A/N: I know I say this a lot, but I really appreciate all of your wonderful reviews. Thank you! Sorry this chapter took so long, but I've had a lot on my plate lately. Please don't hate me! I'm very sorry, the next chapter won't take so long.
Disclaimer: If it's worth suing, it's worth reviewing!
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"What the hell does fishing have to do with this!" InuYasha demanded, looking murderously at Kagome. The girl shrugged.
"It's just an expression, no need to bite my head off!" She was a little hurt that her had directed his anger at her.
"Yes, InuYasha, no need to yell at Kagome, this is hardly her fault!" Miroku chastised.
"Why the heck are you taking her side! I'm going to be stuck as a woman for two freaking more weeks!"
"Actually, we don't know how long this note has been here," Sango offered, "The end of the two weeks could be today." InuYasha looked a little more hopeful.
"Actually Sango, if this paper had been here for two weeks already than it would be in much worse shape. It looks like it was written quite recently in fact…" Sango glared at Miroku, but he caught the look too late, and InuYasha once again had a look of anger on his porcelain face.
"If you hadn't have gone through the well and taken so long, we would have made it!" He shouted forcefully at Kagome.
"Well if you hadn't have tried to stop me I would have made it through a lot faster!" she shouted back.
"Well you should have spent less time crying and more time leaving!"
"Well you should just SIT!" Kagome screamed it at the top of her lungs. Usually such a powerful command would have him inches into the ground, but since the mountain was made of stone it had no give, and InuYasha's face smashed painfully into solid rock. He came up with a bloody nose, and Kagome could tell by its odd angle that it was broken. Her anger was gone in an instant. "Oh, InuYasha, I'm so sorry!" was all she could manage to say. Then something amazing happened. Tears welled up in the edges of InuYasha's eyes, and began to fall down his face.
"InuYasha, are you crying?" Shippo asked, incredulously.
"No!" he said angrily, tears pouring down his rosy, blood stained cheeks.
"Oh, InuYasha!" Kagome's voice was filled with remorse. She tore open her backpack and took out her handkerchief, wiping the blood and tears from the hanyou-turned-woman's face.
"We really should fix that nose…" Miroku offered, before reaching out to re-set it. He touched the tender red area and InuYasha cried out in pain.
"That hurts, damn it!" he shouted at Miroku, jumping away from the monk. Miroku shrugged and stepped back, deciding that this could result in another unnecessary injury. Instead, he decided to pose a question to the group. "So, now that we know that the sorceress isn't here, what are we going to do?"
"I'll tell you what we're going to do, we are going to stay here until that witch gets back!" InuYasha said rebelliously, sitting down with a huff.
"InuYasha you must be reasonable! I understand that your situation seems bad, but we could be waiting here for two weeks! By that time we will run out of food and drinking water, unless you want us to drink the water from that pool, and I'm not sure that water won't kill us." Miroku's points left a dumfounded look on InuYasha's face.
"Let's go to the hot springs!" Kagome suggested.
"I could use a break," Sango admitted. Shippo cheered enthusiastically.
"I believe you are all failing to see the obvious dilemma here." The group looked at Miroku with curiosity. "If we do stay at the hot springs, will InuYasha bathe in the men's or women's bath?" This comment was enough to stop everyone in their trail of thought.
"I'll just bathe with the men, like usual!" InuYasha said nonchalantly. Kagome laughed.
"Of coarse you won't! That isn't decent of any woman, even a fake one. You just won't bathe." The group looked at Miroku, who seemed to be the only one of them who could make clear judgements. When he nodded his approval, the remaining group members, save InuYasha, let out a cheer.
"Let's go to the hot springs!" Kagome cheered.
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They were greeted at the door by a tall, slender, vivacious woman with a chest that was almost as big as her animated personality. She gave a small, well-rehearsed line.
"Welcome to the 'Aka Tomodachi Hot Springs'!" Miroku was at the girl's side in an instant.
"Will you bear…umm, never mind!" he finished, glancing nervously at a fuming Sango. "Sorry, dearest Sango, old habits die hard, eh? No harm done…" the monk forced a laugh, but it ended up sounding robotic and emotionless. The woman at the door looked completely confused but managed to smile politely.
"I'm sorry," she spoke, " but all of the rooms here are occupied. You will have to come back at another time." InuYasha nearly fell over in shock.
"What!" he asked, exasperated. "You have to let us in!" he finished in a commanding voice.
"I'm sorry but I don't have the authority to do that." She told the group placidly.
"We do not need much room," Miroku informed her, "we can stay in one room together."
"…I'll go get the owner. You can ask him." The girl said hesitantly before entering the Inn and closing the door behind her. She was not gone long before the door opened again, allowing a small, squat, balding man to step out. He cleared his throat, shifted from foot to foot, and scratched his head, all while eying Kagome, Sango, and InuYasha carefully.
Great, Kagome thought, another pervert!
"I understand you are looking for a room," he began with a croaking voice, "and that Momoko has informed you that we are full. I'm afraid I won't be able to provide you with a room unless…" he dropped his voice to a volume that was barely above a whisper, "you can persuade me…"
Surprisingly for everyone, InuYasha was the quickest to catch on.
"Please, sir," he walked towards the man, swaying his hips enough to give them the appropriate emphasis. When he stood in front of the Innkeeper, he leaned towards him. His red lips were set in a sexy pout. "We only need one room, and we will pay as much as you ask for it! Please let us stay!" InuYasha bit the back of his slender index finger, and looked at the old man expectantly from beneath long dark lashes. The man visibly caved.
"Alright, how can I resist? I will find you a room, free of charge!" he looked towards Miroku. "My you are lucky, travelling with so many beautiful women!"
"Why, yes I am!" Miroku replied with a broad grin, snaking an arm around Sango's waist, pulling her close. She slapped him away. The Innkeeper disappeared behind the door.
"InuYasha, I didn't know you were so good at flirting!" Kagome commended InuYasha when the man had left. InuYasha batted his eyelashes innocently at Kagome.
"I've had an excellent role model."
Kagome knew it was a shot.
"Sit," she said calmly and full of spite. The remaining group members looked at the collapsed InuYasha unsympathetically. They heard the door creak open and looked up to see the girl who had greeted them, Momoko as the Innkeeper had called her. She regarded the girl facedown on the ground with disinterest, than told the group to follow her.
Momoko led them into the Inn, past the walls and down a stone path that cut across the grass, winding like a snake. It led them to a large wooden building and paper building. They stepped up the stairs, following silently as she led them though the main room, where a few people sat on tatami mats in front of food covered tables. She led them passed the room and down a long corridor before stopping so suddenly that Sango, who had been following close behind her, almost ran into her. Momoko turned and opened the door that she had stopped in front of, and everyone peered inside the small room. It was modest in size, containing only the necessary four futons, a small low table, and tatami mats.
"This is your room." She stated simply. "If you need anything, you have only to ask someone on staff. There are towels and yukata inside, and the two doors at the end of this hall lead to the men and women's baths. When you are ready, dinner will be served to you in the main room, unless you wish to have a private meal in your room." It was not a question, but Kagome chose to answer it anyway.
"We'll eat in the main room." She did not want the five of them to try to squish around the table in the small room.
"Very well, enjoy your stay." She said dryly. Kagome had no idea what was wrong with the girl that had been so boisterous before. She pushed it from her mind as she followed the rest of the group into the small room.
"Well, I feel like a bath, how about everyone else?" Miroku asked.
"I'm up for one!" Kagome said enthusiastically, grabbing a towel and yukata.
"Me too!" said Shippo, following suit and grabbing his bath items. Sango nodded and grabbed her own too.
"Well, I'm not allowed to go!" InuYasha said sarcastically.
"Oh, InuYasha, I was just kidding, you can come if you want to!" Kagome said, exasperated.
"No," InuYasha refused stubbornly, sitting down on a futon. "I'm going to go look for the witch. Don't forget, that's why we're here!"
"Right!" Kagome had truthfully forgotten. She and Sango left for the women's bath, while Miroku and Shippo left for the men's. InuYasha was left alone.
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Sango and Kagome had found the women's bath with no trouble. It was behind a clearly labelled door at the end of the corridor, just as Momoko had told them. They slipped into the room behind the door, into a small tiled room. They removed their clothes and set them on wooden benches next to a few other women's kimono. They donned their yukatas and carried their towels as they exited the room through another door labelled 'hot springs'.
The girls stepped out into a cloud of steam. The baths were outside, three rock-lined hot springs completely surrounded by a wooden wall. Sango set her neatly folded towel on the side of the nearest hot spring, then slipped out of her yukata and stepped into the bath with a sigh. Kagome followed suit. The warm water felt wonderful as it cocooned their travel-weary bodies.
They made small talk and gossiped like any normal girls. It was hard to imagine that these women were the hardened warriors who had defeated Naraku. After their skin was sufficiently prune-like, Sango insisted on getting out. She dried off with her towel before slipping into her yukata once more. She left Kagome alone with a few elderly women. Kagome had insisted that she wanted to stay in a little longer, and did not mind being alone. A few minutes after Sango had left Kagome was ready to leave, but the arrival of another woman stopped her.
The woman's coal black hair nearly reached the ground. Her yukata was in a disarray, worn carelessly tied so that it hung in a revealing way that made wearing it seem pointless. A scowl graced the woman's sensuous red lips, and she carried herself in an arrogant manor that could belong to only one person.
"InuYasha!" Kagome hissed. "What are you doing in here!" InuYasha smirked as he tossed his yukata aside, then jumped into the water near Kagome's side. Several woman frowned at the newcomer's childlike behaviour. Kagome tried to cover up out of modesty, but it was in vain. She supposed it really didn't matter if he saw her. He had many times before, after all. Besides, if he wanted to look at a woman's naked body he could satisfy the need himself. InuYasha slumped into the warm water.
"I couldn't find the witch!" he informed her loudly. Several of the women 'tisked' at InuYasha's uncouth behaviour. Kagome covered her blushing face in embarrassment. The bath quickly emptied of all of the women, leaving Kagome and InuYasha alone. InuYasha hummed, seemingly unaware of his rudeness.
"Why couldn't you find her?" Kagome asked, only slightly interested.
"Well it was pretty damn hard, without being able to smell her!" InuYasha told her pleasantly. "I started asking women if they were witches, but then I got kicked out of the main hall," he frowned slightly, "apparently women don't like to be asked if they are witches…"
"No, I can see why that wouldn't have gone over well," Kagome muttered quietly.
"What's that?" InuYasha asked, pointing at Kagome's neck. Kagome's hand flew to her throat, and she felt the gold locket that she had forgotten was around her neck.
"Kaede said that the sorceress will work for gold," Kagome said, blushing, "I thought that this would help to pay for your retransformation…" There was a long and awkward silence that followed. Kagome was the one to break that silence.
"Why did you use the jewel InuYasha?" she implored. "Why didn't you just stay as you were?"
"Because," InuYasha said quietly, taking a step towards her, "I wanted to be with you. Don't you know that by now? I love you Kagome!"
Kagome smiled.
"I love you too InuYasha." The pair heard a tiny splash come from beside them and they turned to see a wrinkled old woman standing at the edge of the pool, her eyes wide in mortification.
"I'm sorry!" she said hurriedly, a look of fear burning in her eyes, "I didn't mean to interrupt anything!" With that the woman turned her wrinkled behind on them and was out of there faster than you can say 'homophobia'. Kagome flushed with embarrassment, and InuYasha laughed.
"Imagine what she was thinking!" InuYasha chuckled. Kagome smiled, still embarrassed.
"I think I'm ready to get out now, InuYasha," Kagome inclined her head to him and left. InuYasha relaxed, floating around in the pool he had all to himself.
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Once she had dried off and changed, Kagome joined her friends around a low table in the main room. InuYasha was still in the baths. A serving maid brought them a pot full of still steaming miso, and bowls of rice. Shippo hummed a tune while helping himself to a large portion of miso, but everyone else just pecked at the food, too relaxed to feel hungry. Kilala was purring contentedly in Sango's lap.
InuYasha arrived in the sitting room wearing nothing but a thin white yukata that was virtually transparent with water. Kagome feigned mock disgust.
"Have you no sense of dignity?" she demanded, teasingly. InuYasha tried to fake a look of defiance, but the corners of his mouth were twitching in amusement. He couldn't keep a straight face.
"No." he replied with a grin.
"I always thought that womanly modesty was foolish anyway." Miroku's latest comment received a laugh from everyone, even Sango.
"So what's to eat?" InuYasha asked, filing his bowl with a large helping of food.
"Miso," Kagome informed him while he downed the soup in nearly one gulp. A flash of silver in the corner of InuYasha's eye caught his attention. InuYasha leaped up, facing his half-brother with a look of disgust.
"Sesshomaru!" The youkai turned to face InuYasha. He wore a yukata, with the left sleeve falling limp. A toad and a girl were at his heels.
"Do I know you, woman?"
"Hell yes you know me! It's me, the hanyou!" InuYasha assumed a fighting stance. Sesshomaru sniffed the air, and then smirked.
"InuYasha," he said calmly, "What on earth have you done to yourself?" His tone was mocking.
"You think I did this to myself!" InuYasha demanded.
"I wouldn't put it past you. Your idiocy knows no bounds."
"I'll kill you, Sesshomaru!" InuYasha threw down the gauntlet.
"You can beat him, my lord!" the toad at Sesshomaru's ankles cried.
"Jaken, to beat my 'brother' in his current state would be no victory." Sesshomaru said coolly. "It would be much to easy. Not that he was ever a challenge…"
"Care to test that theory?" InuYasha cracked his knuckles in a manor most unbecoming of a lady.
"I have no interest in a fight here. I am resting." Sesshomaru began to walk away. With his back still turned, he said; "Come and fight me when you have the balls to do so." He stalked away, Jaken close on his heels. Rin gave a quick and curt bow to them and then ran after the two demons. InuYasha was about to chase after them, but Miroku and Kagome grabbed his arms.
"Sesshomaru is right InuYasha, there is no point in fighting now!" Miroku reasoned. InuYasha 'keh'ed.
"At least wait until you are back to normal!" Kagome insisted. InuYasha sat back down with a huff. The group continued to eat silently with their heads down. InuYasha could think of nothing but fighting his brother. He ran through all of the ways to kill him once he was normal again. He was deep in thought until a rasping female voice whispered into his ear and snapped him out of his reverie.
"Now what would a half-demon be doing in a woman's body?"
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A/N: I liked having Sesshomaru in this chapter. He's my favourite character! All right, I have some awards to hand out:
Kagome: Congratulations on answering my trivia question! Yes 'chikara' does mean 'power'. You win major points!
halfdemon-kai: Nice guess, good try. You win points for trying to answer the question!
Kewsithydemon: Thank you for trying to find the answer to my question. You win points too!
Now for my next Japanese Trivia question:
What does 'aka' and/or 'tomodachi' mean? (used in the 'Aka Tomadachi' hot springs.) I'll give you a hint; one of the words has to do with something I like. (it's on my profile page…) Ok, good luck!
P.S. Make sure you check out my new story that should be posted soon! It is as of yet unnamed, but when I name it I will tell you what it's called. (In my next chapter) I think it's pretty good…