A/N: Well then, I am starting the next chapter right now. I guess it is turning up before Christmas break after all! I hope you like it, this one will start a whole new adventure for Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango. Read on! And thanks for your reviews!
Previous: "Ok!" Kohaku shouted confidently, "I'll take you on Shippo!"
The two boys positioned themselves on either side of the ring and bowed.
"Let's go!" Shippo started off the course and leaped at Kohaku with an attack.
Shippo turned his small body at Kohaku and was in perfect position to land a kick at his shoulder.
Thinking fast, Kohaku ducked his left shoulder to an angle. Right before Shippo's attack landed, he pushed up and shifted all his weight to his arms as he had seen his sister do many times. Kohaku caught his weight all in one arm, doing a one-handed hand-stand and propelled himself up. Shippo went flying past him, but Kohaku flipped and brought both of his legs down on Shippo at once. It caught the small kitsune and Shippo fell with an "oof!"
He went skidding across the battle ring and landed on his rear end. "Owww, Kohaku!"
Kohaku was already on his feet again, he started running towards Shippo, fists ready and all his weight in the left leg, but this time, Shippo was ready for him. He parried Kohaku's attack easily and was almost able to land a punch straight in his gut if Kohaku had not pulled his arm up to protect himself at the last minute.
Reacting quickly, Kohaku grabbed Shippo's arm and attempted to smash him straight into the ground.
"Ack!" In panic, Shippo changed into a flying duck and flew out of Kohaku's grasp.
"Hey, no fair using fox magic!"
"Nya nya!" Shippo mocked as he flew higher and higher, out of Kohaku's reach.
"I'll get you Shippo!" He quickly took out his kusarigana and sent it spiraling into the air. It caught harmlessly onto Shippo's foot and began dragging him down.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" Shippo immediately 'popped' back into his original form and went spiraling down, straight onto Kohaku.
"Omf!" The two boys landed in a heap at the foot of the sparring ring.
"Hey, that was your fault!" Shippo wailed.
"That was not! You used your fox magic!"
"But you pulled me down!"
The two boys immediately got up and resumed a stance. Shippo quickly brought both fists up into an offensive stance. Kohaku, thinking about Shippo's fox magic, stood up straight, arms to the side, in a defensive stance.
"Don't tell me you're scared!" Shippo mocked at his friend.
"Hardly!" Kohaku simply stayed still and braced himself.
"Here I come!" Shippo ran like the wind towards Kohaku, moving swiftly form left to right. He got right underneath him and did a leg sweep. Kohaku, retaliating, brought his arm over his face and copied Shippo's attack. He stopped Shippo's attack and quickly caught onto his foot.
"Ack!" Shippo yanked at his foot, and when Kohaku wouldn't let go, he aimed a punch at him, sending the young demon slayer sprawling into the bushes.
"That's playing dirty!" Kohaku complained as he picked himself up.
"Playing dirty? You were the one that grabbed my leg!" Shippo raced towards Kohaku again, this time arms outstretched. He ran straight past Kohaku, and in the motion, delivered a fluid punch straight into Kohaku's gut.
Kohaku bent over onto the ground. Shippo ran in another circle, ready to finish his friend off, but this time Kohaku was prepared. Before Shippo could deliver another attack, he caught him by the chest. Kohaku immediately pushed Shippo into the ground and in one movement, punched him straight in the back.
He heard his friends choke and go limp. Standing up proudly, Kohaku threw his chest out. This was the first time that he had ever fought Shippo. He couldn't believe it! Kohaku couldn't wait to tell his sister that he had defeated Shippo!
"Owww….you fight too hard!"
"Do not! You just lost!"
Shippo grumbled and sat down to rub his sore back. "Now you have to go up against Kirara!"
"Yeah, I can beat any one of you now!" He stood up and ran to Kirara.
"Mew…."
"Oh c'mon Kirara, just this once? Please?"
She looked uncertainly to the side, Sango would maul her if she brought back her little brother dead!
"C'mon Kirara, I just wanna practice!"
She looked up and then down again. Her tail flicked back and forth in irritation.
"Yeah, c'mon Kirara," Shippo said, "Give it a go!"
She gave one last uncertain look and then with one last flick of her tail, she transformed into the monstrous demon form and shook herself off.
"Yes! This is going to be great! I'll be the master of both of you!"
Kirara growled playfully and went into a 'cat-stance.'
Kohaku carefully filed through his choices. He could go into a defensive stance as he had done with Shippo, but that made it extremely difficult to change back into offensive stance. He also considered another stance meant for the sword that was supposed to deliver an ultimate attack, but he was not as good as his sister was at converting these things. At last, Kohaku settled with the horse-stance, ma-bu, with his fist above his head, arm parried, and legs bent apart.
Kirara came charging at Kohaku, of course not using full strength quite yet. She would save that for latter if Kohaku proved to become a challenge.
"Rowr!" She lunged at Kohaku's chest, fangs barred.
Kohaku quickly brought his fist down and protected his chest by placing his arm in the path of Kirara's attack.
Kirara carefully moved the front of her jaw forward, and bit down where her teeth were not so sharp. However, the bite still made Kohaku flinch, and react a little rashly. He took out his kusarigana and threw it headlong into Kirara. With a startled snarl, Kirara flew backwards.
Kohaku caught his kusarigana with skill and ran towards the feline. She leaped aside, and for a few moments, the two were engaged with dodging and aiming.
Finally Kohaku broke free of the repetitive motion and wrapped his weapon around Kirara's neck. He jerked downwards, attempting to get some damage done.
She jerked back at the same time, and the kusarigana came right out of Kohaku's grasp.
She wasted no time in lunging at the stunned demon slayer. Landing on top of him, she bared her fangs menacingly and placed it at the tip of his neck.
"Alright, alright. You win Kirara…" Kohaku pushed the heavy feline off and grabbed his kusarigana back.
Kirara meowed proudly and changed back into her adorable and lovable form. She mewed sweetly and pranced onto Kohaku's shoulders.
"Thanks Kirara, that was great."
She nuzzled up against Sango's brother and twitched her whiskers in amusement; she sure had showed the boys who was boss!
"Where am I?" Am I in my bed? But how can that be…I fell asleep last night…"In front of Sesshomaru!"
"Finally woken have you?" The youkai was sitting comfortably at the foot of her bed. He looked like he had been waiting there forever.
"How did I end up in here?"
"Do not ask questions that waste my time." He growled at Kagome and stood up.
Kagome flushed as she remembered last night. Sesshomaru had been tolerable, maybe even slightly gentle. "Sorry about last night…" She embarrassedly remembered her behavior last night when she had found out the even Sesshomaru did not know what had happened to her.
"Think nothing of it."
Kagome looked up, surprised that the youkai lord had not made the usual snide comment that she was used to.
"Get dressed, and come to the pond."
"You're not sending Jaken?"
"Surely you do not need his assistance after so long?" Sesshomaru remarked sarcastically.
Kagome boiled; it seemed that whatever the youkai said, it always made her really angry. "I can find my way fine thank you!" she snapped back at him.
He simply smirked and walked out the door. Why am I being to nice to Kagome?
Kagome went through the usual routine, and even though she had only been here for two or three days, it was becoming quite regular. She took out an outfit that had pant legs, it looked a little more sporty. Kagome briefly wondered if it was meant for a man, but quickly dismissed the thought.
Turing out of the room, she started towards the pond. It was right by the small dining area that the usually ate in. Kagome found Sesshomaru standing in front of the water front, his hair billowing around him. She stepped forward, built up her courage, and walked in next to Sesshomaru.
He looked up as a ray of sunlight cast diamond shaped crystals all along the pond. They formed a perfect line and seemed to follow each other in suit. "You will be returned, so stop acting so worried."
Kagome looked up form her fidgeting. "Returned huh?"
"I will take you back to my brother," he continued, "but you must wait."
"Mm…Why?"
"I must find out what has happened to you. My foolish brother would simply make matters worse."
Well you started it! Kagome thought angrily. "How long do I have to wait?"
"That is not for you to ask."
"What do you mean? You did something to me, now fix it!"
"This Sesshomaru can not."
Kagome was in no mood to be lulled by his soft tone. She snapped back at him in a tone that often times even made Inuyasha flinch. "Well find a way right now, or you'll be sorry Sesshomaru!"
He simply glanced over at Rin and then back at Kagome. "You should go on with your teachings of Rin."
"Don't' tell me what to do!" Then she immiediatly became worried, she still had the bloody rosary with her.
Sesshomaru sensed Kagome's sudden fear, then flicked his tail in amusement. She's still worried about the rosary. He brought Kagome into him and placed his hand around her neck. Carefully lifting the enchanted neckless off of her. He picked it up and then let go of it. The rosary flew around and then disappeared into dust.
She stared at the lord and looked confused. "Why?"
"You will learn obedience in other ways," was all his answer. "Now go, you must continue your teachings with Rin."
Kagome nodded and ran off to find the girl. It was more than she could have asked for to get the neckless taken off so soon. She would simply have to be satisfied for now.
"Kagome-sama! What will you teach Rin today?"
"Well, we've already done the bow and arrows several times, to lets see how we do with the sword, just for fun. After that, we can go back to archery again."
"Hai!" The girl danced off happily towards the fields.
Oh no, what am I doing? I don't even know how to use a sword! Well, maybe I watched Inuyasha enough that I can show Rin-chan some stuff…
"Ok Rin-chan, we will first start off with stances…" Uhh…I don't' really think that Inuyasha uses stances…he just kind of pulls the sword out and attacks. Hey, maybe I can teach her something that Sango told me.
"Umm, this is a defensive stance for the sword." Kagome demonstrated standing up straight, with hands to the side. Rin followed with ease.
"Now," Kagome said repeating Sango's words, "when you start in a defensive stance, it is very difficult to change back to an offensive stance, but this position allows fluid movements close to the body."
Rin listened, drinking in all the information that she could get from her new sensei. Kagome went through various techniques, (all copied from Sango's teachings) and their purposes. She was becoming a more skilled teacher by the minute.
Meanwhile, Sesshomaru observed form an upwards angle at the top of a hill. He pricked his sharp ears and listened to Kagome's teachings.
"And this is another great defensive stance," Kagome listed off randomly.
"Don't you mean offensive?" Sesshomaru's voice rang out behind Kagome as he stared at the miko. "This stance is often used by ultimate swordsman, more than your little friend could do. It is used for god-like speed and can deliver an attack that can wipe out many. Be careful what you teach." The youkai lord glared at Kagome menacingly before turning away.
Embarrassed, Kagome flushed. "Sorry," she said quietly.
"Sorry, does not change what you speak."
She nodded and started talking to Rin in a quieter voice.
This path is easy to follow! I have never really thought about backtracking myself! Inuyasha had left the mysterious room and blood-drowned map. He needed to find Sango and Miroku to find out what to do with the map. Miroku, or surely Sango could think of a solution.
Inuyasha rounded a corner and followed it down the hallway, backtracking all the way to the place that he had started. He followed the demon slayer's and houshi's scents to a floating garden. Carefully, he picked up the scent of arousal near the peach tree and in the soft grass. That damn perverted monk… Inuyasha shook himself off; perhaps the scents had not meant anything too adult mannered.
Inuyasha walked out another end of the garden, it led to another hallway and every step of the way, he picked up Miroku and Sango's scent even stronger.
He continued on, and then all of a sudden stopped. There they were, at the end of the hallway…and apparently, Sango seemed quite at ease with the houshi…sitting on his lap and all. Damn it, she can't possibly be that stupid!
"Sango, Miroku!"
"Huh, Inuyasha!" Miroku looked enlightened to see his friend again. "Inuyasha, where have you been?"
"Feh, I should ask you the same question. Look, I found a map of the whole region…"
"Really? That's great! Now we can finally find Sesshomaru and Kagome!" The demon slayer smiled at the chance to tell her friend the great news of Miroku's proposal.
"Wait, it's not that simple. I can't read it."
"Well then, bring us to it," the houshi suggested practically.
"That wouldn't make a difference; the whole map is washed out with blood."
There was an eerie silence among the small group.
"Blood, Inuyasha, are you sure" Sango questioned.
"Feh, of course I'm sure, I smelled the stench clinging all over it."
"Miroku, what are we going to do?"
The monk was deep in thought. "Wait, didn't Kagome once show us a little trick with some lemon juice?"
"Huh? Oh yea, how she writes a message and flashed a light on it to make it appear again?"
"Well, maybe if we wash out the map with lemon juice, and then flash the light on it, we may be able to read it!"
"Well yes Miroku that is a great idea, but what is the light called and how do we find it?" The demon slayer brought a practical question to Miroku's 'logic'.
"Hey, I think it was called a VU light or something…" (really called UV floodlight…) Inuyasha looked up proudly for solving the mystery of the 'light'.
"Yes, now I remember, it was something along the lines!" The houshi exclaimed.
"But how do we get it?" Sango voiced.
"Good question," Miroku said.
"That's easy, we go to Kagome's time and get one!" Inuyasha said.
"Kagome's time?" Sango said uncertainly.
"Hai, we can leave now!"
"Ah! Inuyasha calm down!" Miroku said. We must not rush things.
"Yes, and stealing is wrong, Kagome said something about buying…I wonder if it is like trading…"
"Well there's only one way to find out! Let's get going, now!"
"But we can't travel through time!"
"Yes you can, you have a bottle of my blood."
"Eh, yes Inuyasha, about that…" The houshi was cut off by the hanyou again.
"Let's go, right now!" He stood up determinedly.
"Wait, what about Shippo, Kirara and my brother?" Sango asked.
"They'll have to wait. We don't have time to go looking for them!"
"C'mon already, let's go!"
"Ok…" Sango said uncertainly. She followed the hanyou with Miroku close in pursuit. This would be a whole new adventure, in the 21th century.
A/N: Hope you liked that too! It was fun to write. I was disappointed that not as many people reviewed on my last chapter…did you guys not like it? Please review this time. I send my love.
Reviewer Responses:
meluvsokka: Glad you liked it Michelle! I learned also learned Kagome's lesson of "towels are only for gas fires." Haha
Th3sky1sb1ue: Ack, I hate your new name, it is so annoying!
And thank you to my other reviewers Myst172 (haha) lil fluff girl (read now! I worked to hard on it and I really want me best friend to read!) AnimeLover454 (thank you)
Friend's thoughts:
(I am looking at random people when I see someone in a red shirt and pants that has somewhat long hair. He kinda looked like Inuyasha…)
Me: (on a balcony) "Oh Romeo, Oh Rome, where shall thou Romeo?
Guy who looks like Inuyasha: You the heck are you?