Disclaimer: don't own Inuyasha or Rurouni Kenshin.
"But what about the Sky Lady, is she from the Feudal Era too?" Kenshin asked, tipping his head to the side.
"No! Kagome's from some modern place in Japan, Tokyo."
"This…Tokyo…Is it peaceful? Would you describe it to this one?" Kenshin cocked his head to the other shoulder.
"Lots of people, big buildings, too many scents. But…relatively peaceful."
"So this present, all these wars, will improve Japan's future after all. This one is glad." Kenshin gave a small, but complicated, smile to the air.
Suddenly, Sanosuke ran into the room. Waving his arms around, he gained the attention of the small group as he caught his breath.
"Oh! Sano! Where have you been?" Kenshin grinned pleasantly at his near-hyperventilating friend.
"I ran into this guy…wearing a red kimono outfit and dog ears…picked a fight cause he was on all fours…sniffing the ground or somethin'…looked suspicious. He moved fast, almost faster than you Kenshin and…" Sano gasped, leaning against the wall with his hand. It wasn't until he finished his spiel that he glanced over to Kenshin's conversation partner (who, by the way, had grown a rather large vein mark and ego thanks to his last comment).
"That's him! That's the guy! I want a rematch!"
"I'd take you on any day porcupine head!" Inuyasha growled, raising his fist.
"Porcupine head?" Kenshin stifled a laugh with his hand.
"Do you have any idea who you're dealing with!" Sanosuke readied his own fist in the air.
"Yeah, you're the guy I'm about to beat into a bloody pulp." Inuyasha smirked.
"How about I crush that smart mouth of yours punk!" Sano yelled, throwing a punch at Inuyasha.
"Um…" Kenshin said. But you're a punk too….
"Sanosuke… wait!" Kaoru stated.
"You call that a punch porcupine head? Even the fox brat can do better, and he's five." Inuyasha leered, easily dodging Sano's punch and landing on the roof. Did I just compliment Shippou? Inuyasha backtracked in his head, shuddering at the thought.
"You go throwing around you're ego with that 'wicked' on you're back. You're a waste of time, I could beat you in my sleep!" Inuyasha gripped the Tetsusaiga at his side, about to finish whatever fight they had started.
"Please, there is no need for fighting!" Kenshin protested, stepping in front of the brawling couple.
They both hit Kenshin squarely on the head.
"Kenshin? Are you okay?" Kaoru called over, wincing as they smacked him.
"SIT!" A familiar voice called from within the house.
"Shit…" Inuyasha growled when he fell face first into the ground.
"Hmm…that is interesting." Sano walked over to the fallen half-demon.
"And why are you in town anyways?" Kaoru pointed a finger down to Inuyasha who was still stuck to the earth.
"I was looking for Kagome. Her scent happened to lead me here…" He mumbled back.
"She'll be fine dog-boy. Some food and healthy male attention and Kagome will be as good as new!" Megumi came out, a fox-like smile on her lips as she wiped her hands on a rag.
"What kind of 'healthy male attention'!" Inuyasha growled, glaring over to Kenshin (who gave him a quite innocent and confused look back).
"Ignore her." Kaoru grumbled, a vein pop on her forehead.
"Two days and Kagome's coming back." Inuyasha returned to the subject at hand.
"A week, minimum." Megumi replied.
"Hah! And what you are going to do about it?" Inuyasha laughed. Abruptly, a collar appeared around his neck, attacked to a leash, which ended up being attached to Megumi's hands.
"The doctor dog-boy. And if you should happen to bother my patient, there is proper punishment available for bad dogs!" Megumi laughed evilly.
"Keh." He shredded the collar easily.
"Inuyasha!" Megumi stated, in a tone that immediately made him look over at her seriously, "If Kagome is disturbed too soon, it could result in her immediate and painful death."
"…death?"
"Precisely." Suddenly, a small wail off in the distance interrupted the serious conversation.
"What was that?" Kaoru questioned.
"It sounds like a kid screaming!" Yahiko grabbed the dojo practice sword and ran towards the gates.
"Ahhh! Kagome… Kagome… Sango… Miroku… Kirara… Inuyasha anyone… help me. Ahhh…" the kid yelled.
"Giant rodent! It can talk! Catch it before it gets away!" the voices of the police men carried over to them.
The kid ran into the Kamiya dojo with the police right behind him.
"Oww… Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" the kid seemed to recognize the 'dog-boy' and ran towards him.
"There it is! Look! There's another strange one! Get 'em both!" The police yelled.
"Uh… Inuyasha do something!" He squeaked, grabbing onto his shoulder in a single bound.
"Why should I? They aren't worth my time. Get rid of them yourself." Inuyasha turned.
"Didn't you hear, they are after you too!" the kid responded angrily.
Inuyasha huffed, and without responding jumped into the nearest tree. The child, too scared to do anything productive, ran over to Kenshin and hugged his leg.
"I don't think you want to catch this kid" Kenshin called to the police men, trying to gently shake him off his leg.
"Oh… er… Mr. Himura… we did not know that he was a friend of yours… well… sorry to bother you" the police men stuttered, backing out of the gate.
"The police seem to have lost interest. Are you all right rodent-child?" Kenshin peered down to the cowering creature.
"Who ya callin' a rodent? I'm a fox thank you very much." The child huffed, stepping away.
"This one apologizes for the mistake…" Kenshin sweat dropped.
"Inuyasha! Where's Kagome?" The kid turned to the figure in the tree.
"Sleeping and if you disturb her I'll kick you're rodent ass." Inuyasha barked, "and the others are gone."
"So… what are you anyways?" Sano pulled on the child's tail, holding him upside down in the air.
"For your information I'm a fox!" the kid shrieked in protest.
"Foxes don't talk…Normally." Sanosuke raised his eyebrow.
"Not foxes, I'm a fox de—" Inuyasha grabbed him out of Sanosuke's hands and pounded his head.
"Baka!" Inuyasha growled.
"Grr…The name's Shippou." He shrugged, getting Inuyasha's 'subtle' message loud and clear."
"This one is pleased to make you're acquaintance Shippou." Kenshin shook his hand.
"If you're a friend of Inuyasha, you can stay here until Kagome is feeling better." Kaoru stated.
"Thank you for you're hospitality." Shippo bowed.
"You're so cute!" Kaoru held him in a bone-crushing hug.
"Then this one shall begin to prepare dinner." Kenshin walked off towards the food storage.
"Hmm…This is a mess! We are going to clean this dojo! Yahiko—halls. Sano—yard. Shippou—you're with me and the inside. Inuyasha…where did he go?" Kaoru glanced from side to side, checking the tree.
"Inuyasha runs at the word 'clean'." Shippou laughed, thought a suspiciously thrown rock bounced off his head to silence his laughter.
"Well, I should probably check on Kagome before starting. Everyone else…GET TO WORK!" Kaoru screamed, causing everyone but Shippou to scatter.
"Shippou, how about you come with me?"
"How are you feeling?" Kaoru wet a small rag and placed it on her forehead.
"I'm feeling much better, thank you." Kagome responded, her smile weak.
"Kagome! I missed you!" Shippo went to grab onto her neck, but Kaoru held him back with a warning glare.
"I missed you too. I didn't realize you were here earlier. Does that mean everyone else is here too?" Kagome glanced to Kaoru for the answer, but she shook her head as if to say 'I wouldn't know'.
"I haven't seen Miroku or Sango since we've been separated and Inuyasha is probably exploring or is sitting on the roof like always" Shippou pouted.
"It's winter, if he's outside he'll either get sick or freeze to death!" Megumi, who had been preparing medicine for Kagome in the corner, chose to interrupt the conversation now.
"He always sleeps outside. He prefers to keep an eye on things." Kagome sighed.
"This one is glad to see sky lady awake!" Kenshin entered the room carrying a wooden tray with soup.
"My name is Kagome—not Sky Lady! Ka-go-me!" Kagome attempted a well-intentioned growl.
"We got another tempered one." Sanosuke came in after Kenshin with another tray of food. "You'll get along real well with Kaoru."
"And what's that supposed to mean Sano!" Kaoru glared. "Maybe you could get a set of those magic beads you have around Inuyasha's neck to fit around his."
"The prayer beads? How did you know about that?"
"The whole 'sit' thing earlier made them start glowing. I can put two and two together you know." Kaoru laughed. "Shippou, will you go tell Inuyasha that dinner is served? I'm sure you'll be able to find him better than the rest of us."
Just as she said the words, the half-demon waltzed through the doors, sitting himself beside Kagome's beside.
"Ok! Hey Inuyasha! Kaoru said dinners ready, so… oww…" Shippo said while getting hit by Inuyasha.
"I know that squirt. So Kagome, you're awake? Good, that means we can get going early. Heh, a week…That old hag doesn't know the first thing about medicine." A giant bowl smacked Inuyasha's face into the ground and whistling could be heard from Megumi's corner.
"Tomorrow, this one will help you search for your companions if you are feeling well enough." Kenshin handed Kagome, who had sat up by now, a bowl of broth that Megumi had suggested.
"We don't need your help!" Inuyasha protested.
"It sounds like Kirara!" Shippou raced towards the doors of the room.
"A cat? We have a dog, a fox, and now a cat!" Sanosuke raised his eyebrows.
"I know. And there's a wolf that hits on me every once in a while…" Kagome laughed.
"…"
"Well, if that is Kirara she missed dinner." Inuyasha grabbed one of the bowls and soup and inhaled it.
"But, if Kirara is here, doesn't that mean Sango is nearby?" Shippou turned to Inuyasha.
Destiny—if the gang thought that Kirara was nearby, wouldn't they go out and find her before going to sleep?