"The Heart's Immaculence"
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to it.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I am trying very hard to write as much as I can and as quickly as possible. I have been busy and find it difficult to find the time I desire to write as well as I would like. Anyway, I was able to write a little more than usual. Hope you like it!
Chapter Three
The sun rose up over the horizon, and the birds chirped a melodious song, announcing the arrival of a new day ahead. All living things were awakening from their slumber, and a slight, brisk breeze swept over the land, hinting that the day's weather would be cozy and comfortable. Still, as comely as the morning was, not all was perfect and well with Inuyasha. He woke up feeling uneasy and anxious. Something cumbersome was lingering in his mind and heart, a disquieting sharpness devouring his internal, emotional chamber.
"Something is not right," Inuyasha said worriedly. "I don't know what it is, but I bet it has to do with Kagome."
His friends remained asleep on the ground, and they appeared to be dreaming, especially Miroku who had a boyish and mischievous smile on his face. Sango was less conspicuous as she inhaled and exhaled softly, but Shippo was not so relaxed. He was curled up in a ball next to Kilala, snuggled against her soft fur, and his face was twisted in a most uncomfortable expression. He always had a smile on his face when he slept next to Kagome, tucked under her protective arms, but now one could see he was not sleeping soundly as usual.
Inuyasha, after rising to his feet and observing his sleeping friends, decided it was time for them to get up. He grabbed his sword and gently nudged each of the sleepers, just enough to rouse them to open their eyes.
"Alright everybody, it's time to be on our way," Inuyasha said.
"Inuyasha?" Sango said sleepily. "Is it not a little early? We rarely get up around this time. Oh!" She remembered Kagome was not with them and figured she was the reason Inuyasha was eager that they all be ready to leave and go find her.
Shippo and Kilala woke up too. "Is it time to go already?" Shippo said with a yawn. "What about breakfast?"
"Forget about that, Shippo!" Inuyasha yelled rudely. "We don't have time to worry about feeding that greedy stomach of yours!"
Shippo was thrown aback by Inuyasha's sudden and frightening temper. He clung to Kilala's fur and buried his face in it.
"I wish Kagome was here," Shippo despaired.
"You know, you didn't have to snap at him like that," Sango said to Inuyasha. "He's just a child after all."
"I have a bad feeling in my gut, Sango," Inuyasha replied. "And I don't want to waste any time waddling around here when Kagome is out there by herself."
"I understand. Let me just—Hey!" Sango noticed that Miroku was still asleep, unaware of what was happening around him. She pointed at the monk and Inuyasha went over to him.
Stopping in front of him and bending over to look at his face, Inuyasha shook his head mildly and said, "He sure is dreaming about something amusing. Look at the smile he has on his face."
"No doubt it's something perverted," said Sango in a jealous tone.
"Well, whatever it is, it's time to put his dreams to an end." Inuyasha kicked Miroku on his side, but rather than him waking up with a start, the monk stretched out his arms and wrapped them around Inuyasha's neck, pulling him towards his face.
"Let me go, you lecherous monk!" Inuyasha shouted. The hanyou tried to wiggle free but it was too late. Miroku placed a damp kiss on Inuyasha's lips as he stroked his long, silver hair. Sango, Shippo and Kilala gasped at the sight but their surprise soon turned to laughter as they saw how ridiculous both Inuyasha and Miroku appeared with their mouths glued to each other.
Finally, after a minute of struggle, Inuyasha broke free and punched Miroku in the face.
"Was that you, Sango?" Miroku asked now as he touched his cheek, awake but with his eyes still closed. "You have never hit me so hard."
"I was the one who hit you, pervert!" Inuyasha growled while wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.
After hearing the hanyou's words, Miroku opened his eyes and let out a cry. He also wiped his mouth, shaking his head wildly, not wanting to believe what he had just done.
"Disgusting!" Miroku said. "You mean it wasn't you I kissed, Sango?"
Sango shook her head and laughed. "No, Miroku. I'm afraid you kissed Inuyasha instead of me. I should be grateful though that Inuyasha took my place. He saved me from your perversion."
"You're welcome!" Inuyasha said sarcastically, wishing it had been Sango instead of him.
"Ghastly!" Miroku said. "I truly thought it was a woman I was kissing. The feel of the lips, the hair! I don't understand."
"Hey, what are you saying, Miroku?" Inuyasha replied angrily. "Are you saying you mistook me for a woman because certain things about my physical form feel feminine!"
"I was asleep, Inuyasha, How could I know? I did feel I was kissing a woman. It's not my fault you were born with features that are rather feminine."
"Why you!" Inuyasha curled his fists. "It looks like you're asking for another punch."
"No, thank you, Inuyahsa. I'm not in the mood for violence. Let's just forget it happened. No one else saw what happened but Sango, Shipp and Kilala. They'll keep it a secret."
"Not from Kagome," Shippo interjected with a slight giggle. "She has to know about this. It's too funny not to share."
"You will tell Kagome nothing!" Inuyasha growled again. "Speaking of Kagome, we better leave now!"
Everyone gathered up their things and agreed to not say a word about the embarrassing scene that occurred between Inuyasha and Miroku. However, Shippo was joyful with excitement, for he knew Kagome would love to hear about this little secret, and although he promised not to tell, he was definitely going to tell her.
The group began walking deeper into the forest, and Inuyasha sniffed the air and the ground to try and locate her scent. Unfortunately, his sense of smell was not up to par for some reason. His nose only gathered a slight touch of Kagome's aroma, and he was able to follow it for a mile or two until it completely disappeared.
Inuyasha stopped in his tracks.
"What is it, Inuyasha? Are we getting closer to finding Kagome?" Miroku wondered.
"Her scent has disappeared. I can't trace it anymore. What can this mean?" Inuyasha said, stupefied.
"She has to be around here somewhere. We'll find her. We just have to put our heads together and figure this out." said Sango optimistically, patting Kilala's back while standing beside her.
"I hope Kagome doesn't run into any trouble," said Miroku.
"Yeah, there are hungry, evil demons out there," Shippo added. "She can be slaughtered. Poor Kagome! I can't think of the suffering she would feel. We wouldn't be worrying about her if it wasn't for Inuyasha upsetting her!"
"Would you stop blaming me, you annoying fox!" Inuyasha grabbed his neck and shook him fiercely before letting him fall to the ground. "What happens between me and Kagome is none of your business!"
"But it is mine!"
Inuyasha and the gang turned around to see who had just spoken. Disclosing his form from within the trees, Koga emerged with a displeased look on his face.
"Koga!" Inuyasha bellowed. "How could I miss your scent? Why are you here?"
"I've come to talk to you about Kagome."
"Kagome isn't with us," Sango said.
"Inuyasha made her run off," Shippo said bravely as Inuyasha gave him a killer look.
"I'm not surprised," Koga interceded. "He is nothing but a disgusting mutt who doesn't deserve to be with a girl like Kagome. I would never treat her so carelessly. I saw how you hurt her, the sadness in her eyes."
"Wait a minute!" said Miroku. "Koga, you said you saw Kagome hurt and sad. Did you speak to her? Do you know where she is?"
"Of course I do. Before I came here I spoke to Kagome a few hours ago, and she was not her lovely, spirited self all thanks to mutt-face."
"What!" Inuyasha yelled. "You idiot! Why didn't you bring her with you? What were you thinking leaving her all alone out there?"
"She was not in any danger. Kagome can take care of herself, and I did offer to give her shelter by taking her to my tribe's campsite, but she refused and wanted to be alone. I did what she desired and let her be. Unlike a jerk I know, I make sure my woman is given what she wants and is happy."
"Listen you," Inuyasha roared. "I don't know what you want with me, but whatever it is, wolf, I don't have time to waste. I have other things to worry about right now, like Kagome."
"Kagome is my worry too, dog boy. Now I didn't come all the way out here for nothing. I'm going to give you a piece of my mind about how you treat her. Who do you think you are abandoning her like that? When I saw her face, she was sad and hurt, and who else could have made her like that but you. You better tell me what you did to make her so unhappy."
"You are irritating me, wolf! You have no right sticking your nose into my business. What happened with me and Kagome is not your concern. Besides, if I hurt her, I did not mean to. I would never allow her to be hurt by anyone."
"Still you allow her to get hurt by you. I don't think that's fair. It is alright for you to hurt her but not anyone else, is that what you mean?"
"Kagome is my problem, Koga! Stay out of this!"
"Your problem? That's right. Kagome is your problem. That is the reason she was sorrowful. She thinks she is a problem to you. You deserve to be tortured, Inuyasha, for the things you do to my Kagome. I'll make you pay!"
Koga lunged towards Inuyasha in a fury, and the hanyou unsheathed Tetsusaiga, ready to release all his conflicting emotions in his battle with the wolf demon. Sango and Miroku looked at each other and shook their heads and Shippo was delighted that Koga was defending Kagome and could not wait to have him give Inuyasha a taste of his own medicine.
"You guys, stop it!" Sango shouted.
"This will not get us anywhere!" Miroku said.
Inuyasha and Koga began to fight, and they both were oblivious to any voices surrounding them. Koga dogged Inuyasha's every strike at him with his blade, and Inuyasha was not at all impressed by his rival's fighting style. For several minutes they were both running all over the place, jumping, swinging and swaying, kicking, punching…Neither one of them was going to stop or give in until someone was literally killed. Without being aware of it, Sango swung her Hiraikotsu and it hit both Inuyasha and Koga, making them fall hard to the ground.
"Enough you two!" said Sango heavily. "Have you both forgotten about Kagome? I thought you cared about her. It doesn't seem that way to me by the way you two are fighting. Seems like you care more about proving who's better."
"She's right," Miroku said defendingly. "Kagome should be your priority right now."
"Kagome was my priority until Koga showed up!" Inuyasha said.
"Sure doesn't look the way, mutt!"
"Just shut up, will ya!" Inuyasha sheathed his sword, realizing his actions were not solving anything. Fighting Koga would not help him find Kagome, and she was more important than victory over a senseless battle.
"Let's get going, Inuyasha. Time has already been spent on nothing." Miroku took Inuyasha by the shoulder and led him away from Koga.
"Wait!" Sango said. "Maybe Koga can help us. He was the last one to see Kagome after all. He can take us to her since Inuyasha cannot smell her scent anymore."
"Lost your sense of smell, have you?" Koga asked Inuyasha. "Goes to show a dog's sense of smell is weak compared to a wolf's."
Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "There is no way I'm going to let him help me find Kagome. I'd rather do it alone."
"Suit yourself, dog."
"There he goes again," Shippo sighed. "Always the jerk."
"Inuyasha, stop thinking about yourself and think of Kagome. We need Koga, whether you like it or not." Miroku was beginning to lose his patience with the hanyou. "If you don't want to come along with us, then just stay here and pout. We are going."
"Can you please tell us where Kagome is, Koga?" Sango asked.
"No problem." Koga said with a look of triumph in his eyes.
Inuyasha, unhappy about Koga accompanying them, had no choice but to submit. It was true. Kagome is the important one now. If he had to endure accepting Koga's help for her sake, then so be it. Inuyasha still could not shrug that terrible feeling he felt inside him, and somehow it seemed more poignant.
As they all walked together, Koga, Inuyasha and his friends were silent and thoughtful. Perhaps neither any of them wanted to speak a word because they felt the tension in the air. But if there was one good thing that would come out of it, it would be finding Kagome and reuniting her with Inuyasha, despite the way Koga should feel about it.
Inuyasha and Koga were ahead of the group, and suddenly they both stopped together. It was obvious they sensed something wrong.
"I smell Kagome, but she is in trouble," Koga said. "I also smell demon and human blood."
"Damn it! Why can't I smell her?" Inuyasha asked.
"Like I told you, your sense of smell is weak," Koga answered.
"Whatever!" Inuyasha dismissed Koga's comment and concentrated. Then he finally smelled a familiar scent, one he could not stand.
"I smell another scent," said Koga. "But I don't recognize it."
"I do," Inuyasha said. "I am all too familiar with the stench."
"Who is it, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked. "Who are you talking about?"
Inuyasha knitted his brows and stared straight into the many layers of trees that set a long, rough barrier to the place where Kagome was at.
Frightened of what he might do to her if he discovered her, Inuyasha spoke the name of the individual whose scent presently disturbed him: "Sesshomaru."
Done! This chapter took longer than I thought, but I hope it prepares you enough for the entrance of Sesshomaru. I can't wait to write about him. I'm excited about it since Sesshomaru is a strong personality, and I'll do my best to make his character shine through. I just hope I'm making the other characters sound like themselves and not differently. Once again, please review. Your comments motivate me to write better. Arigato!