch onto Kagome's neck, but the hanyou growled and flicked him off her before the flea could take in more than a single drink of her blood. "Get off Kagome! Find someone else's blood to eat."
"But Master Inuyasha, it has been so long. Lady Kagome always tastes so good."
He grasped the miko tighter within his embrace, growling. "You ain't touching my Kagome." He stood, holding the girl tightly to his chest. "Let's get her outta her before we think about anything else."
"Where have you been the last hundred years?" Shippo asked the flea who had taken perch on his shoulder. He stood and followed the hanyou out the door as the flea began to suck on his cheek. "Haven't you eaten at all in that time?" He asked, cracking his hand over the feasting pest.
"Has it really been that long, Master Shippo? I guess I have just been busy."
"Busy my ass! I thought you were dead! You used to pop up every occasionally to check on me after Inuyasha sealed himself. After about fifty years without you, I figured you had finally bit the dust." The kitsune watched as the tiny youkai looked thoughtfully at the hanyou walking in front of them. "What's wrong, Myouga?"
The flea sighed, turning to look at the kitsune before explaining himself. "I heard a rumor about Master Inuyasha marking Lady Kagome. It was proven positive when I got a taste of their blood; it is blended together perfectly."
"Yeah, tell me something I don't know already." Shippo looked up at the hanyou, he still carried the young miko in him arms affectionately. "They've changed, Myouga. I don't know what it is that's happened, but they've changed."
Myouga chuckled, "I noticed that, 'my Kagome'? I have always known him to be possessive about the girl, just never come out and say that." The flea turned serious suddenly. "Are the rumor's true, Master Shippo?"
"Rumors?" Shippo questioned, wondering what the flea was talking about.
"About the marking? They say it was unconsciously done."
"Of course it's true!" Shippo laughed, peering over to his companion. "Can you see Inuyasha actually doing it on his own that soon?"
Myouga sighed, taking a seat on Shippo's shoulder. "That is what I was afraid of."
After walking for what seemed like forever beneath the quickly darkening sky, Inuyasha finally found a place he thought might work nicely to stop for that night. Kagome still rested within his arms, her gentle breathing calming his distracted mind. She would be fine; he knew that.
Something had drained all her energy; whatever it had been, he felt it too. Several moments before he busted through that door he had felt a surge of power flow through him. Stronger than the sensation that had dragged him toward the house in the first place; yet an eerily similar feeling. It had happened again immediately before he busted down the door.
Rolling out her sleeping bag, he gently placed her within it. As soon as his arms left her, she stirred awake. "Inu…Yasha?" her blue eyes slowly fluttered open as she covered a yawn with her hand. "Wh..where are we? How long have I been sleeping for?" She tried to push herself up off the makeshift bed, but found her efforts restrained by the hanyou.
"Lay down, wench. You don't have the energy to sit through what I intend to do because of the stunt you pulled." His voice was irate; she could tell he was angry at her still, though there was something within his eyes that spoke of his relief to have her back. Then and there she lay back down on the sleeping bag, sighing. He wouldn't be leaving her side yet this evening and she knew that.
"I'm sorry Inuyasha. I never should have left you." She whispered softly reaching for his hand. Clasping it gently within her own, the warmth within it called out to her telling her she needed to feel it, touch it. He intertwined his fingers within hers, making their hands become one. The pad of his thumb slowly stroked the palm of her hand, leaving miniscule trails of fire in their wake. She couldn't help but stare at the human hand within hers; marveling at the flawlessness of it. She lightly squeezed, suddenly wishing to see his hanyou hands again.
He finally sat down next to her, settling in for the evening. She glanced up, his face set in stone as his fingers slowly stroked her hand, the intimacy of the action contrasting the dark look in his face. She longed to sit up and erase the lines of worry marring the perfection in his countenance, yet knowing that it was because of her that they were there. A small voice assaulted her ears, eerily familiar yet she couldn't see the owner of it. "Master Inuyasha! You must listen to me!"
"Myouga?" Kagome sat up at attention immediately, searching the area for the microscopic flea. "Myouga? Is that you? Where are you?"
"Wench, lay down!" Inuyasha growled, pushing her back into her bedding. "I told you to stay there!"
"Lady Kagome, you're awake!" Myouga exclaimed, leaping onto the hanyou's nose.
"Keh! Leave her be, Myouga. She needs to sleep."
"I do NOT! I'm not even tired, Inuyasha. I slept most of the way here, I am fine."
"I would like to speak with both of you, together."
"After Kagome gets some rest."
"Inuyasha!"
"Wench?"
"Sit boy!" Kagome released his hand as he was slammed into the ground. Myouga bailed from the hanyou as soon as the command was given, jumping to the safety of the miko sitting next to him. "I am fine, Inuyasha. Stop coddling me; I am not a helpless girl like I was when we met. I can handle myself, sitting isn't going to kill me."
"Keh, you seemed to handle yourself just fine, by yourself. Fucking sneaking out a window with Shinju, by yourself. Getting kidnapped in the process? You call that taking care of yourself?" Inuyasha pushed his chest off the ground, still unable to get up any further than that. "You fell straight into their hands, Kagome! They could have gotten the jewel, then where would we be?"
Her face fell, the constant light of fire that flickered in her eyes dimmed just as she turned away from him. "They didn't get the jewel, Inuyasha." Her voice was flat, lacking emotion. She stared out at the expanse of stars lighting the night as they slowly blurred as she fought the onslaught of tears.
She heard the rustling of his clothing as he climbed out of his hole, the spell releasing him. Instantly she found herself dragged into his arms and quickly headed towards the trees directly above them. He settled onto a comfortable branch as he wrapped his arms around her, all the pain and hurt she felt seemed to evaporate as she began to cry. "I thought I was going to lose you." He whispered into the top of her head as he dropped a gentle kiss there. "I don't know what happened, why the jewel protected you. Right now I really don't care."
"I don't think it was the jewel, Master Inuyasha."
"Get lost Myouga!" Inuyasha growled as Myouga landed on Kagome's cheek.
"Inuyasha, I think we should listen to what he has to say." Kagome said wiping away a stray tear.
"I always knew I liked you Lady Kago-AHH." As the flea attempted to take a drink from Kagome's cheek, a burst of pinkish-red light appeared, knocking the flea away from the miko.
"That what happened?" Inuyasha snorted with amusement as he watched the flea tumble down the tree.
"Yep," Kagome sighed, leaning into her hanyou's chest. "But why would it protect me from Myouga?"
"Dunno, but he seems to think that it isn't the jewel." He tested the reaction on poking her face with his claw. "Nothing, huh? Well the bastard did try to drink you." He gave an evil grin and bent down to nip her neck; he never made it there. Seeing a flash of silver where his mark should be he backed up, growling. "What the hell?"
"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" She leaned back trying to see what he was growling at, but couldn't get herself positioned correctly.
"Your mark." He said quietly, moving her collar to get a better look at it. "What the hell is going on?"
"What about it? What's wrong with it?"
"It's healing, like it's supposed to." He paused, taking a moment to examine it further. He prodded it with a claw lightly, watching the twilight dance off it. "I don't know if this is normal. I haven't ever seen a mark like this before. Usually when they heal they aren't noticeable except for the smell from them and to those who created them." He shrugged, "That's probably it, anyway. It probably looks different to me cause it's mine is all. It still smells like it should."
Kagome looked doubtful, still trying to get a look at the mark. "Maybe we should see what Myouga had to say. If he didn't think it was the jewel that caused that reaction, what was it?"
"Oi, Myouga!" He yelled, picking Kagome up in his arms as he leapt down to the group sitting around the fire. "What would you call this?" He pulled on her collar, revealing the mark for him to see.
"Just as I assumed." The youkai said quietly from his perch on Shippo's shoulder, only the kitsune could hear. "Try to take Kagome from him."
Shippo snorted, heading to the pair. "It's silver, Inuyasha. Listen, the poor girl's had a bad enough day without your overbearing personality added to the mix. Let her sit with us a while, eat some dinner. Hand her here." He reached out to remove the miko from the hanyou's grasp. A low rumble emitted from Inuyasha's throat as Shippo reached for her. The instant the kitsune touched the miko the pinkish-red light erupted from within her and knocked Shippo inches from the fire.
Inuyasha snorted, "Serves you right, runt. Now what the hell do you mean, silver? You see it too?"
"Shit, Inuyasha! I almost got burned here and you're complaining about the color of your mark?" The kitsune jumped to his feet, brushing the dirt off his pants as he glared at the hanyou. "What the hell just happened?"
"Same thing that happened to Netawaki when he tried to take the jewel." Shinju said from her place on a log with Yuka. "When he went after Kagome; that's the light that appeared."
"But I wasn't after the jewel."
"Maybe it just doesn't like you, runt." Inuyasha sneered, somehow he had an even tighter hold on the miko then he had moments before.
"Master Inuyasha, it isn't the jewel! It's because of you! Your mark is protecting her."
"What the hell? A mark isn't for protection except to say, 'don't fucking touch her, she's mine.'"
"And apparently that is exactly what your mark is trying to tell the world." Makoto said, laughter filling his voice until he was jabbed in the stomach by Shinju.
"What the hell makes you think it's the mark doing this crap? Why the hell is it silver?"
"I believe I heard that it was an unconscious marking, Master Inuyasha. Is that correct?"
"What the hell? You heard too?" Inuyasha growled in annoyance. "Is there some Youkai news that broadcasted this for everyone to hear that I don't know about?"
"What he means to say, is yes." Kagome interrupted, wanting Myouga to continue with his line of questioning. She placed a hand on her hanyou's chest in an effort to calm him down, as he paced with her in his arms. Although the nervous pacing didn't stop, it did slow down.
"The mark is now silver? I imagine that is because it was done that way. Unlike regular marks, this one is special. Unconscious marks are very rare, done only in the extreme of circumstances. Thought to be myth by some, it has been over seven hundred years since I have heard of the last one being done. A pair of panda demon children was the last known unconscious marking that I know of."
"Children?" Kagome gasped as Inuyasha finally stopped his pacing, seemingly finding this information interesting.
"Yes, ten and six if I remember correctly. They were the only survivors when their entire kind was massacred, how they found each other I will never know. The panda youkai are very solitary creatures, preferring to stay alone. Once they found each other, they were inseparable. About a week after they began traveling together the boy unconsciously marked the girl, not understanding what was going on. It is thought to have been done to assist them in their survival until maturity; they were unable to remain separated and protected each other. The two of them are the reason for the repopulation of the Panda Youkai today; although still small it is flourishing."
"Alright, what does this have to do with Kagome and me?"
"Well, I am positive it has never happened to either a hanyou or a human before. I didn't know it could happen to them, let alone together. I just had to see it for myself."
"We aren't some freak show attraction, Myouga. Answer the damned question! What the hell does this have to do with Kagome and me? Why would it happen to us?"
"You traveled 500 years to be with her, you are her protector. She is the last living Miko, who protects the Shikon jewel. What the two of you have been through to get to where you are today astounds all who know the story. I believe that this is fates way of giving you a hand to protect her; as long as you fear for her safety, she cannot come to harm. The unconscious mark typically enables it's creator to locate and feel its companions fear and concerns, leading him to her to protect her."
"What about that light and the reaction from it?" Kagome asked, wondering if the hanyou was ever going to put her down. She experimentally wiggled in his grasp, he only held her tighter.
"Well, I can only guess that is something for the two of you, uniquely. I have never heard about anything like that happening, just a line of communication to help. Neither have I ever heard of a mark being silver such as yours. I assume it has something to do with Lady Kagome's Miko blood. When mixed with the possessive blood of Master Inuyasha the mark may help by creating a miko barrier around her that rises when he feels she's in danger or needs protection." Myouga gave the hanyou a pointed look before adding. "Or feels like no one else should touch her."
"Damn right, no one else is touching her! Is that it old man?"
"Well, as far as I know. It is only my opinion."
"Very well," Inuyasha interrupted as he leapt into the tree Kagome and he had been in earlier. Settling his back against the trunk, he finally released the miko from his grasp.
"Can't you just put me down on the ground?" She pleaded with him. "It isn't that far away and you can stay there with me." She gave her best pleading eyes she had, hoping they would work like they always did.
He ignored her completely, only moved the collar of her shirt aside so he could get a closer look at the quickly healing mark. She groaned when he gave a satisfied grin, rubbing his thumb over the mark. "I think I'm gonna like this. It should have happened a long time ago."
"Oh Kami! This is gonna-" her comment was interrupted, as her mouth was possessed by a giddy hanyou.
Sueric Great chapter! InuYasha is behaving (or misbehaving) very in character, and I love the reincarnations, too! Fantastic work! And What is Myouga up to? Could he be there as a diversion? Or does he have information for our friendly neighborhood hanyou? Keep it up! Can't wait for more!
Our friendly neighborhood hanyou??? Yes, I think he gave him some good information. It seemed to make him very happy. Besides…with Myouga there, you know there isn't any trouble.
Iggy04 I must say, I'm not only impressed with continuous somewhat lengthy chapter of plot stuff, but the fact that you were able to update so soon, and the plot was kept smooth! I don't know too many people who can do that. You think InuYasha would be more worried about her safety than what she did. After all, she had a reason. I thought Shinju's willingness to protect her friend was a little too strong too fast, seeing as Shinju is just Sango's reincarnation, and not actually Sango herself (therefore their friendship wouldn't be as strong) but it was nice that Shinju -was- willing to. Keep updating. Approximately how often do you update?
He was worried about her safety, and continued to be so after that. He just concentrated on being angry until he knew she was better. As for Shinju, yes, she did protect Kagome. But it wasn't KAGOME she was protecting. It was the jewel.
Un4given Miko wow nice MYOUGAS STILL ALIVE!?! U HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME I DIDNT THINK HE COULD LIVE THAT LONG sighs wowwie well update soon great story keep up the good work
I wondered if he was still alive too…and since he just APPEARED in my fic…I figured he must be.
GoddessMoonLady Damn... sigh Inu-mutt found them thank goodness. Great chappie! Now, What the Hell happened!? The jewel defended it's self or something? Interesting... snicker Shippo got his hair pulled by a jelous Wolf-demon. lol! Next chappie!
Well, I hope you got your answers. No, it had nothing to do with the jewel. Poor Shippo has his hands full with a very possessive wolf youkai (must run in the family, huh?)