Chapter Six: Hard Boiled
Inuyasha picked up Kagome and dashed off into the forest after Jaken and Aiko, leaving the others to follow as they untangled and got their own bearings.
Kagura had heard the fox demon's comment and attempted to get up from off the ground. She suddenly became aware of a heavy weight on her middle. "What in the-"
Kouga was slumped over her, his head pounding from the head butt he'd received from Inuyasha. "D-damn dog turd!" he growled out.
"Get up, you mangy little Cretan!" Kagura snarled, ready to rip him apart with her wind fan.
Kouga's head shot up and he fixed her with a hard gaze.
"Just who the hell you callin a CRETAN, you ugly air head?"
Kagura felt her face flush with anger. "Ugly! AIR HEAD?" She fumed, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Oh, your going to PAY for that little comment, you filthy mongrel."
"I'd like to see you try it, yeah little hand puppet!"
"Excuse me!"
"I'm surprised you don't have strings attached." he waved the air above her as if searching for invisible wires.
"Why you-"
"Geeze, Naroku. I didn't realize your voice could get so high!" Kouga taunted further. He got to his feet and was just about to take a running step when her hand shot out and snagged his ankle. He went down with a yelp and turned just in time to see Kagura launching herself at him, clawlike nails coming towards his face.
"YOU FLEA INFESTED JERK!" Kagura landed on top of the startled wolf leader and started scratching at him.
Kouga caught her wrists and attempted to restrain the infuriated woman. "Back off, pesky little wind tunnel! You aren't my type of woman!"
"I wouldn't be interested! Your breath reeks of Doggy chow!"
"I'M NOT A DOG!"
"I KNOW! YOU'RE AN ASS!"
"Do you think we should interfere?" Miroku watched the whole thing with a mixture of awe and amusement as he helped Sango up with one hand and rubbed his stinging cheek with the other, A perfect red mark that looked like Sango's hand coloring his face.
"No. It will keep them occupied so we can get Aiko- I mean, that silly egg back." Sango patted Kirara on the head. The poor little fire cat had shrunk once again and looked dazed and confused. "Kirara can't transform right now. I think we will be walking the rest of the way."
Shippo was watching the cat- fight as it progressed, wincing as the two rolled about in the leaves and dirt, hair being pulled, scratching and biting from both parties, and more insults and name calling flying between the two than he had ever heard in all his life.
"MUTT!"
"WENCH!"
"HAIR BALL!"
"FEATHER HEAD!"
"MUTTON!"
"Mutton?" Kouga stopped short. "Do you even know what mutton IS?"
"I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Kagura Snarled out, then went back to wailing on the wolf demon, who continued to block her flailing limbs.
"Ohh." Shippo lowered his head in shame. "It's so sad to see a grown man getting bitch slapped like that."
"Shippo!" Sango gave the little fox child a horrified look. "Since when did you start using that kind of language!"
He folded his arms across his chest and gave her a rather defiant look. "Can I help it if I pick up on some of Inuyasha's more questionable phrases?"
Sango gave Miroku a sound slap in the back of his head. The poor monk blinked in great confusion and rubbed his sore noggin.
"What are you hitting me for? I didn't teach him!"
"You should be a better influence." She reasoned. "And besides that, he's just a kid."
"Woman, I swear sometimes your logic makes no sense..." He complained.
"...is that your hand on my butt again!"
Shippo nodded to confirm her suspicions while Miroku yanked his hand away and side stepped out of her range.
"I figured if I'm gonna get hit, I might as well get hit for a better reason than just Shippo's foul
language." the disgruntled monk mumbled.
"Maybe we should just get going before those two figure out what a waist of time this is." Shippo
encouraged when he saw Sango about to make a quick retort to the monks comment.
"Fine." Sango stomped off.
"FINE!" Miroku followed, miffed and rubbing his sore head.
"SHEDDING MONGREL!" Kagura shrieked, still going for blood..
"GLORIFIED FEATHER DUSTER!" Kouga shouted back, rolling them both along until they hit a steep incline and both started barreling down the hill, screaming in terror as they disappeared from view..
"Sheesh. Adults!" Shippo shook his head and scampered off after Miroku and Sango.
Meanwhile, Jaken raced through the forest, hugging the egg to his chest as he limp-hopped his way along.
"I have it, Sesshoumaru-sama! I have the key to getting the Tetsusaiga." Tears of joy and also from the pain in his foot, streamed down his little green face. With all the droplets impairing his vision, he neglected to see the gnarly root of a tree that blocked his path ahead and ended up tripping over the thing.
"GEAH!" The egg slipped from his green claws and rolled down the path into a patch of wild ferns.
"BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!" Jaken was in the middle of scolding himself as he got to his feet then suddenly heard the rustling of the fern.
"CHEEB!" The sudden appearance of a monkey demon startled Jaken, and he face planted into the soft ground once again.
The monkey demon held the egg and stared with great fascination at the struggling creature, flailing wildly on the ground and trying to gain it's feet. The monkey shifted the egg under one arm, then climbed up onto one of the higher branches. There he sat, licking the slightly cracked egg shell and watching the show below.
"NO! Bad Moneky! Give back the egg." Jaken finally found his footing and shook his finger in a
belligerent manner up at the goofy looking thief. The monkey demons only response was to scratch it's little rear end and bear it's teeth in what looked like some demented smile.
"Grrr!" Jaken pushed up his sleeves, ready to climb up after the thing and ring it's little neck, when he suddenly herd a terrifying sound.
"JAKEN!" Inuyasha's angry voice echoed through the woods.
"EEP!" He froze in his place.
"Wer-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!" the monkey's noises sounded like mocking laughter to Jaken and he angrily started tossing rocks at the creature.
"GIVE IT BACK NOW, YOU STUPID THING!"
"He's over there!" Kagome's shout alerted him that they were getting closer to where he was.
"Oh, PLEASE give me the egg back!" He pleaded with the demon.
"Wah-uh." it shook it's head, looking insulted and antagonistic. Then it picked up its treasure and leapt off into the trees, leaping from limb to limb.
"NNAAAHHH!" Jaken freaked out and, forgetting about his foot and the pain, tore off after it. Inuyasha and Kagome broke through the trees in time to see Jakens retreating back.
"That filthy little-"Inuyasha snarled as he shot off again, in hot pursuit.
"If he breaks Aiko, I'm going to fail the class!" Kagome's voice quavered with fear.
Inuyasha gave her a withering look over his shoulder. "It's just an egg to you, isn't it?" He suddenly stopped and set her down. Kagome looked bewildered.
"I-Inuyasha, why are we stopping? We have to catch up!"
He folded his arms and gave her a hard glance. "If this is just some silly project, why did we have to get involved? You can make up any stupid story about that thing, why did you want us playing along if all it is to you is some stupid white lump that came from a chickens ass?"
"Inuyasha!" she protested.
"What! You gonna 'SIT' me?" he ground out, his nose practically touching her own. "It might be some school project to you, Kagome, but this meant something more to me."
She was stunned. "It did?" She felt guilty and giddy all at once. "W-what did it mean to you? I thought you would think it was silly."
Inuyasha shook his head, sorry he had lost his temper and said anything. "It is silly. Just forget about it." He leaned down and waited for her to climb up on his back again. She didn't move.
"Inuyasha, please tell me what it means to you?" She coaxed softly. He was looking very uncomfortable now, and more than a little irritated.
"Now? You want to discuss this NOW?" He scoffed. "The egg could be a gooey mess if we don't hurry."
"Please?" She reached out and softly stroked her hand down his cheek. They both jumped back a bit, startled by her bold touch. Inuyasha was red in the face, his eyebrows knitted close together.
"I-I'm sor-"She started to apologize, but he cut her off.
"I just thought, maybe I could show you... how good I can be. How reliable and responsible I am... that I'm not some unstable creature who can't be soft and nurturing too."
Kagome was stunned by his honesty. "But Inuyasha, I already knew that about you."
It was his turn to look shocked. "You did?"
She smiled. "Of course! I can always count on you being there when I need you. And look how well Shippo is turning out, thanks to your influence in his life." She figured that might seem like a bit of a stretch, but in some small way, it was true.
"And you took wonderful care of me when I was sick. Do you remember? You made me that medicine your mother used to make for you? Then you stayed with me all night and kept me company."
He as looking rather embarrasses over her praise, but she knew part of him was also pleased that she had noticed.
"What about Aiko?" he grumbled. "We lost her because of me. What kind of father lets his kid get taken?"
"Aiko is just an egg, Inuyasha. but I love what she represents." she moved up and gave him a hug then, her arms slipping around his waist as she hugged him tight. "You will be a wonderful father, I know. And I don't' think that just because we've lost the egg, that you would loose a child."
Inuyasha tried holding back, wanted to not give in to the urge to hold her as well. But he lost the war when she mentioned that she thought he would make a wonderful father, and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. They stayed like that for several minutes, both content to just hold the other.
"So... you have no other attachments to the egg?" he whispered softly.
Kagome blushed and decided to come clean. "Actually, I have become rather fond of our little daughter. I'd really feel bad if something happened that destroyed her."
Inuyasha was glad to hear it.
"Then lets go and save our daughter." he teased gently, picking Kagome up and diving off once more after Jaken.