Hey all,
It's just me, updating.
No, you're not imagining things. I really am updating.
I don't know, I've just been on an updating roll. A couple of days ago, I updated "When Larceny Gets Complicated" (If you haven't already, please go read that one too. It's pretty good, I promise. And it's even kind of funny, even though I specifically categorized it under Drama/Romance. It's different from what you're used to if you've only read "There's Gotta Be Something in the Water" but it's my baby too. So, go check it out, OK?)
Anyways, on to the Reviewer Replies!
AtticusBlackwolf: I'm glad I was able to help you survive during that crucial time in your life. Lord knows I love that time, but maybe because my birthday is during then. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Lost Forevermore: I think I have the coolest reviewers. You all have such great names! So creative! I'm happy to hear you like this story.
Lindsay: If you just found this site, I wouldn't call it ignorance. I would just call it a mild case of blindness. I'm glad you're here though. Welcome to the family. We all seem to be black sheep, so beware.
Wolfygirl13: unfortunately, I don't think our beloved Sesshomaru is going to be making an appearance in this fanfic. I think that might be overkill. But I had thought of adding him to it. Maybe I'll add it to a author's cut snippet when I finish the main stuff…
Crazy4dogboi: Thank you for your wishes. I bought 3. Didn't win a damn thing, but I still feel like an adult. Buying stuff that eventually will let you down. Oh yeah, adulthood, here I come. I'm glad you know what rendezvous is now. Don't feel bad. When I would read it, I would pronounce it rehn-DEZ-voose. And I would wonder who would make up such a stupid word.
Fallen from the sky: yet another example of the coolness of my readers. Great name. Embarrrassment City? Try Embarrassment Country. And she's the president.
RavenWolfe: I am so happy you like this fic. I do my best. In answer to your questions
1.they're all singing Disney songs because there's something in the water
2. Sangodid thatfor no particular reason other than I can make her do that.
Namelessevil: You know what? I have a calendar by this comedian named George Carlin, and he was talking about getting songs stuck in your head. This is what he wrote: "You know how sometimes you have a song going through your head over and over all day long, maybe even two or three days? And it's driving you crazy because you can't get it out of your mind? Well, I know how to fix that. It's extreme, but it works every time. You kill yourself."
Now, I am NOT suggesting this. I just thought of you when I came across this in my calendar today. But please stay with us. I wouldn't want you to leave. We're not even done here yet. Thank you for all of your wonderful compliments. They totally inflated my head. But they also inspire me to write more. Don't worry that it's been an exceedingly long review. I take special pleasure out of reading such long reviews. They make writing worthwhile. So thank you!
Box Queen: It's only going to get worse.
..uh…GOD: Thank you so much. I love getting such positive feedback. And thank you for the birthday shout-out. I'm glad to know that some people read my author's notes at the beginning and ending of chapters.
Sango the Lecher Slayer: Yeah, I didn't really remember it until I watched the movie with my younger brother and sister. Very racially charged song. But totally workable for me and my story.
Punk Chicky: Oh, with her teddy bear. But honestly, if you were her, wouldn't you be thinking along the same lines? I would have already resolved to move to Canada if my parents burst out into song like that over my love life.
Eimi-Marschild: Cool name with you too. Answer to your question: No, Kagome and Inuyasha aren't the only sane ones. In fact, it might not be politically correct to call them sane at all. At least not yet. Get to chapter 7, then get back to me.
Sweetpotato1992: I'm glad you like that chapter. I hope you like this one too.
AN: Not much. Don't own it.
"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my freaking god."
Miroku and Sango were sitting on a bit of an incline, watching their friend pace around, repeating her mantra, stopping every once in a while to dip her head in the stream she was walking next to.
"If she's trying to drown herself, she's doing a really bad job." Miroku commented.
"I think she's trying to wake up." Sango offered.
"But she's not asleep."
"Which poses as a problem."
"Most certainly."
They turned their attention back to Kagome, but not before Miroku very casually slid his hand toward Sango and captured her hand in his own, brought it to his mouth, and kissed it. Sango opted not to look at him, but a pronounced blush across her cheeks indicated her signs of awkwardness at these new displays of affection from the monk.
Kagome probably would've cooed in an embarrassing manner if she hadn't been so occupied with deciding just how she could fix the mess she had just landed herself in. There was no way she could just play that off. She distinctly remembered thinking something along the lines of "Sexy abs" in reference to Inuyasha. She just couldn't remember if she'd said it aloud. Oh, and the whole 'sexual assault' thing didn't help matters at all. Kagome groaned when she thought about it.
"What the hell was I thinking?" she asked herself.
"Obviously what you really feel." Miroku supplied.
Kagome: Oo!
"Look, why don't you just take your mind off of it." Sango suggested. That was the whole reason they had dragged Kagome away from the tree she tried to ram her head into after she screamed in Inuyasha's face. That girl was surprisingly strong if she's hell-bent enough to inflict some major cranial damage on herself in the prospects of giving herself amnesia. All Inuyasha could do was look on in utter shock.
"I can't! I basically admitted that I love him!" Kagome was moaning.
"Admit? You mean you actually do?" Miroku asked.
"Well duh! You don't go around subconsciously stroking people's chest for the hell of it." Kagome snapped.
Sango, Miroku, and Kagome's eyes suddenly traveled downward, looking at their shoes. In the monk's case, you do go around stroking people's (i.e. women's) chest for the hell of it. Subconscious or not.
Kagome shook her head. "How did I end up leaning against him anyways! We were fighting Naraku. And then I fainted at the sight of all those pixies, which is not funny, so stop giggling, Sango! What happened with that? Why aren't we in the middle of a battle?"
Miroku took a tentative look at his girlfriend (he almost smiled at the thought. He could call her that now. HIS girlfriend) and said an intelligent, "Uh…"
Kagome looked suspiciously at the pair. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Well, Kagome, we aren't fighting, because…it's kind of over."
"What do you mean, over? Did Inuyasha kill Naraku?"
"Uh, no." Sango said in a non confirming voice.
"Then why aren't we going after him!" Kagome shrieked.
"Because Naraku is dead. Inuyasha just wasn't the one who killed him…"
"Well, then who did?" Kagome asked, shock marring her face. Her extreme humiliation was momentarily forgotten. She wondered how angry Inuyasha must be, what with his entire life goal for the last 3 years being snatched away from him. She couldn't see anyone but him killing off that bastard. Who could be so bold? Who could be so crazy? Who could kill Naraku besides Inuyasha?
"Um…well…you did." Miroku answered.
Kagome: OO…
"Kagome?" Sango asked, worried by Kagome's silence.
"Come again?" the young priestess managed to squeak out as she plopped down on the ground to be eye level with the two.
"You killed Naraku." Miroku repeated.
Kagome: blink, blink
Sango leaned over to Miroku and whispered, "Something tells me that she's not comprehending at all."
"Who can blame her? I can hardly comprehend it! And I was there!"
Sango looked back at Kagome. Her eyes gave it all away. The girl was in shock. Not just shock. She was floored. She just kept shaking her head in disbelief.
"No, no, no. There's no way I could've killed him. That's impossible!"
"Actually, it is possible, and you did kill him."
"How? How on earth could I have killed Naraku! I think I would've remembered KILLING THE MOST EVIL PERSON ON THE PLANET THAT WE'VE TRYING TO DESTROY FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS! I passed out before the battle even began!"
"I know. It was hard for us to believe as well. But you did." Sango said, an air of pride about her.
"How?"
"Well, remember when we were all waiting for Naraku and his army?"
"Yes."
"And when Naraku came out of the brush?"
Flashback (cue watery, dreamlike fadeout)
Suddenly, Naraku stepped into a clearing, where Inuyasha and his group were waiting. Inuyasha had Tetsuaiga held out, Sango's boomerang was positioned over her head, Miroku's hand was dangerously close to the prayer beads that kept his Wind Tunnel in check, Shippo had his tops of doom spinning, growing larger with each turn, and Kagome had her arrow pointed at Naraku. Inuyasha sneered. "You're cocky. Thinking YOU will be enough to take us down. Where's your army?"
Naraku grinned his maniacal grin. "Right here." With a flourish of his hand, his army stepped out from behind the trees and brush.
The demons hissed and growled, the trolls pounded their giant clubs, and the goblins scratched their long fingernails down the sides of trees. And for reasons beyond anyone's knowledge, everyone in the clearing broke out into song, all singing the same tune, but with different versions.
Half-breed mutt! Savages!
Barely even human! Barely even demon!
Now we sound the drums of war!
Kagome had just closed her mouth, after hitting a very nice soprano note. Maybe she wasn't that bad after all. She looked ahead, just in time to see Naraku turn his head around and yell "CHARGE!" She let her arrow fly, and was stringing another one when she saw a familiar gaudy cloud of violence emerge from behind Naraku. Greens, purples, pinks, and oranges, along with countless other colors. She screamed out, "DEMON PIXIES!"
… and then fainted.
End of Flashback
"Yes, I remember. Where does the killing Naraku part come in?" Kagome was getting testy. This seemed absolutely ridiculous.
"That arrow you were aiming at Naraku…" Miroku said.
"No, I was aiming at a mouse demon. I hate mice. I missed it, so I was going in for another shot."
"YOU MISSED!" Sango and Miroku exclaimed.
"Yes…" Kagome replied slowly. "It does happen occasionally."
"Yeah, but the ending result isn't usually impaling Naraku dead in the chest." Sango said, incredulity still taking up the majority of her emotions.
"What?"
Miroku took over. "Apparently, you missed, trying to kill a mouse demon, and instead hit Naraku."
Flashback (cue watery, dreamlike fadeout again)
Naraku yelled "CHARGE!" Sango and Miroku instinctively braced themselves for what was sure to be the hardest, most important battle they would ever fight. Inuyasha was about to leap forward when he heard a shrill, "DEMON PIXIES!" He turned just in time to see Kagome falling towards the dirt.
Instinctively, he rushed forward, caught her, and laid her gently on the ground (all in about 3 seconds) Shippo scampered next to him and dragged Kagome out of harm's way. Seeing she was safe, for the time being, he turned his attention back to his nemesis. He caught Naraku's eye, and to say shock was evident in his eyes was an understatement. Astonishment and belief was screaming out of his black orbs. Naraku looked down at his chest, and Inuyasha's gaze followed. There, sticking out of his chest, was a sacred arrow. One of Kagome's.
Naraku looked back up at Inuyasha. He almost looked like he wasn't the one with the arrow sticking out of where his heart should be. In a very quiet voice, he looked down again, said, "Oh" looked back up at Inuyasha and said, "Darn" and fell backwards.
Dead.
For a while, everyone in the clearing just sort of looked at Naraku's body. Then, it started deteriorating rapidly. Before anyone could say anything, all that was left of Naraku was a pile of dust, and an arrow. Suddenly, a gust of wind, in a very clichéd manner blew the dust away, leaving the arrow. Inuyasha stepped cautiously over towards where feudal era enemy number one was standing about 2 minutes before. He peered down to see an almost entirely whole Shikon no Tama jewel partially hidden by the arrowhead. He picked it up tentatively. "So, he kept it where his heart should have been?"
At this statement, everyone seemed to snap out of their surprise. Confused talking ensued, until the boogeyman stepped forward.
"Um, since Naraku seems to have…well…died, is there really a need for us to fight?"
Inuyasha looked up from the jewel. "Oh... I guess not."
"OK. Good. Maybe I'll have time to go home and catch a few shut eyes before my shift tonight."
"Wanna go get something at Mack and his Pot, or Fruity King?" one pixie asked another.
"What a waste of time. I took off of work and everything." A demon was muttering.
The demons, monsters, and pixies talked amongst themselves as they turned around and headed out of the clearing.
Sango looked at Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo. "Do you guys want some tea or something?"
End of flashback
"Just like that? The greatest battle the earth has ever seen is over? The biggest good versus evil struggle ever ended with you asking if anyone wanted 'tea or something'!"
Sango shrugged. "Yeah. Just like that."
Kagome shook her head. "This just isn't right! There's gotta be something in the water!"
"No. I think we overestimated Naraku." Miroku said.
"Overestimated is an understatement. Inuyasha must be furious." Kagome commented.
"No, he isn't angry. But I think he is worried. You were out for a few hours."
"Yeah, then I woke up and sexually assaulted him."
Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't sexual assault entail nonconsensual activities."
"Yes."
Miroku looked over at Sango. "I don't know Sango, but Inuyasha looked like he completely consented to me."
Sango nodded. "I would have to agree with you, Miroku."
Kagome blushed a bright shade of red. Hesitantly, she asked, "Do you think?"
"YES!" They both shouted at her.
"Why don't you go talk to him? I'm sure he would appreciate it." Sango offered.
"Yeah. I'm sure he'll appreciate it. Especially if your hand ends up in his shirt again, and maybe his hand will end up-"
BAM!
"Once a pervert, always a pervert." Sango said as she removed Hiraikotsu from the indent she made with it in Miroku head.
"I'm only perverted when it comes to you, darling."
"Honey?"
"Yes, Snookums?"
"That still doesn't sound right. And don't call me Snookums!"
"Yes, Pookie."
"Agh!" Sango cried in frustration. She looked at Kagome, who still looked a little unsure. She smiled and gently nudged her. "Go to him."
Kagome looked at her and nodded. Slowly, she stood up, brushed off her skirt, and headed into the forest.
"Uh, Kagome?" Miroku called after her.
"Yes?"
"You're going the wrong way. Inuyasha is that way." Miroku pointed to the left of her.
"No, that's where we last left him. He's over here now." Kagome turned and continued on her way.
"How does she know that?" Miroku asked Sango.
"Same way I know where you are. It's a woman's intuition to know where the man she loves is."
"That is one of the most romantic things you've ever said to me."
Sango sighed. "Don't get too used to it. I still have no problem kicking your ass to Kingdom Come."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Miroku smiled. He gently cupped his hand around her cheek (the facial ones) and lowered his lips to hers.
"I am sure," he thought as he felt Sango respond positively to his kiss, "that I will never get tired of this."
Meanwhile…
Kagome was trudging through the forest, looking for her half-demon. She knew he was in this general direction, but heaven forbid she got a feminine intuition about just how far away he was.
She was starting to question her intuition when she heard two familiar voices coming from overhead.
"Shippo, I'm not telling you a damn thing! Don't you have somewhere to be with that Kisa girl?"
"No. Now come on! Please?"
"Who said anything about me doing that anyway?"
Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha looking more than a little annoyed sitting on a branch above her with Shippo facing him on another branch. She was studying Inuyasha's face when he inhaled deeply and suddenly his furry, triangular ear twitched in her direction and his amber eyes swerved down to capture her chocolate ones. A slight blush crept over his nose, but in a very dignified manner; and he very rudely told Shippo to stop talking and go elsewhere.
Shippo looked to where Inuyasha's attention was being held hostage. He smiled at Kagome, and hopped down the branches. He landed on Kagome's shoulder briefly, gave her the thumbs up, and continued on his way, where he smelt where Miroku and Sango were.
Kagome averted her gaze to the ground, finding the intensity of Inuyasha's eyes a little too much to handle.
"Uh…hi." She said meekly.
"Yeah… hi." Inuyasha replied. He remembered the day's previous events and cringed at the thought of Kagome screaming when she realized what she was doing and running away as fast as her human legs could carry her. Which, he was surprised to find out, was extremely fast. She certainly could give that pesky wolf idiot a run for his money. Maybe that was the secret. Next time they were in battle, he'd make sure she was sufficiently embarrassed if things got a little too dangerous.
Then again, what with Naraku being dead and all, there probably wouldn't be any more battles of that magnitude anymore. The thought made his heart squeeze. He had taken the Shikon no Tama from Naraku, and realized the crazed psycho had done a lot of work on it. In fact, there were only two more shards missing from it. He knew Kagome had one. So, after they found the other one, their journey would be complete. They didn't need to worry about Kouga's shards, since Naraku had reclaimed them a few weeks ago. And as for Kohaku, well, that was bound to be hard for Sango. Not that he'd died. No, the only thing that was keeping him alive was his will to live. The jewel shard in his back never did anything for him, except cause a lot of grief. Of course, now Sango had to go find him, seeing as how his memory was probably wiped cleaned again, after Naraku stole the jewel from him. So, really, what they had all set out to do, was almost done. And no matter how much he had complained about wanting to get it all over with, Inuyasha couldn't help feeling a huge sense of foreboding. Now with their mission's end in sight, would there be any need for them to stay together? Meeting all of them, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, was one of the best things that had happened to him. And saying goodbye to them was something he didn't want to think about. But falling in love with Kagome was the absolute best thing that had ever happened to him. And, he was beginning to realize, it was the worst thing as well. He knew he would feel extremely sad without the monk, demon slayer, and fox kit. But, without Kagome, he didn't know if he could even breathe, much less go on. She held his heart. Hell, she was his heart. How could he keep on living when his heart was gone? He had torn the hearts (and other vital organs) out of numerous demons before. And one thing remained the same. It was 100 certifiably impossible to stay alive without your heart. And who was Inuyasha to argue with plain and simple logic?
Miroku shouldn't dance in sparkly, pansy outfits.
Shippo couldn't fly with just happy thoughts.
Inuyasha wouldn't live without Kagome.
He surprised himself with how morbid yet disgustingly sappy that sounded. He heard a heartbeat suddenly quicken, and he remembered that the object of his affections was waiting for him to stop staring into space and talk to her.
At least, that's what he gathered from her nervous twitching, and her habit of rocking on her heels he had noticed she did frequently when she was anxious or nervous about something. Probably trying to figure out how to best let him down about how unconscious she was when she…
Well, when she groped him. She had probably been thinking of that retarded wolf asshole and how much she'd like to caress his wimpy sunken in chest.
Ah well, better hurry up and let the heart breaking begin.
Kagome rocked uneasily on her heels. She wasn't sure where she'd picked up the habit, but it was something she did when she got nervous. And the more she thought about it, the faster she rocked. She was beginning to think that Miroku and Sango were too doped up off of each other to think clearly and give her proper advice. She was just about to turn around and sulk in her own embarrassment when she heard a rustling from the tree, and felt a soft thud as the hanyou landed gracefully next to her. Immediately, her throat closed up and her cheeks grew hot with all the blood rushing to them. She turned her attention to her brown penny loafers and opted to let him make the first move.
Well, uh…
Say the first thing.
Making moves was bad.
Very bad.
Inuyasha watched as Kagome's eyes traveled down to her shoes. He was pretty happy he didn't have a need for shoes. They looked completely confining. But, suddenly, with Kagome not looking at him, and his feelings for her on the tip of his tongue, nowhere felt more confining than the forest they were in. He'd trade in for those shoes in a heartbeat.
He shook his head roughly. What the hell was he doing? The girl he had come to completely fall for was standing in front of him, who had, by the way just killed his arch nemesis, and all he could think of was wearing shoes.
Oh yeah, he definitely wasn't thinking straight anymore. Not with Kagome around.
'Get a grip! Just talk to her!' he told himself. Finally, he'd braced himself. He opened his mouth, and croaked out a somewhat hoarse, "Kagome, listen, there's something you need to-"
When he was interrupted by his own name.
"Inuyasha."
Only, Kagome wasn't the one saying it.
Both Kagome and Inuyasha looked up. Kagome's jaw dropped, and Inuyasha's eyes popped.
As they both stared at the same person, in unison, they whispered, "Kikyo?"
Damn. Talk about bad timing.
AN: So, raise your hand if you want to kill me?
Everyone: raises hand
That's what I thought. Believe me, if I had put all of it into one chapter, it'd take me forever to update.
And yes, I'm fully aware that this chapter has no singing in it whatsoever. I promise that next chapter will be so much song fluff, you'll probably choke on it.
This just need to happen this way.
Who doesn't love a good cliffhanger?