Disclaimer- I suppose that, technically, I don't own Inuyasha...
AN- Thanks for all the great reviews, it's my favorite part. He he. Since the last chapter took such a long time to get out I've put this one out early! Well, earlier...
BTW- I've deviated from the original storyline and shall continue to do so with the rest of the characters I think. It works for me, cause I'm too lazy to do a lot of research. :-)
Jewel
"What... what are you talking about?"
A pointy little nose shoved itself towards her face, causing Kagome to almost lose her grip once again as she jerked back. Her arms were beginning to get tired and she debated dropping back into the well just to relieve them.
"Don't play dumb!" The shout jerked her out of her mental wanderings. "Now hand over the jewel and I won't have to hurt you." Sharp looking eyes narrowed dangerously at this last statement.
'Okay enough is enough.'
Kagome heaved herself over the edge of the well without warning, startling her menacing companion. Dropping her feet to the ground, Kagome stretched her arms over her head and gave a sigh of relief.
"Sorry about that, but my arms were killing me." Kagome brought her arms back down and gave the person in front of her a quick looking over. Finally, she smiled and held out her hand. "You're kind of cute. I'm Kagome, what's your name?"
"C...cute! Lady, didn't you hear me?"
Kagome let her hand fall back to her side. "Yeah, I did. It's just..." She trailed off and suddenly reached down to scoop up her now confused acquaintance in a giant hug.
"You're so cu-ute!"
The little fox boy in her arms squirmed and struggled against the affectionate, yet somehow unbreakable, hug. After a minute of useless wiggling, he resigned himself to an angry pout.
"I knew I should have changed shapes."
Kagome's eyes watered slightly as the little fox demon in front of her finished his tale.
"Oh, Shippou, that's horrible!"
In a condensed version, the little kitsune had just recently lost his father to territorial demons from farther north. He had traveled his way down here on a rumor of a jewel that could make any demon stronger than his wildest dreams. He had almost given up hope of finding it when he had seen Kagome one day and noticed the scent of power surrounding her.
Shippou sniffled and nodded his head, feet swinging morosely from the side of the well. "I had heard other demons talking about the Shikon Jewel. When I saw you, I knew you had it. I have to have it Kagome!" He jumped up on his little fox feet and curled his hands into fists. "I must avenge my father!"
Shaking her head and frowning, Kagome told him, "I'm sorry Shippou, but you're wrong. I really don't have whatever you're after. You're mistaken."
The little kitsune scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, strongly reminding Kagome of a petulant child. And Inuyasha.
"You do too have it, don't lie. It's right there." He poke one tiny finger into her side and frowned up at her. "You really shouldn't carry it there. It's not safe. Why if I was bigger, I could have just taken it!"
Kagome just blinked stupidly at him for a few seconds.
"What a minute." She looked down at her side where he had just poked her. "You're telling me I have a jewel inside of me?"
"Yup."
"And you can smell it?"
"Yup."
"And other demons can smell it too?"
"Uh-huh-"
"And it makes them more powerful, so they want to take it like you?"
"If they get near enough to you, they won't be able to resist."
Kagome raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be resisting pretty well."
Shippou shifted a little on the wooden boards. "I was raised better than to attack a lady."
'Never mind that he basically did just that.'
The eyebrow went a little higher.
"And I know my limitations!"
'In other words, he's a coward.'
Instead of pointing this out though, Kagome asked where he was staying.
"Out there." He pointed to the woods.
"Kind of scary."
"Not really." But his tail twitched as he said this and Kagome could hear a slight tremor in his voice.
'I need to talk to Kaede.'
Kagome adjusted the backpack on her shoulders and smiled down at him. "I have to go meet someone now. You're welcome to come with."
Almost instantly, Shippou brightened up. "Really!"
"Yeah, really." Kagome laughed at his mercurial change in mood.
As they walked back to Kaede's village, Shippou chattered away about his travels and his father. Kagome listened with half an ear, silently working in her head the information she had just come by. A jewel that made demons stronger. Something niggled at the back of her mind, but she could figure out why it seemed like something she had heard of before.
'I wonder if Inuyasha would know about it.'
You're fat, you're old and your breath stinks."
'Well, hello to you too', was the answering look.
"Why in the world does she hang around with you?"
Squinted eyes and a curved smile said quite plainly, 'Because I'm so darn cute'.
Inuyasha poked a clawed finger into the furry protrusion that was Buyo's stomach, snatching it back quickly after a warning growl.
"Feh, dumb cat."
Still, Buyo was the only company he had with Kagome off in another time. Inuyasha slumped onto the edge of the well and plucked the cat up from the ground and into his lap. His mind wandered aimlessly as he alternated between scratching under the cat's chin and giving absentminded pulls at both tail and ears, much to the dismay the now resigned feline. Somewhere around the fifteenth tugging of Buyo's left ear, the cat let out a mournful yowl, in hopes of being rescued by his sorely longed for mistress.
Instead...
"Eh? Buyo is that you?"
Inuyasha snapped out of his dreaming just as a gray-haired and wrinkled head poked itself into the well house.
Buyo let out another unhappy wail and squirmed against the hanyou's arms. Surprised at the presence of another person, Inuyasha let the cat drop to the floor and watched him bolt outside, his poor and abused tail waving indignantly in the air behind him. Inuyasha expected the door to close after him, but was again surprised as it opened even wider and Kagome's grandfather came in.
He tilted his head curiously as the old man reached into his robe and pulled out what looked like warding charms, an odd expression on his weathered face.
How weird.
And strange, that it almost seemed as though he was looking right... at... him...
"Oh, shit."
AN- Sorry for the shortness, but I'm still stuck on one part. So instead of making you wait until I figure out what to do next, I just put out what I had. :-)
Q and A (Other than 'Who is it?', which you now all know. I hope.)
Q. dieforinuyasha- Will all the characters of the anime be in here or only a few?
A. I'm going to try and fit as many in as I can without overcrowding. I don't want to do something like "Oh look, there are Kagura and Kanna! Well, now that they've been seen in the story we can kill them. Bang, you're dead. Rejoice, for we are victorious against the cameo demons!"
Q. Pwalefriend- Will Inuyasha be able to go into the past at one point?
A. Eventually, and I mean this in a very vague and completely noncommittal way, he will be able to travel as usual. As to when... (refer back to vague and noncommittal)
Q. apAtHy aNgEl- Can you add a truckload more fluff for me?
A. I can probably give you one of those little plastic toy trucks filled with fluff, but a real one might take a while. That's a lot of cargo space to fill.
Hmm, guess that's all. Thanks again for your reviews.
:-)
Bye for now.