Tami: Sorry this chapter is a little late. I had to go watch my neighbor's
kids this morning for a few hours. I don't think this chapter is very good.
I had a hard time writing it, because I'm trying not to rush things.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Last time:
Sesshoumaru staggered under his memories. That explained some of it. There were still some holes. Not very many details. But anything was better than nothing. From what little detail he had gotten, he decided it would take a lot to make up with Inuyasha. It wouldn't be easy either. Sesshoumaru steeled himself and made a promise to at least attempt to fix things between him and Inuyasha. There was no reason they should've both grown up without parents. He had no good reason to leave his brother behind. He had a lot of making up to do. He realized his hands were shaking and suddenly couldn't stand the blood on them. He ran to the closest stream and plunged his hands in. The red swirled in the water for a moment before getting washed down the stream. The cold numbed his hands. He looked at the marks on his wrists. He knew they meant something, but he couldn't quite remember what it was. He sighed. 'One step at a time, I suppose.' he thought to himself.
Now:
The sun rose in a fiery array of colors. Sango walked out of Kaede's hut and breathed deeply the fresh morning air. The clean scent of the world around her had a hint of rain and a few sparse clouds gathered in the distance, holding the promise of a storm. She couldn't help but smile. Kirara jumped onto her shoulders. She stroked the youkai cat as she lazily looked around. The morning was so nice. It was her favorite time of day. No one else was ever awake to share it though. As if in answer to her thought, Inuyasha jumped down from the Goshinboku tree. He was back in his hanyou form. He walked over to her. "Everyone still asleep?" he asked.
"Yes." she answered simply. They stood in companionable silence for awhile. Inuyasha was a good guy once you got past his idiocy. Sango chuckled at her thought. Inuyasha gave her a sideways look.
"What's funny?"
"Just thinking. Nothing important." Sesshoumaru strolled out of the forest. His eyes were guarded and clouded with concentration. "He must've remembered something else" She whispered, knowing how sharp inu-youkai hearing was. Sesshoumaru looked up.
"Yes, I did." he said. His eyes flicked to Inuyasha for a second. The hanyou straightened up and glared at him. "Morning, Inuyasha." Inuyasha looked shocked for a split second.
"Feh." He snorted. Sango elbowed Inuyasha. He gave her an exasperated glance. "Morning." he mumbled. A small look of triumph passed over Sesshoumaru's face, but turned to surprise when Kagome walked out of the hut. She lifted her arms high over her head in a stretch, revealing her midriff. A stray breeze tossed her hair. She smiled at them.
"Good morning!" she said cheerily. Miroku and Shippou walked out after her, Miroku carrying her backpack.
"Are we ready to go?" he asked. Inuyasha nodded. The rest of the villagers were just waking up as they were leaving. The villagers waved as the group passed. Kagome and Sango smiled warmly at them. Soon, they left the village and its people behind. They set off towards the mountains.
"I hope we don't meet with Kouga." Kagome said, wrinkling her nose. Sango giggled.
"Oh, but why, Kagome? He's always such a loving gentleman to you." she said. Kagome answered with a very Inuyasha-like snort.
"You wouldn't say that if he called you his mate."
"You have a mate? And he doesn't travel with you?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"Well, he's not my mate. He just wants me to be, so he constantly calls me that. It get s on my nerves."
"Who is Kouga, anyway?"
"The leader of the wolf pack in the mountains. He can be a real jerk." Sango answered.
"Now, Sango, that's not giving him enough credit. He's also egotistical and pig headed." Miroku called over his shoulder. The girls burst into laughter. (Kouga fans, don't take this offensively. Kouga's my boy. I make fun of even my most favorite characters, so he's just getting a thorough lashing before I go easy on him.)
"The wimpy wolf is weak." Inuyasha growled. Kagome's eyes gleamed mischievously.
"He has managed to keep you at bay, Inuyasha." she said. Inuyasha sputtered indignantly, causing the whole group to laugh. Inuyasha pouted, his ears drooping slightly. Kagome walked up beside him and tweaked an ear playfully. He poked her in her ticklish spot. She giggled and twisted away, swatting at his hand. His eyes twinkled impishly. Sesshoumaru suddenly felt like an outsider. The group radiated the closeness of family. They were all smiling with the exception of Inuyasha, but you could tell he was happy too. Even through all their fighting, they always stayed together. Sesshoumaru smiled happily. They didn't seem to be making a place for him. He watched them tease for a few moments longer. His eyes fell to the ground. Sango looked back at him.
"What's wrong?" she asked. He looked up, startled, and shook his head.
"Nothing." She gave him a you-don't-fool-me look. But he shook his head again. She sighed and dropped back to walk beside him. She grabbed his arm and yanked him up to where the others were.
"Myouga hasn't been around in awhile." Shippou said. "I wonder what he's up to." Inuyasha snorted.
"Knowing him, hiding to stay out of danger." Miroku said.
"The little blood sucker rarely has any good information anyway." Inuyasha grumbled. He sniffed at the air and shrugged.
"What?" Kagome asked.
"Thought I smelled something."
"Well, no duh." she murmured.
"I hate when you use those future expressions."
"Get used to it."
"I've started saying some of them sometimes." Sango said. "Can we come to the future with you next time, Kagome?" Kagome shrugged.
"I guess so. I'll have to check with my mom. Speaking of which, how did you get through the well, Sesshoumaru?" He shifted nervously under Kagome's stare.
"Well, um, remember that snake demon?" he asked. They nodded affirmation. "Well, it had two jewel shards, not just one. I kept one because I wanted to see what was so special about it." Kagome held out her hand.
"Hand it over." He sheepishly placed the shard in her hand. "Now, the jewel gives power to the one who has it. It becomes more beautiful when tainted by evil. It was a whole jewel, but I accidentally broke it. Which is why we're on this quest now." Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding. Her hand went to the piece of the jewel around her neck. "It's caused a lot of pain." Everyone fell silent, remembering their own troubles caused by the jewel. He felt Sango's hand stiffen on his arm. He looked at everyone, interested in their reactions to Kagome's statement. He noticed Miroku was staring at his right hand. Inuyasha's eyes were clouded over as he remembered. Shippou sniffed, tears in his eyes. Kagome reached up and stroked him. Kirara mewed softly and snuggled into Sango's chest. Sango wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. Kagome was right, apparently. The Shikon no Tama had caused a lot of pain. He'd have to find out what it had done, even if it was a touchy subject. The scent of clay came to his nose.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Review responses:
Em Starcatcher: I'm adding a little more to their history than that. It's gonna be pretty interesting by the time I'm finished with it. ^_^ I came up with an idea for the end battle and I think it's pretty good. So, hopefully, I'll be able to actually get to the end.
Midnight-Fire: I'm leaving on Saturday morning, so tomorrow will be my last update until the Saturday after that. It's only a week, so it won't be too unbearably long. I'll still be writing while I'm away, I just won't be able to type and post it. And I'm not sure how many chapters it will be. This makes 11. This one has the most reviews out of all my stories. ^_^
SailorKagome: I'm glad to hear it. I love getting reviews. It helps me write, cuz I think, 'all those people are waiting for an update. Better get to it.' ^_^
Soli: I'll only be gone a week. From Saturday to Saturday. I'll probably update the Saturday I get back, so be sure to look for me! I'm glad you didn't tell. ^_^ Do you like the pairings?
Striking Falcon: I update every day. Not my fault you didn't notice. ^_^
Aerodeenamic: *Laughs* Well, she's making an appearance, but she'll be tortured and/or killed.
Also thanks to:
Suki
GS
Rhi
Liza
sesshyangel
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Last time:
Sesshoumaru staggered under his memories. That explained some of it. There were still some holes. Not very many details. But anything was better than nothing. From what little detail he had gotten, he decided it would take a lot to make up with Inuyasha. It wouldn't be easy either. Sesshoumaru steeled himself and made a promise to at least attempt to fix things between him and Inuyasha. There was no reason they should've both grown up without parents. He had no good reason to leave his brother behind. He had a lot of making up to do. He realized his hands were shaking and suddenly couldn't stand the blood on them. He ran to the closest stream and plunged his hands in. The red swirled in the water for a moment before getting washed down the stream. The cold numbed his hands. He looked at the marks on his wrists. He knew they meant something, but he couldn't quite remember what it was. He sighed. 'One step at a time, I suppose.' he thought to himself.
Now:
The sun rose in a fiery array of colors. Sango walked out of Kaede's hut and breathed deeply the fresh morning air. The clean scent of the world around her had a hint of rain and a few sparse clouds gathered in the distance, holding the promise of a storm. She couldn't help but smile. Kirara jumped onto her shoulders. She stroked the youkai cat as she lazily looked around. The morning was so nice. It was her favorite time of day. No one else was ever awake to share it though. As if in answer to her thought, Inuyasha jumped down from the Goshinboku tree. He was back in his hanyou form. He walked over to her. "Everyone still asleep?" he asked.
"Yes." she answered simply. They stood in companionable silence for awhile. Inuyasha was a good guy once you got past his idiocy. Sango chuckled at her thought. Inuyasha gave her a sideways look.
"What's funny?"
"Just thinking. Nothing important." Sesshoumaru strolled out of the forest. His eyes were guarded and clouded with concentration. "He must've remembered something else" She whispered, knowing how sharp inu-youkai hearing was. Sesshoumaru looked up.
"Yes, I did." he said. His eyes flicked to Inuyasha for a second. The hanyou straightened up and glared at him. "Morning, Inuyasha." Inuyasha looked shocked for a split second.
"Feh." He snorted. Sango elbowed Inuyasha. He gave her an exasperated glance. "Morning." he mumbled. A small look of triumph passed over Sesshoumaru's face, but turned to surprise when Kagome walked out of the hut. She lifted her arms high over her head in a stretch, revealing her midriff. A stray breeze tossed her hair. She smiled at them.
"Good morning!" she said cheerily. Miroku and Shippou walked out after her, Miroku carrying her backpack.
"Are we ready to go?" he asked. Inuyasha nodded. The rest of the villagers were just waking up as they were leaving. The villagers waved as the group passed. Kagome and Sango smiled warmly at them. Soon, they left the village and its people behind. They set off towards the mountains.
"I hope we don't meet with Kouga." Kagome said, wrinkling her nose. Sango giggled.
"Oh, but why, Kagome? He's always such a loving gentleman to you." she said. Kagome answered with a very Inuyasha-like snort.
"You wouldn't say that if he called you his mate."
"You have a mate? And he doesn't travel with you?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"Well, he's not my mate. He just wants me to be, so he constantly calls me that. It get s on my nerves."
"Who is Kouga, anyway?"
"The leader of the wolf pack in the mountains. He can be a real jerk." Sango answered.
"Now, Sango, that's not giving him enough credit. He's also egotistical and pig headed." Miroku called over his shoulder. The girls burst into laughter. (Kouga fans, don't take this offensively. Kouga's my boy. I make fun of even my most favorite characters, so he's just getting a thorough lashing before I go easy on him.)
"The wimpy wolf is weak." Inuyasha growled. Kagome's eyes gleamed mischievously.
"He has managed to keep you at bay, Inuyasha." she said. Inuyasha sputtered indignantly, causing the whole group to laugh. Inuyasha pouted, his ears drooping slightly. Kagome walked up beside him and tweaked an ear playfully. He poked her in her ticklish spot. She giggled and twisted away, swatting at his hand. His eyes twinkled impishly. Sesshoumaru suddenly felt like an outsider. The group radiated the closeness of family. They were all smiling with the exception of Inuyasha, but you could tell he was happy too. Even through all their fighting, they always stayed together. Sesshoumaru smiled happily. They didn't seem to be making a place for him. He watched them tease for a few moments longer. His eyes fell to the ground. Sango looked back at him.
"What's wrong?" she asked. He looked up, startled, and shook his head.
"Nothing." She gave him a you-don't-fool-me look. But he shook his head again. She sighed and dropped back to walk beside him. She grabbed his arm and yanked him up to where the others were.
"Myouga hasn't been around in awhile." Shippou said. "I wonder what he's up to." Inuyasha snorted.
"Knowing him, hiding to stay out of danger." Miroku said.
"The little blood sucker rarely has any good information anyway." Inuyasha grumbled. He sniffed at the air and shrugged.
"What?" Kagome asked.
"Thought I smelled something."
"Well, no duh." she murmured.
"I hate when you use those future expressions."
"Get used to it."
"I've started saying some of them sometimes." Sango said. "Can we come to the future with you next time, Kagome?" Kagome shrugged.
"I guess so. I'll have to check with my mom. Speaking of which, how did you get through the well, Sesshoumaru?" He shifted nervously under Kagome's stare.
"Well, um, remember that snake demon?" he asked. They nodded affirmation. "Well, it had two jewel shards, not just one. I kept one because I wanted to see what was so special about it." Kagome held out her hand.
"Hand it over." He sheepishly placed the shard in her hand. "Now, the jewel gives power to the one who has it. It becomes more beautiful when tainted by evil. It was a whole jewel, but I accidentally broke it. Which is why we're on this quest now." Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding. Her hand went to the piece of the jewel around her neck. "It's caused a lot of pain." Everyone fell silent, remembering their own troubles caused by the jewel. He felt Sango's hand stiffen on his arm. He looked at everyone, interested in their reactions to Kagome's statement. He noticed Miroku was staring at his right hand. Inuyasha's eyes were clouded over as he remembered. Shippou sniffed, tears in his eyes. Kagome reached up and stroked him. Kirara mewed softly and snuggled into Sango's chest. Sango wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. Kagome was right, apparently. The Shikon no Tama had caused a lot of pain. He'd have to find out what it had done, even if it was a touchy subject. The scent of clay came to his nose.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Review responses:
Em Starcatcher: I'm adding a little more to their history than that. It's gonna be pretty interesting by the time I'm finished with it. ^_^ I came up with an idea for the end battle and I think it's pretty good. So, hopefully, I'll be able to actually get to the end.
Midnight-Fire: I'm leaving on Saturday morning, so tomorrow will be my last update until the Saturday after that. It's only a week, so it won't be too unbearably long. I'll still be writing while I'm away, I just won't be able to type and post it. And I'm not sure how many chapters it will be. This makes 11. This one has the most reviews out of all my stories. ^_^
SailorKagome: I'm glad to hear it. I love getting reviews. It helps me write, cuz I think, 'all those people are waiting for an update. Better get to it.' ^_^
Soli: I'll only be gone a week. From Saturday to Saturday. I'll probably update the Saturday I get back, so be sure to look for me! I'm glad you didn't tell. ^_^ Do you like the pairings?
Striking Falcon: I update every day. Not my fault you didn't notice. ^_^
Aerodeenamic: *Laughs* Well, she's making an appearance, but she'll be tortured and/or killed.
Also thanks to:
Suki
GS
Rhi
Liza
sesshyangel