Inu 1/2
Where are we now?
At the end of Part 1 of Inu 1/2, Inu Yasha discovered that he could change back into a male by using hot water. He informed his brother of this revelation after a bit of thought. The two reconciled their differences and became tentative allies. Kagome, on the other hand, is completely in the dark right now and lamenting the loss of her puppy. She thinks he has run away. Miroku is having problems of his own trying to deal with his feelings for girl-type Inu-Yasha and Shippou has pretty much taken the group as his surrogate family.
Inu 1/2
Book 2
Chapter 1
Revelations! New friends! What the heck happened to you?!?
It had been a week. A week of waiting, a week of wondering, a week of checking every shadow, every strange noise, but still Maru-chan hadn't returned. Inu-Yasha had, much to Kagome's chagrin. He'd come back a few days after Maru-chan had run away, grudgingly asking her to come to the feudal era and help him out. It had taken alot to ask her. Kagome understood that, she respected that, she disregarded that completely and all but pushed Inu-Yasha out of her bedroom window. She was still mad. She still blaimed him for Maru-chan's disappearance. She couldn't prove it, couldn't even rationalize it, but she somehow knew it was Inu-Yasha's fault and nothing could persuade her otherwise.
That was days ago. Now, lonelieness was setting in. She sat at her window and looked out. par
"If he comes back..." she thought to herself, "I'll listen to him this time, maybe. He won't get me to go back there, but... maybe I'll listen this time..." She had softened a little. She wanted to feel that telltale tug of demon energy surging up and know that it was Inu-Yasha coming back to get her.
"Maybe... maybe Maru-chan went back there..." she thought to herself. She had found the dog in the feudal era in the first place. It was his true home. Maybe she'd underestimated the pull it might have on him. She mulled this over. That could be it. That could be why he wasn't returning. Maybe he couldn't. Maybe he was stuck at the bottom of the well!!!
Kagome stood up immiediately, almost frantic with the new realization. She grabbed her enormous backpack, just in case Inu-Yasha decided to drag her off with him. If he did, she decided she wouldn't mind. Maybe she could convince him to look for Maru-chan. She blushed at that, seriously doubting it. Oh well. Maybe they would come across him by accident. She hated to leave for the feudal era without telling her family, but they knew where she'd be. Besides that, finals week was fast approaching. Best to get this out of the way now. She'd have to be back for finals. There was no way she'd let Inu-Yasha screw up her grades so bad she'd have to repeat the year and that's exactly what would happen if she missed her finals.
She hiked her bag higher up on her back and grabbed the straps. She wasn't wearing her usual school uniform. It was Saturday and a short day. She'd changed clothes after she'd left school. She wondered absently what Inu-Yasha would think. She very rarely wore anything but a skirt and today was no exception, but she did wonder how he'd like it. par
"He probably won't even notice..." she thought with a grimace. Her mouth set into a frown, she let out a sigh and trudged her way to the well house, almost heading back once or twice when the thought of Maru-chan reminded her why she was going. Taking a deep breath she leapt into the well, coming down hard on the other side. She looked around.
No dog.
No doggy bones, either. She let out a sigh of relief, shutting her eyes. She opened them again and slid off her backpack. She swung it a few times, experimentally and then tossed it up to the edge of the well where it precariously teetered and finally fell to the ground outside the well with a fwump. She grabbed the vines that trailed down the well and began to pull herself up to the lip.
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"What are you talking about? Of course we'll find some more of them," Miroku said to the kitsune pup with a sneer. Shippou made a face at him and leapt deftly off his shoulder to walk on the ground.
Shippou shook his head. "The old flea said that he wasn't hearing anything lately and you haven't turned up anything different. You think we'll just happen on them by accident?" Shippou asked.
Myouga-jiji had returned in the last few days, but he had nothing new to report. He'd left again just as quickly (eager to avoid being with Inu-Yasha in girl form...).There was precious little news of the shikon shards lately. Whatever demon had them right now was playing it safe and hiding out. Many days ago, Inu-Yasha had said he knew of a way to find them and gone to the well. He'd come back with a murderous gleam in his eye and his clothing all dishevelled. If Miroku didn't know better, he'd have thought the demon had gotten into a fight but when Miroku asked all he got was a string of expletives and mutterings of, "I wish that puppy would have eaten her face off!"
Miroku shook his head in reply to Shippou. "I'm not sure, but I think we can safely assume that we need to move. There aren't any shikon shards in this area. Inu-Yasha won't listen, though. I think he wants to stay near the well."
Shippou scampered along beside Miroku. "But why? What's it for, anyway?" he asked with his face screwed up in thought. par
Miroku shrugged. They walked along. The well was in sight now and Miroku sat down on the grass. "I don't know. He seems preoccupied with it though." He stared at the well, stretched and let out a wide yawn, flopping backwards on the grass. Shippou hopped up on his chest.
"Hm... So what are we doing here?"
Miroku shut his eyes. "Seeing why this stupid well is so important to her," he said with a little jealousy in his voice. He'd done it again. Accidentally referred to Inu-Yasha as a girl. He sighed, his cheeks showing his embarassment. He ignored his mistake and plunged ahead. "He won't tell us, so we'll just sit here until we figure out what's so damn special about this well."
Shippou ignored Miroku's slip because he knew the monk would want him to. He wouldn't ever admit it, but he was hurting. As much as Shippou and he fought they really didn't want to hurt one another and Shippou knew that drawing attention to Miroku's unrequieted love for Inu-Yasha would only make the monk feel worse.
He sighed and cast a glance backward at the well. He was surprised that Miroku hadn't left the little group they had going. It was just too akward to stay. Indeed, the monk went off on his own alot... hours or even in one case, days at a time, but he always returned, unwilling to break off his alliance with the two demons. Shippou turned toward the well, and lay down, chin propped up with his tiny hands.
Soon, the both of them were asleep in the warm sunlight. An hour passed in that manner when something lit on Shippou's nose. He twitched, sneezing and woke himself to see a bufferfly flitting off into the air. He rubbed his eyes, yawning and sat up looking groggily out into the field in front of them.
Suddenly he sat up ram-rod straight, his eyes widening. He could feel it. The presense of shikon shards. Near here? How?!? They'd searched this area a hundred times in the last week since Inu-Yasha didn't seem to want to leave it. He hopped off of Miroku and onto the ground next to him.
"Miroku..." he hissed lowly, shaking the monk's arm as he kept an eye on the well.
A giant bag suddenly appeared on the edge of the well and Shippou paused in surprise. He began again. "Mirokuuuu!!!" he whined urgently.
The monk blinked and lifted his head from the ground.
"Hm?..." he asked, half-asleep. "Whas-as..." he muttered.
"The well--" Shippou said, pointing, his eyes wide with fear. Miroku's gaze hardened and he stood up. Shippou clutched his robe tightly for the slight comfort it brought him. Miroku began to stride forward.
"Shikon shards..." he muttered as they got nearer. A pale hand reached the top of the well and Miroku stopped, placing his staff in front of him.
"Hwaugh! My muscles are way outta shape for this..." said a girl as she drug herself up over the lip of the well. "Serves me right for not visiting here for a whole month. Whooo!" The girl sat on the lip of the well and swung her arm arm around in circles. par
"Um... Hello..." Miroku cautioned, a brow arched in half-confusion.
The girl immiediately went rigid and began to turn her head, one arm still straight up in the air from its arc. She blinked. par
"Um... hello..." she replied back, eyes wide with surprise. Internally she cursed herself. No one had ever been by the well before except Inu-Yasha and here she had just assumed it would be the same as usual. She edged along the lip of the well getting closer to her backpack and shielding it with her legs. Her brow furrowed.
"You have Shikon shards," she said as she backed closer to her bag. Crap. She looked at the little demon clutching the monk's robe. He didn't look like a threat, but you never knew. There were two of them. If they wanted to, they could probably take her. She swallowed and stood up slowly.
"As do you, my lady..." he replied.
Miroku regarded her carefully. She was pretty and she wore very strange clothes. He could sense Shikon shards on her or at least around her. He frowned at her as he examined her and then with a sudden look of determination he strode forward, Shippou trailing behind him clutching his robe and struggling to keep up,
The girl's eyes flashed in alarm and she raised her hands in fists to protect herself when suddenly the monk grasped one of her hands.
"Will you bear my children?"
Obviously, being in love was not going to stand in the way of his lecherous mission, especially since being in love with a guy masquerading as a girl wasn't apt to get him any heirs.
"Haaah..?!?" Kagome let out in disbelief.
Shippou blinked. "What?!?" he asked in a squeaky voice.
"Excuse me?!?" Kagome demanded, recovering.
"Would you bear my--"
"Oh, I heard you, all right, I just don't BELIEVE it," Kagome said as she tore her hand out of his grip and held it far away from him.
Miroku smiled charmingly.
"My lady; surely your own charms are not unknown to you. With your beauty such requests must often reach your delicate ears," he said with an almost sweet air about him.
Kagome furrowed her brow at him.
...moosh...
She looked down and caught the barest glimpse of a hand on her shirt exactly over her left breast. She didn't have time to get angry. Someone else did for her.
"MIROKUUUUUU!!!" came the roar from above as Inu-Yasha yelled at the end of a long leap.
Miroku blinked as if he were doing nothing wrong and leapt backwards, Shippou being bowled over and letting go of his robe in the process. Inu-Yasha landed directly in front of Kagome, his clawed hand burying itself deep into the ground directly where Miroku's head would have been. It had taken him a minute to get all the way back to the well when he had felt Kagome's presense. He'd been halfway to the village (and dinner, he hoped) when he felt it. It had surprised him. She had come on her own! He was elated. And then he'd seen Miroku. Admittedly, he knew the lech was harmless but Kagome was not going to be his plaything. As he pulled his hand out of the ground he was almost thankful that Miroku had incited him to anger. He would have liked nothing better than to hug Kagome and praise her return. His anger at Miroku reminded him that he should still be mad at her for refusing to help him the last time he went to see her and so when he finally stood up he faced her with an unhappy look on his face.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her snappishly.
Kagome went a little rigid. "What kind of welcome is that?!? You said you wanted my help, so here I am." She furrowed her brow at him indignently.
"Feh!" Inu-Yasha scoffed. "Days late. What if it'd been a life or death situation, huh? You were too busy worrying about your stupid puppy."
"St--- listen here, you!!!" Kagome yelled back at him.
"I'm not listenin' to crap!"
Miroku and Shippou glanced at one another sensing that this arguement could go on for hours.
"Inu-Yasha," Miroku called out.
The demon turned his head, barely giving Miroku a glance. "WHAT?!?" he barked acidly.
"You will introduce us to your lovely companion?" he asked with a nod. His eyes took on a more angry look as he realized who Kagome actually was-- his rival.
Inu-Yasha glared at him, narrowing his eyes. "You acted like you knew her pretty well a minute ago, Houshi..." the half-demon growled at him, baring a clawed hand.
At that Miroku smiled a bit maliciously. "Jealous?" It hurt that she... er... he... was back to calling him Houshi. He hoped it wouldn't last. Damn he hated this.
Kagome flushed, Shippou blinked, and Inu-Yasha, unsure whether Miroku was referring to being jealous of someone touching Kagome or jealous of Miroku touching someone else, simply got a look of absolute terror on his face. He paled, thought to utter a response and began spouting expletives.
Miroku grinned evilly at him.
"Kagome, Miroku. Miroku, Kagome. Happy?" Inu-Yasha spat out gesturing between the two of them.
"Delighted," Miroku said with a smile that he wasn't really feeling. He bowed deeply to Kagome. "Kagome-san," he repeated.par
Inu-Yasha growled a little bit, narrowing his eyes at the preist.
Shippou shook his head. "What about me?..." he asked, pointing to himself and not wanting to be left out. "I'm Shippou."
Kagome was to the point of being bewildered by all this. So much had obviously happened while she'd been gone and it confused her. Why was Inu-Yasha travelling with others? He usually pretended to hate other people and here he was with 2 new companions one of which he seemed to loathe.
"Um... Pleased to meet you Shippou," she said finally, bending down to greet him.
The little demon stood up straighter at being noticed and crossed his arms in satisfaction. Kagome couldn't help but smile and she looked back to Inu-Yasha her now placid face disolving his anger a little.
"You've gotten more Shikon shards," she said with a nod. She felt them on his. He had at least 5 new ones. Maybe 6 or 7.
"Feh! Of course. Did you think I was just sitting in the village waiting for you to come back?" he said crossing his arms.
Miroku's face flushed. Now that it was said that is exactly what Inu-Yasha had been doing for the past week. If he hadn't of seen the girl come out of the well he might have convinced himself otherwise, but Kagome was the reason Inu-Yasha wanted to stay in this area.
"And I suppose these two helped you?" she said ignoring his posturing. Miroku bowed to her again glad for a chance to hide his flushed face from her and Shippou hopped up onto Inu-Yasha's shoulder.
"You're smart for a vixen," the kitsune chimed in, helpfully. Inu-Yasha gave him a glare that he didn't notice. "Old Lady Kaede says the Shikon jewel might be the key to breaking Inu-Yasha's curse."
Inu-Yasha went white. He reached up to grab the little kitsune pup and strangle him, but Kagome asked, with a shake of her head "Curse? What curse? What are you talking about?"
Miroku stayed quiet and Shippou noticed that Inu-Yasha seemed to be angry with him and cut short any reply he had been formulating.
Inu-Yasha growled to himself and Shippou slid carefully off of him, running to hide behind Miroku lest he face some retribution for letting out Inu-Yasha's secret.
"If you laugh at me I'm gonna kill you," he growled at Kagome. He was serious.
Kagome nodded. "What's happened?"
He turned away from her, embarassed. Miroku and Shippou backed up a little, Miroku averting his gaze and Shippou looking very scared that Inu-Yasha would stay mad at him.
He was silent for a minute. Kagome looked at him expectantly, letting him take his time. The silence wore on. Inu-Yasha would start to speak, his face would turn red and he would clamp his mouth shut before anything would come out. It went on like that for all of ten minutes when Kagome finally let out a sigh.
"You don't have to tell me," she said almost rolling her eyes. It was obviously hard for him to admit, whatever this curse was. par
Inu-Yasha stiffened at that. "Keh... No, I have to tell you. See, some magic water got dumped on me," he started, his face turning the color of a tomato.
"Magic water?..." she asked sceptically.
"Shut up," he barked. "It's hard enough without getting any smart-ass remarks from you. Just listen, alright?"
Kagome set her jaw. His response pissed her off, but he was right. She'd be quiet for a minute. She nodded curtly.
He began to fidget, avoiding looking at her and growling at the ground at absent intervals. There was silence again for the space of a minute and the entire time Kagome waited impatiently.
Finally, Inu-Yasha let out a great and discontented sigh. He refused to look at her. "The magic water cursed me and now...." He glared at nothing in particular. "Now I turn into a girl when I get hit with cold water."
Kagome blinked.
She was silent.
She blinked again.
"What?..." she asked to make sure she'd heard right.
Inu-Yasha grumbled. "I ain't repeatin' it. Listen next time I tell ya somethin'," he ranted, refusing to look at her. "I ... change back with hot water, but STILL.. You got no idea what I've been through."
Kagome blinked.
"So that's why you never came to get me?..." she asked.
Inu-Yasha sneered. "I didn't figure out how to change back until that day I came to see you. I didn't want you to see me as a girl. Happy?"
Kagome looked at her bag, avoiding Inu-Yasha's gaze. Easy to do since he was doing the same thing.
"And you think the Shikon no Tama can cure it?" she asked finally.
Inu-Yasha glanced at her. His voice softened a little. "Kaede says that if it can make a half-youkai into a full youkai then why couldn't it lift a little curse like this? I got no other options anyway."
Kagome was silent for a minute. Finally, she nodded. She slung her bag onto her shoulders and looked at Inu-Yasha. "What're you waiting around for, then? Let's go find the shards."
Inu-Yasha felt a tiny smile tugging at his lips and he scoffed to hide it. "Like we haven't been looking for them already," he replied. The smile showed up on his face anyway and Kagome smiled back. Shippou smiled, too, knowing that Inu-Yasha wouldn't be mad at him anymore and he gladly clambored back up onto the half-demon's shoulder.
"You think Lady Kaede has some dinner we can have?" Shippou asked softly.
Kagome smiled at him. "If she doesn't, I've got food in my bag. We can have some of that."
Shippou grinned. "Good cause I"m starving."
They started off toward the village, Inu-Yasha and Shippou looking hopeful both of them for different reasons. Kagome was just glad to see him again. Knowing that he was too embarassed to come get her made her feel better for the time she spent alone.
They walked toward the village.
None of them noticed that Miroku didn't follow.
Next chapter:
Miroku's not taking Kagome's arrival too well. Will Kagome discover his sordid little secret?
Letter from the Author: Yes, I know that you've all been waiting SO LONG! I have no excuses except for the one about me forgetting what I wanted to happen. I keep looking over my notes and going, why oh why didn't I write more?!? For instance, the notes for this chapter and the next one were: "...I.Y. asks Kagome to come back. Kagome stays in her world. Goes to I.Y. eventually. Finds out he 's 1/2 (here I forget-- is it eventually finds out he's a 1/2 or eventually comes back? Do you see what a different chapter it would have been it it was the former rather than the latter? In the essense of getting to the chapter I really REALLY wanted to write, I chose the latter.). meets Miroku, Shippou. Goes home for test."
Some of my notes are even more vague. I don't know what the hell I was thinking but imagine a one word explanation for a chapter and you see my dilema. Fortuneately, the scenes that I really want to play out are written with a little more explanation and also fortuneatly they are easy for me to remember.
I remember now why I started this letter in the first place. An explanation of the chapter titles... See the first book had chapter titles in a sort of Sailor Moon vein, or at least what I remembered at the time as being a Sailor Moon sort of title. --; Now I'm not so sure. Anyway, I was watching Blue Seed for the 10th time when I decided to write this and the titles are so horrible I can't help but imitate them.
"Let it bloom Japan! A blizzard of one sided love!"; "What?!? Oh, Man! Sakura's not good enough?!?"; "Surprise! She's the mother of science!" and other retartded titles... sigh... These may be lost on everyone but me... Ah well...