"The End to the Feudal Fairy Tale"
Chapter 11
Author's Notes: Thanks for sticking with my story for so long already. I will be doing something special as a reward for all of you, please read my A/N at the end for details. Now I know you're dying to read what happens next, so here we go!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. How about Shippo? He's so adorable and great for playing practical jokes. No? Rats. All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. This story is mine though, so please respect it.
"Just wait, wench. I said I'll go, but on one condition." Inuyasha waved a finger in front of her face.
"What's that?"
"Ramen."
"You want me to make you ramen when we get to my house?" Kagome grinned. That was simple.
"No, I want you to make me all the ramen I can eat while we're at your house."
"Oh. Okay." Kagome gulped. She had a sinking feeling that she'd be boiling a lot of water this weekend.
Inuyasha smirked. He was getting hungry just thinking about it.
vvvvvvvvvv
They walked in silence. Ever since leaving Kaede's hut, Inuyasha hadn't said a word. It was beginning to weigh on Kagome's mind. The trip to the well seemed much longer by foot and she missed being carried by her half demon friend. She glanced at him. All of his minor wounds and scratches were gone, some of the deeper cuts were still mending. In another day or two, Inuyasha would make a full recovery.
The silence was killing her. "Inuyasha?" she ventured.
"What wench?" he turned to her.
Instantly, she regretted talking. "Well, you were being so quiet, it was bugging me." Great, now she was starting to sound like him.
"Keh." he huffed. "I was thinking."
He must have really been thinking about something important for him to react like that. Kagome relaxed, but her curiosity piqued. She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward, looking up into Inuyasha's eyes. "So what were you thinking about?"
He was suddenly baffled; she was way too close and he in no way wanted to tell her what he'd been thinking about. "Nothing." He cursed inwardly, why didn't he just make something up to quiet her?
"Oh come on, you can tell me!" she pried.
"No, I can't." His bangs fell, covering his eyes. Kagome knew she'd lost her chance to find out. It was something that he didn't want her to hear. Maybe he was thinking about how terrible the festival was going to be for him? It was worth a try.
"If you're worried about the festival, relax. It's going to be a lot of fun! There's games and food and-" Kagome started rattling off festival activities and food items.
Inuyasha lifted his head. This was the perfect way out; he could say that's what he was thinking about. "But what about your friends? They always assault me with questions and confuse me." Smooth.
Kagome paused, she'd hit the nail on the head. The festival had to be what he was worried about. "Don't worry about my friends. The last time they saw you, you amazed them!" she smiled.
"Well, what about these?" he gestured towards his ears. "Every time I go to your time, you make me cover them with some stupid hat." Inuyasha folded his arms defiantly. "I ain't wearing one this time."
"But, Inuyasha-"
"Shut up, we're here." He confidently smirked.
Sure enough, they had arrived at the well. Kagome sighed in defeat; she'd figure something out later. "Come on, we've only got a few hours to get ready for the festival." She climbed onto the edge of the well. Inuyasha suddenly grabbed her around the waist. She gasped. "What are you doing?"
"Making sure you don't run off." He grinned evilly.
"Huh?"
"You said we've only got a few hours, right?"
"Yeah, why?" Kagome's mind whirled with possibilities.
"You promised."
"What?" She searched her memory for promises she'd made lately. What if he heard-
Inuyasha growled a little. "I've got one word for you, wench." Mischief shined in his golden eyes.
"W-well, um, I- um-" She stammered.
"Ramen." Kagome nearly fainted. Inuyasha smiled wide, a fang protruding from the left side of his mouth. "And I'm hungry." With that, he leapt into the well, still holding her.
vvvvvvvvvv
"All right, Shippo, you know the plan." Miroku said as he stood. The small fox grinned widely, holding out his hands.
"Yeah, I know. I'll handle my part." He wiggled his fingers. "Now pay up!"
"Shhh-" Miroku held a finger to his lips. "Here, I'll give you more if it goes well."
Shippo continued to smile as Miroku placed two pilfered boxes of pocky into his tiny hands. He felt a tad guilty about taking the treats from Kagome's pack, but she'd left it out in the open and he needed them. "It's for the greater good." He whispered.
Bounding towards the hut, Shippo tucked the pocky safely away. He knew that he had Miroku eating out of the palm of his hand. The poor guy. Imagine, using a cute little demon to do his dirty work. Oh well, the pay was good. Shippo giggled; he'd have fun too. Quietly, he walked into the hut. "Sango?"
The demon slayer looked up from her boomerang. Apparently, she'd been polishing it. "Yes Shippo-chan?"
"Is Kagome okay? I'm really worried about her." He sniffled for good measure as he approached.
"Oh! Don't worry, I'm sure she's just fine. Inuyasha's with her." Sango set her boomerang aside and reached for the frightened fox.
"It's just-" Shippo whined, "Yesterday, I know something was bothering her." This was entirely too easy. Sango would crack at any moment, letting him know anything he wanted. "And- and she left before I could ask her."
"Well, it's a bit complicated." Sango had absently started to ruffle Shippo's hair. She continued slowly. "Kouga said something to her-"
"Did he ask her to go away with him again?" Shippo asked.
"No, you see-" Sango sighed, why was she trying to hide anything from Shippo. Usually he would have heard it first hand anyway. He did take baths with them after all. "Shippo-chan, Kouga told Kagome that if it was Inuyasha, he'd let him have her." Sango breathed. "So Kagome-chan was a bit embarrassed and wanted to know what I thought."
Shippo blinked, that was it? From the way Miroku was talking, he thought it'd be something bigger. Wait. He could make it something bigger.
"Shippo-chan?" Sango glanced down at the child who was deviously smirking. "Are you okay?"
"Huh?" he snapped out of his reverie, "Yeah, I'm just fine now. I'm glad it was only something that small." He leapt from her lap. "We all know that Inuyasha loves her."
Sango nodded. "All of us except for the two who really matter."
Closing his eyes and raising his hands, Shippo shook his head. "Those two are just so thick headed sometimes." He casually strolled towards the door. Spinning around, he smiled. "Thanks Sango."
Nodding again, she picked up her boomerang and continued to polish and smooth out the edges. With Shippo gone, she could put her thoughts back into a trap for Naraku. After several minutes, her stoic gaze faltered. Why was it that every time she tried to clear her mind, some stray thought about Miroku popped up? Now she'd have to go find him and make him do something perverted, just so that she could get mad and knock him both physically and mentally from her being. Groaning quietly, Sango lifted her Hiraikotsu to her shoulder and strode out of the hut in search of her quarry.
Outside, Shippo was talking with Miroku. "So, what was it that was so important?" Miroku hurriedly asked.
"Oh it's big. I could only get a little information out of Sango, but-" Shippo leaned in, "Kouga heard this rumor about Sango and he told Kagome."
"Huh?" Miroku's heart raced. He'd thought the secret had something to do with Inuyasha and Kagome, but now it appeared that it dealt with Sango. He had to know. "What about Sango?"
He was hooked. Shippo fought off laughter. "Apparently, after hearing the rumor, she wanted to check with Sango to see if it was true or not."
"What was it?" Miroku bent towards the ground. He was so engrossed in their conversation that he didn't notice a certain woman approaching with her boomerang in hand.
"What was what, Houshi-sama?" she sweetly asked.
"The-" Miroku visibly gulped. A dark shadow loomed over him. The voice could only be Sango and if she found out they were talking about her, well, he didn't want to imagine the consequences. So, Miroku took the only escape route he knew of. Without looking, he brought his hand to Sango's bottom.
"Pervert!" She yelled swinging her Hiraikotsu around in a wide arc. The weapon connected with a loud thud and Miroku was left as an unconscious pile of holy man on the grass.
Shippo inched towards him as Sango stomped away. "You know, I almost feel bad for ya. Almost." He plopped down in the grass. Now he had even more time to develop an award-winning story for Miroku. Shippo closed his eyes. Visions of all the treats and favors he could weasel out of the monk danced in his head. The warm sunlight blanketed him as he drifted into a dream-filled sleep.
vvvvvvvvvv
"Is it done yet?" Inuyasha slurped, a single noodle hanging out of his mouth.
"No! It takes a whole minute and standing in front of the microwave isn't going to cook it any faster!" Kagome was furious. She'd boiled water for the first few cups of ramen, but Inuyasha's constant whining made her break down and use the microwave. Grimly, she stared at the dozen empty cups stacked in the sink. Her stomach churned. How any one could eat that much and live was beyond her.
The microwave beeped. Inuyasha's ears perked up and he tossed aside the empty cup he'd been finishing. He pulled on the door and it opened. "Inuyasha, watch out it's going to- be- hot-" she stuttered. The half demon was already devouring the noodles. Apparently, he didn't care that the food was too hot. She looked at the clock. It was nearing five. Her friends were going to be here at any moment to help them dress. Boy did Inuyasha need the help. He continued to slurp noisily.
"Inuyasha!"
No response. He didn't even look up from his food.
"Ohhhhh!" she stomped her foot. There was no rational way of dealing with him. Infuriated by his lack of attention, Kagome purposefully strode across the kitchen and pried the cup loose from his hand.
"Hey-" Inuyasha's eyes widened as the girl lifted the cup and gobbled down every last drop of ramen.
"There!" she yelled, wiping her mouth. "Now listen here!" Inuyasha's ears flattened. Kagome could be very scary sometimes. "My friends are going to be here any minute! We still haven't figured out a way to hide those ears of yours! Not to mention that I'm a mess!" She waved a finger in anger. "All I've done since we got back was to make you ramen! You've eaten more than any normal person could in a lifetime! I haven't had a chance to fix my hair!" Inuyasha expected a demonic aura to flare off of her at any moment. "And-"
"Kagome-chan?"
"WHAT?" she screamed, turning to the door.
Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi hid behind the doorframe. Tentatively, Yuka stepped into the kitchen. "Um, Kagome-chan, if this is a bad time-"
Kagome struggled for sanity. "Well girls, you see-"
"Are those ears?" Eri peered around Yuka.
"Eri-chan! Yes! Those are ears! Inuyasha is dressing up like a kitsune for the festival! We thought it'd be fun!" Great. Like they'd believe that. Kagome was flailing inside. Outside, she smiled casually. Inuyasha was dumbfounded. A kitsune? A fox? What was she thinking?
All three girls squealed. "He's so adorable!"
"I wish my boyfriend would wear cute ears like those!" Ayumi swooned.
"You don't have a boyfriend!" Eri retorted.
"Neither do you!"
"I do."
"Shut up!"
"Ah, girls?" Kagome tapped Eri lightly on the shoulder. "Not to interrupt or anything, but did you bring the clothes?"
"Oh yeah! Ayumi's got them, right?" Yuka spun to her friend.
She held out the two boxes she'd been holding. "Here you go. The white box is for Inuyasha and the red one is for you."
Kagome relaxed into a true smile. "Well, I'll have Souta help Inuyasha with his." She rushed to the stairs. "Souta!" she hollered. "I need you to help Inuyasha!"
The younger boy raced down the stairs to find his idol. The half demon in question stood blinking. He was still confused, but aware enough to know that if he pushed Kagome right now, she'd sit him straight to hell. Blankly, he let Souta take his arm and drag him to the upstairs bathroom.
"Okay! Let's go up to my room and you girls can help me get dressed!" Kagome chirped. "I'm sorry, I didn't have time to do my hair."
"It's alright!" Ayumi smiled gleefully. "I can do it."
"She did my hair, and you know how hard that is." Eri added.
"It's hopeless." Kagome laughed. The others joined in. Eri didn't seem as amused, but even she had to laugh.
After nearly twenty minutes of struggling, Souta had managed to get Inuyasha into his yukata. Inuyasha really didn't want to change out of his fire rat outfit, but in his stupor, Souta was able to change his clothes relatively easily. Now the impatient half demon sat on the couch, rapping his claws against an end table. "I can't believe I'm putting up with this." He grumbled. At least he'd only been forced into a yukata. The clothing was loose enough that he was fairly comfortable. It was much better than the shirts and pants of Kagome's time. Inuyasha started to think about why he'd been brought here. Did she need protection from something? Maybe she wanted to make fun of him? No, that couldn't be right. He'd have to wait and see.
His foot tapped along with his fingers. It had been almost an hour and Kagome still hadn't come downstairs. He was about to go up and yell when he heard footsteps. "Kagome?"
"Sorry Inuyasha, it's just me." Mrs. Higurashi walked through the living room. "You look very handsome."
"Uh-" he fumbled for a response.
"Oh, there she is. You look lovely dear." Kagome's mother faced the stairs smiling.
"Thanks mama." Kagome started down the stairs, too nervous to meet Inuyasha's eyes.
He just stared.
"Kagome-chan, I think you look wonderful! Hojo is going to be so jealous!" Yuka wiped a tear from her eye.
"But I don't want to make him jealous-"
"Where's your boyfriend? He's gonna be surprised!" Eri scanned the living room. She spotted Inuyasha staring over his shoulder from the couch.
Ayumi noticed too, then she blushed. "He's so handsome too!"
Kagome lifted her head. Inuyasha stood up and walked around the couch. She tried not to stare; it wasn't working. "Inuyasha, you look-" she searched for the right word. "wonderful." Inuyasha was dressed in a pine green yukata with a wide decorated green belt. The belt had swirling gold and silver leaves embroidered into it. Kagome looked down and sighed. He still wasn't wearing any shoes.
Inuyasha managed to push away the redness that threatened to seep into his cheeks. Kagome had her hair pulled up into a neat bun with two pins stuck through it. Her yukata was pink with something like bubbles printed on it. The belt she wore was wider than his own. It was white with soft touches of pink. He blinked. In a word, Kagome was breathtaking. But he couldn't let her know it. "Finally. I thought you'd be up there forever!" he huffed.
"Sorry, it takes a while!" she returned, stepping down into the room.
"Uh oh." Yuka pulled back her sleeve to see her watch.
"What is it?" Kagome asked.
"It's already six."
"Ah!"
"Kagome-chan! Don't panic!" Ayumi chided.
"We've got to hurry! We have to meet Hojo at seven!" Kagome grabbed her purse and ran for the front door. She was momentarily halted when she slammed face-first into the door.
"Kagome-chan!" her friends yelled, chasing after her. Kagome backed up dizzy, then rubbed her nose with frustration before pulling the door open.
"You'd better hurry, Inuyasha." Mrs. Higurashi said.
"Keh."
vvvvvvvvvv
Miroku stirred a bit, causing Shippo to wake. Groggily, the fox child stood and stretched. "So, are you awake now?"
In response, the monk rolled over and began rubbing his head. "Ow."
"She hits hard."
"I know."
"Bet you'd like to know more about her secret." Shippo sang.
"The secret!" Miroku sat bolt upright. "Shippo! You've got to tell me the rest!"
"Sure." Shippo smiled, hopping up onto Miroku's lap.
"Well?" he prodded.
Shippo's ego swelled as he spoke. "Well, the rumor is that Sango is betrothed." He let out a mock sympathetic sigh. Miroku fell for it.
"No." he stumbled backwards, nearly falling. "That can't be true."
"Well, Kagome wanted to find out, so she asked Sango in the bath." Shippo explained.
"And?" Miroku tensed.
"It's true." Shippo shrugged. "I don't know who it is yet, but I could find out-"
"Shippo, you have to find out for me!" Miroku's logic had long since disappeared.
"Well, it would be kinda hard to find out, but-" Shippo turned to face the other way. He was going to start laughing if Miroku went for it. "I might be able to if I had some more pocky."
"I could arrange that." He answered slyly.
"Okay, I'll find out some more in the morning then." Shippo spun back and extended a hand. "How about one box this time, since I may not get too much information?"
Miroku nodded, shaking Shippo's hand. He was getting off cheap. Little did Shippo know that Miroku had taken all of Kagome's pocky, and that had been ten boxes. He had plenty of bargaining chips. A twinge of guilt for using the child in such a way nibbled at his conscience, but he ignored it. "Deal."
"Deal." Shippo said. He quietly hoped Inuyasha and Kagome would be gone for a few days. That way, they couldn't interfere with the greatest practical joke on the planet.
"Shall we go and see what is for dinner?" Miroku dusted his robes and absently rubbed his still-throbbing head.
Shippo sniffed the air. "It smells like Kaede is cooking."
"How do you know?" asked Miroku.
"It doesn't smell very good."
"Oh." Miroku grimaced.
vvvvvvvvvv
Luckily for Inuyasha, the girls had decided to walk to the park where the festival was being held. It had given Kagome a chance both to quell her anger and to worry. For the last ten minutes, her friends had been trying to calm her down. They all talked so fast and with such high-pitched voices that Inuyasha struggled to block them out. Her worries had something to do with that Hobo person, a meeting, and boyfriends. Inuyasha didn't like the sound of any of those things.
"Inuyasha-kun?" He jerked at the unfamiliar sound.
"Huh?"
One of the girls stood in front of him now, blocking his path. "What is it?" He vaguely remembered that the girl's name was Yuka.
She leaned up to whisper. "You know, you're not acting like a very good boyfriend."
"What?" he shifted nervously.
"Well, you are Kagome's boyfriend, you should act like it! She's really nervous about letting you meet Hojo for some strange reason-"
"Her boyfriend? She told you that?" Inuyasha glanced up at the girl in question. She continued to buzz with anxiety.
"Yeah, and Hojo's kinda been trying to date her for a long time." Yuka continued.
"He what?" Inuyasha growled, suddenly angry.
"Easy. That's probably why Kagome-chan is worried. She thinks you'll get mad."
"Damn straight."
"But you can't!" Yuka pleaded.
"Is something wrong, Yuka?" Eri stopped and turned.
"No, nothing!" Yuka waved politely. "Go on ahead, I was just asking Inuyasha-kun something."
"Okay!" Eri jogged to catch up with Kagome and Ayumi.
Yuka turned her attention back to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha-kun, listen. We care about Kagome-chan and we want to see her happy. She seems really happy with you. I don't know why, but she does. I don't know about what happened between you guys in the past, but that's over."
Inuyasha just stood there, mouth hanging slightly open. He wanted to respond, but then he remembered Kagome's face from earlier. Hesitantly, he touched the beads around his neck and glanced at the ground. There seemed to be an abundance of rocks. Bad idea. Besides, this girl talked too fast. Reluctantly, Inuyasha continued to listen.
"Listen, I know you're a decent guy. Otherwise, Kagome-chan wouldn't talk about you the way she does. But let me give you some advice."
Inuyasha nodded blankly.
"When you meet Hojo, be nice. Don't yell. Find something that you two can talk about civilly. It will make Kagome-chan happy if you can get along." Yuka stepped back, confident in her advice.
Inuyasha titled his head to the side. "What'd you think I was gonna do? Clobber the guy?" This was a challenge.
"Well, no, but-"
"Don't worry about it. I'm Kagome's boyfriend, right?" Inuyasha smirked coolly.
"Yeah?"
"Keh." He scoffed and resumed walking, leaving a confused Yuka behind. He never backed down from a challenge.
Kagome had calmed down considerably by the time Inuyasha and Yuka caught up. Bright lights temporarily blinded Inuyasha. When his vision adjusted, he saw rows of tents and lanterns. People dressed in yukata strolled the aisles; some were carrying puffy things in their arms that Inuyasha recognized as stuffed animals. Many of the people were arm in arm. Trees lined the paths and moths danced around the lanterns. He blinked; it was almost like the feudal era.
Eri led the group towards a big stone that had water coming out of it. Inuyasha tried to understand it. "Kagome? Is that a waterfall?" he whispered.
"It's called a fountain." Her attention shifted, "Oh, there he is."
"Higurashi-san!" Hojo waved, his gray-blue yukata sleeve swaying in the light breeze.
"Hojo-kun, good to see you." Kagome smiled.
"And this must be your boyfriend, Inuyasha-san, right?" Hojo looked up at Inuyasha.
All he had to do was be nice and it would make Kagome happy, right? He decided to give it a shot. It might get the other girls to leave him alone for once.
"Nice to meet you." Inuyasha extended a hand. Hojo froze for a moment before returning the handshake. He smiled. Inuyasha desperately wished he'd been allowed to carry his sword. This guy was entirely too trusting.
"Nice to meet you too." The two started a casual conversation about Inuyasha's hair.
Kagome stood in shock. Inuyasha was being nice? He wasn't yelling or fighting or being a jerk. What had gotten into him? "Inuyasha?"
"And the ears are part of your costume! Oh I get it!" Hojo chuckled.
"Inuyasha?" she tried again.
"Hmm?" The half demon glanced over his shoulder.
"Are you feeling all right?"
"Yes, why?" Was he doing something wrong?
"Oh, nothing. I just wasn't expecting you two to get along so well."
"Inuyasha-san is very interesting. I can see why you two make such a great couple." Hojo replied brightly.
Inuyasha smirked as Kagome blushed. Hojo was an idiot; a kind, caring, friendly, idiot.
"So how long have you been dating? You can tell me, I won't be upset." Hojo leveled his eyes with Kagome's.
"Yeah, Kagome-chan, we wanted to know that too!" Ayumi prodded, poking Kagome lightly in the small of her back.
"Uh, well, you see-" Kagome couldn't seem to put together a sentence.
The wench was going to owe him big time. "On and off for about a year, right?" he winked.
"Y-yeah." Kagome managed, completely embarrassed. "I just-"
"She didn't want to tell anyone, because there's a lot of complications." Inuyasha sighed.
"Really?" All of the girls asked.
"Yeah, but let's not ruin the evening with details, I want to have fun." Kagome replied.
That seemed to quiet them. Inuyasha watched as the girls grabbed Hojo and insisted that he win them a prize at one of the booths. Eri motioned for Kagome and Inuyasha to stay put. Kagome faced Inuyasha. "I guess they wanted to give us a few minutes alone."
"Keh."
"Why were you so nice to Hojo?"
"I just felt like it." He retorted, grinning.
"Thanks."
"Huh? Why are you thanking me?" Inuyasha unfolded his arms.
"For acting." Kagome reached out to hug him gently.
He decided that this acting stuff could be worthwhile. "Keh. That was nothing."
She didn't like the way he'd said that. Pulling back, she asked, "Why do you say that?"
"Just wait." He could keep up this boyfriend act, no problem. He continued, "But I can tell you one thing, wench." Inuyasha's eyes glimmered in the moonlight. Kagome stiffened. She imagined nothing but ramen in her future.
With resolve, Inuyasha folded his arms again. "You're gonna owe me big time."
Kagome gulped. Yep, she was going to be making ramen for Inuyasha for the rest of her life. She sighed loudly. Resigning herself to her fate, Kagome tugged at Inuyasha's arm and dragged him towards the rest of their group. At least she could enjoy the evening.
Inuyasha allowed himself to be dragged temporarily. From what he'd heard this evening, it was clear that Kagome was hiding something from him. He'd find out one way or another. If not, at least he would have enough ramen to last him a lifetime.
vvvvvvvvvv
A/N: Okay, how was that? I promise that I'll finish the festival in the next chapter. This one was getting long. Miroku is pretty gullible ne? Shippo's having a field day. Next time: more festival goodies, Shippo's antics, what happened to Kouga, and more!
Now about that reward I was talking about in the beginning. This story has reached 1000+ hits and 50+ reviews, which to me is awesome for my first fic on As a special thanks to all of you readers, I'm going to write a one-shot humor fic. The bonus is that you guys get to tell me which character/ pair you'd like the story to be about. Either leave it in your review or e-mail me directly with the character or pair of characters you want to read about. Whichever one(s) get the most requests, I will write about. I'll leave the choice open until I post my next chapter. Thanks once again for your feedback. Hugs for all my reviewers, you guys (and girls) are awesome!