Chapter 13: The Village

After Inuyasha went off and brought the horses, the camp picked up and started to move back the way they'd come. Kagome and Rin become fast friends, gabbing happily and leaving the brothers to sulk around behind. They move at an amazingly quick pace, Kagome notices, crossing a good deal of the distance by the time they stopped for lunch. After lunch, where Inuyasha had pulled Kagome to the side to ask her exactly what the hell she was thinking, to which she'd responded that she was doing what she thought best then promptly left, they set off as the same quick pace.

Before the sun is very low in the sky, Kagome sees the village that had been attacked on the horizon, but when she does, she stops her horse, her face losing all of its color as she watches the black smoke that still stains the blue sky above. Rin notices her riding partner is gone and turns her horse around, looking concernedly at her, "Kagome? Are you alright?"

Kagome gulps, still white as a sheet, eyes wide as dinner plates, "Th...That's my village!" she cries, kicking her horse to a gallop.

Rin gallops after her, Sesshomaru turning to the troops on his own white horse (A.N. Honestly, could you see him riding any other color of horse?) "Take off your armor, we don't need them thinking we mean harm. Also, if asked where you are from, say you were sent to help, nothing more. Finally, this Sesshomaru needs not remind you all of the penalty for taking what is not yours. Remember it well. Dismissed."

While he was saying this, Inuyasha dismounts and hurries down, keeping out of sight of the villagers while looking for Kagome. He finds her, off her horse, struggling to get through a crowd and away from some guy at the same time. Inuyasha looks around, everyone was focused on getting the last of the fires put out, so he chances dropping down, grabbing Kagome around the waist, snarling in the boy's face before leaping onto one of the few still intact roofs. "You okay Kagome?"

She takes a deep breath, "Yeah, thanks Inuyasha. I didn't think I'd ever get through all that! Could you please take me to my house? I have to make sure Grandpa and Souta are all right!"

Inuyasha looks at her for a moment before nodding and turning around, "Get on my back."

Kagome blinks, "What?"

Inuyasha growls a bit, "Get on my back. It'll let me travel quicker than if I have to drag you by the arm. Now where's your house?"

Kagome hesitates before getting on his back and pointing in a general direction, "Over there about five streets. It's the only house that faces the forest."

Inuyasha nods, "Gotcha." then takes off. He hears Kagome gasp slightly at the speed and smirks. They land on the building Kagome described less then a minute after they set off and Inuyasha lets her off in an adjoining alley. She quickly runs in and, before she even checks the house, she opens a window so he can come in, giving him a quick smile before going to check the house.

Inuyasha hesitantly climbs in, nervously looking around. He was in what appeared to be a small storage room that had various herbs in it that made his nose itch. He cautiously peers out of the room, sees no one and exits, quickly closing the door behind him to dull the smell.

No sooner than he lets out a relieved breath his ears pick up footfalls, 'Hmm...those sound to light to be Kagome's. I wonder who that could...' He doesn't get to finish his thought as something small streaks around the corner and crashes right into him, knocking them both off balance. After he lands on his butt Inuyasha opens his eyes, only to see a young boy, probably no older then ten, lying on top of him, eyes still shut tight.

Immediately Inuyasha winces and gets ready to flatten his ears at the inevitable scream that was to come when the kid opened his eyes. Slowly, the kid does, taking in the sight that lay before him, or more correctly, under him. The first thing he did was jump off, as anyone would've, no matter who it was they ran into. Inuyasha slowly gets up, brushing off his red coat (which he'd gotten back from Kagome) and pants. He looks at the boy, expecting to see the familiar pallor of fright upon his face, but instead is met by the boy's curious gaze. "Who are you?" came his question.

Inuyasha blinks. No scream, no 'what IS it!?', no call for help, just a simple, curious, slightly friendly 'who are you?'. He'd never been asked that. He just stares for a moment before replying, "Name's Inuyasha. I came with Kagome." He quiets for a moment before asking, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

The boy's eyes brighten, "Kagome's back? Alright!" then he tilts his head, "Afraid of you? Why? Have you done something to me that I don't remember?"

Inuyasha dumbly shakes his head, to which Souta smiles, "Well, I'm gonna go find Kagome now. Do you know where she is?"

Inuyasha shrugs, "She should be somewhere in the house."

Souta continues to smile, "Thanks. My name is Souta by the way. Thanks for bringing Kagome home."

A.N. Aw! How sweet! Lol, I love Inuyasha and Souta's relationship in the anime, and I just had to fit it in here ! More village action in the next chappie. And, yes RebelWriter, the long awaited...Kouga bashing! Lots and Lots of Kouga bashing next chappie, as he comes to her house to find out what's exactly going on! Now, on to Reviewer Replies!

StaryKagome- Lol, that was the plan. There's a reason Inuyasha calls her a little minx you know lol. I would've been very happy to hear his voice as well, I think I may have fainted in relief lol.

RebelWriter-Lol, no, she's pretty much always like that. There was this one line that one of my friends at school told me and I think it suits her well. 'Once no one could get her to talk. Now it's getting her to shut up that's the problem!' lol. I know I've heard that line somewhere else as well, but oh well -. And, as I said, Kouga bashing's in the next chappie like you've been waiting for . What fun.

RoseMaiden- Yeah, I liked what I did with her too. I didn't want a fight scene to happen quite yet (personally I don't think I'm that good at them) so I figured out another way to get them to stop that was at least slightly plausible .

Copperline Kitty- Lucky. I get tons of homework, whether we goof around or not. I don't have any teachers that can rap, but my Spanish teacher's in love with Nelly lol.

Well, until next time, R&R please!