Too Much Bonding
Inu-Yasha, on the other hand, was enjoying the friendship with his new 'pet,' Koinu. Shippo had made some stupid comment insulting Inu-Yasha's intelligence so the chase began. Shippo ran into the forest. Inu-Yasha followed determined to teach him a lesson. Koinu had joined in the chase, as well; this was a game to him: Find Shippo. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Kirara ignored the three and went inside the hut to fix their next meal.
Kohaku entered the hut reluctantly while twirling her shaggy mane in her forefinger and asking questions about the relationship between Inu-Yasha and Shippo.
"They'd probably kill each other if they were left alone long enough." Miroku admitted entering the hut.
Kohaku stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around facing the woods.
After that comment, Kohaku could only think about Shippo. She helped the group fix lunch then wondered what had happened to the other three. She stared out the doorway waiting for Shippo to return.
"You really like him, don't you?" Kagome interjected.
Kohaku emerged from her trance and blushed at Kagome's interjection.
"If you're that worried about him, go find him." Kagome pointed out the possibility.
"I wouldn't know where to start." She said hesitantly.
"Take Kirara" Sango jumped in.
"Kirara, Will you help me?"
No sooner did Kirara nod than Kohaku had Kirara scooped up in her arms and both of them out the door.
"Be back by sundown." Sango yelled out after her.
Inu-Yasha was ripping through the trees in the forest one by one while Koinu scouted ahead by flying through the low branches.
Shippo had simply disappeared. They'd been at this little chase for hours, but in all that time they'd barely made it past the well.
"Shippo… I know you're out here. I can smell you. Why not just give yourself up now and save us all precious time?"
The bushes rustled.
"HA!" Inu-Yasha yelled pouncing on the bushes removing its containment.
Shippo was pulled rather violently from the bushes he had been hiding in. His capture slammed him into a nearby tree before Shippo even knew he'd been found. "Inu-Yasha, please…"
"You're not Inu-Yasha…"
"I should hope not."
"Kohaku… What are you doing out here?"
"Saving your ass. Now let's go."
"Kohaku… It's dangerous out here."
"I know."
"Then what brought you out here?"
"I…" she said twirling her mane "I thought…"
"You thought what?"
"I was worried about you. I was… afraid. OK? Can we go now?"
Shippo could see the tears she was holding back and the genuine concern in her face. She had not been around for too many of their battles. Thankfully she had missed a lifetime of outsmarting Inu-Yasha and continued failure to outsmart the others.
He slowly advanced towards her taking her in his arms.
She accepted his embrace. It comforted her.
Inu-Yasha pulled a fuzzy tail from the bushes. Inu-Yasha had pounced on the bushes wrestling with it consequently ceasing Kirara and removing her.
"Mew?" Kirara meowed at him with confusion.
"Kirara? What the hell are you doing out here?"
Kirara mewed happily.
"So you're protecting Shippo… I should have known. Where is he Kirara?" Kirara simply turned up her nose at him.
"I'm right here, Inu-Yasha." Shippo said.
"ARF!" Koinu barked flying around Shippo and Kohaku.
Inu-Yasha dropped Kirara and walked over to where Koinu was barking happily. "SHIPPO…" Inu-Yasha started to say. He froze when he caught sight of Kohaku in his arms. She was crying; the one of the most unbecoming things a demon could do. Shippo glared at Inu-Yasha.
Inu-Yasha grabbed Koinu to shut him up and picked up Kirara once he stood in front of Shippo and Kohaku. Inu-Yasha couldn't stand a girl crying. "What the hell are you doing out here?" Inu-Yasha questioned her.
Kohaku didn't answer. Instead she buried her head in Shippo's shoulder. Shippo wrapped his arms around her tighter glaring at Inu-Yasha.
"Come on!" Inu-Yasha declared turning back toward the town.
Sango was getting worried usually when she said 'be back by sun down;' Kohaku usually came back when the sky changed colors. It was now dark and Kohaku had yet to return.
"She'll be back soon, Sango." Miroku tried to calm Sango's jumpy personality.
"After all Inu-Yasha, Shippo, Koinu, and Kirara are out there with her." Kagome said cheerfully.
"There they are." Miroku commented.
Sango darted out the door at the sight of Inu-Yasha holding Kirara and Koinu and Shippo holding Kohaku close as they walked. The group looked as if they'd been attacked.
Miroku shot off after Sango with Kagome on his heels holding Tora close to her.
Kirara flew from Inu-Yasha into Sango's arms upon her approach. Sango looked Kirara over quickly before looking to Kohaku and Shippo.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"I'm fine, mom…really." Kohaku nuzzled her head under Shippo's chin at her mother's concern.
Kagome stopped short with large eyes. She smiled innocently at Inu-Yasha with relief that everyone was all right. Miroku placed his arm around Sango then led the group back inside.
"What happened out there, Inu-Yasha?" Miroku asked expecting to boost Inu-Yasha's ego with his latest victory. Everyone was settling down for the night.
"Nothing…"
"Inu-Yasha…" Kagome pleaded with large brown eyes that Inu-Yasha just couldn't seem to refuse.
"…I found Kirara and Koinu found these two."
"What else happened out there Inu-Yasha?"
"Nothing!" He said declaring his innocence.
"Inu-Yasha." Miroku tried again.
"What?" Inu-Yasha asked annoyed.
Kagome decided to stop this insanity before Inu-Yasha left for the night. "Leave him alone, Miroku."
"Kagome?"
"Please Miroku."
Miroku nodded lying in the far corner of the hut. Inu-Yasha sat down cuddling Koinu. Kagome sat on the floor next to Inu-Yasha. She cuddled up next to him thinking how great of a team the three of them would make if given the chance. Shippo sat against another wall with Kohaku curled up against his chest. Tora was in his lying in his lap in within Kohaku's embrace. Sango lay near Miroku with Kirara.
Crash.
Everyone jumped.
Miroku lay on the floor twitching.
"Hump…" Sango stated as she lay down to sleep.
Kagome giggled. "I guess some things never change." She said nuzzling against Inu-Yasha before falling deep into slumber like the others.
Inu-Yasha couldn't help but smile. He was happy. They all had a great life. Shippo had a family. Sango still had Kirara. Miroku… well… at least he stayed with the group. Kagome stayed with him despite their constant bickering and now they had a pet. Inu-Yasha wondered if Sesshoumaru had gotten over his hatred of humans. Kagome smelled nice; she was beautiful and caring. If he had grown up with humans like her, he wouldn't have hated them so much for being half one since Kagome was what he now defined strong to be. She had no special ability yet she risked her life just to be with her odd friends. They developed a good life and no one was going to ever take that from them. He had to get back to their time and ensure they didn't die in that last battle. Of course, if they don't die in battle Kagome will grow old and die in another sixty years anyways or a little bit longer in her time. He couldn't win. Inu-Yasha just wanted to spend his life with her and their misfit crew of stubborn friends.
Inu-Yasha's ears twitched. He thought he heard footsteps. No doubt one of the others, but the footsteps were light almost like the footsteps of a child. Tora was the only child around and since she was about the size of Kirara, she didn't weight enough in her hanyou form for the sound that resonated from the floor.
He opened his amber eyes to see a child demon. She was short about the size of Tora when Kagome forced Tora into her human form. She wore a weird dress; something that Kagome probably would like. He smiled at the thought. She was so weird.
The child was a dog demon; her scent gave that away. She was entirely an almost angel white with excessively long fur on the lower half her legs and arms. She had light blue crystal like eyes with a human body. She is no doubt a child of a powerful demon to have her demon form be human in most respects as his was. She tilted her head to the side allowing her high placed ponytails to tilt and dangle oddly from her head. They're ears? The faded purple ribbon that decorated them was the only thing that broke up her white coloration.
She smiled at Inu-Yasha revealing her tiny pristine fangs. Inu-Yasha wanted to jump up and question the child, but instead he shifted his weight uneasily. In doing so, he accidentally woke Kagome whom was holding Koinu.
Kagome looked at the child then looked back to Inu-Yasha's face. She looks like Inu-Yasha. She thought.
"Inu-Yasha…who is she? Why does she look like you?" Kagome whispered.
Kagome whispered to Inu-Yasha without taking her eyes from the child.
"I don't know who she is, Kagome." Inu-Yasha whispered back in her ear.
Inu-Yasha rolled up to his feet leaving Kagome and Koinu on the floor. Inu-Yasha took a few steps towards the child.
She immediately grabbed one of Inu-Yasha's Tetsusaigas holding the rusty katana up to threaten Inu-Yasha.
Inu-Yasha grinned. She's got guts. He thought as he continued toward her without deterring his eyes from her view.
She closed her eyes in concentration. The sword began to glow.
Inu-Yasha froze. Tetsusaiga powered up for her. "Ha…she's a hanyou." Inu-Yasha told himself.
The girl heard a barely audible sound and turned her head to identify it.
With the distraction, Inu-Yasha seized the sword and tossed it to the floor. So she's also got excellent hearing.
The girl backed into a corner. The racket of the two fighting awoke the others.
"Inu-Yasha…" Shippo asked, "…What's going on?"
"Who is she, Inu-Yasha?" Sango spoke up next.
The girl curled up in a ball to protect herself.
"I've got you now." Inu-Yasha exclaimed before falling to the floor.
"Kagome!" He exclaimed. "What the hell was that for?"
"It wasn't me." Kagome objected.
"What?" Miroku questioned. He stood and walked over to the girl. He placed his hand out.
My hand was repelled. "Inu-Yasha, the girl is within a magical barrier."
"The hell she is?" Inu-Yasha exclaimed clawing at the barrier.
"Miroku, how is that possible? She's a demon." Kohaku asked.
"I don't know." Miroku answered her.
"A better question is why she's here?" Shippo spoke up.
"How about why she looks like Inu-Yasha?" Sango joined in.
Miroku then decided to lighten the mood. "My dear friend, you have done better than even I gave you credit for. Nice work."
Whack.
Miroku fell to the floor.
"She's not mine." Inu-Yasha defended himself.
Kagome sat next to the barrier looking at the young girl. "Hi" She said as she placed her hand out and stepped right through where the barrier should have been. Kagome knelt in front of the girl smiling.
The girl stood up staring at Kagome with disbelief. The girl's ears perked up and her mouth dropped. She suddenly seemed distracted with what was outside. Everyone ran out except Kagome and Koinu.
A small creature flew in front of Kagome's face causing Kagome to fall over backwards. It, a small blue dragon creature with large teal wings designed like Koinu's, landed in the child's arms. She held it close as if she knew it.
"Sesshoumaru…" Inu-Yasha stated slyly. "…Lose something?"
Sesshoumaru glared at Inu-Yasha for his comment.
Kagome heard Inu-Yasha's speak his brother's name and ran outside to see if she could help.
The child followed Kagome outside.
"Naiya…" Sesshoumaru said quietly yet sternly.
"Father…" the girl pleaded.
"Come." He stated.
Naiya lowered her head handing the Tetsusaiga, which Inu-Yasha had knocked from her hand to the floor of the hut and forgot about, back to Inu-Yasha. She bowed to him before returning to Sesshoumaru's side.
"Did that girl call Sesshoumaru…father?" Kagome asked confused.
"…So Sesshoumaru has a…hanyou…child?" Sango finished Kagome's sentence.
"…But that means he had to love a human woman. Does it not?" Miroku's confusion sided with the girls'.
"Sure does." Inu-Yasha said with a smile and evil tone.
"How long have you known, Inu-Yasha?" Kohaku asked.
"I suspected as much when I first saw her. When Sesshoumaru showed up, I knew for sure."
"I don't know about you guys but there's too much bonding going on here." Shippo commented. "Besides, I knew it wasn't Inu-Yasha's the whole time."
"How?" Kagome interjected.
"Shut up, Shippo."
"Shippo, how did you know?" Kagome asked again.
"Because Inu-Yasha is too stupid to raise a child especially one that's as special as that one."
"SHIPPO!" Kohaku warned him, but it was too late. Inu-Yasha was atop Shippo letting his fists fall into Shippo.
"Shippo… before… you…open… your…mouth… again…I'd… remember… if I…were you…that…Kagome and I…raised you... and…if you… don't…"
"Inu-Yasha…" Kagome commented.
Inu-Yasha froze at the sound of his name. He knew what was coming next.
"Oswari." Kagome stated coldly ending Inu-Yasha's rampage.