Before exiting Clock Town, the group found their path blocked by a young man, dressed in heavily equipped armor. The duty of a Clock Town soldier was to remain adamant in one's duties to secure peace to the citizens. Often they guarded the entrance into the settlement, though occasionally refused if a child so much as dared to step out of the protecting walls without adult supervision.
The young man, quite young in appearance, offered a kind smile to the group. "Venturing out?" He asked.
Inuyasha smugly looked at the man. "What's it to ya?" He felt an elbow hit his side, and he glared at the priestess beside him.
"Yeah," Was her reply as she ignored Inuyasha.
A familiar face of that from a child caught his attention suddenly and he couldn't help but bend down and ruffle the boy's hair. "You're the little boy who tried to trick me a while back, aren't you?" Yes, he remembered the child and laughed.
Brown eyes shifted from the guard to little Shippo, and Kagome couldn't help but disapprovingly gaze at the child at her feet. "Shippo," She warned, and from her tone of voice, he peered up. "Were you playing tricks again?"
His mouth fell open and he couldn't help but shake his head from side to side. "I didn't do anything," Shippo replied, feeling quite anxious and confused by what the guard said.
From the young girl's reprimanding voice, the young man glanced up and regained his standing. "Are you this boy's mother?" He questioned, and from her slight nod, he found he couldn't believe it. Such a young woman she was, though he supposed it was a good age to start having children. "He's a sweet boy, reminds me of my own."
Though still baffled about the relationship between Kagome and Shippo, Link wondered if it was actually possible. No...Link remembered Kagome telling him that she had gone back in time through her family's well and met the fox as well as her other companions, so there was no way they were related by blood. So why did he call her his mom and why call him her son? Was there a deep connection between them?
The guard smiled at the boy, somewhat hidden behind the priestess's legs. "You little rascal! And here you tried to make me believe something happened to her, but she's alright," He replied with a laugh. "Children these days shouldn't pull such pranks."
Suddenly remembering why this guy looked so familiar, Shippo leapt onto Kagome's shoulders and glared. "I wasn't playing a prank. My mom was missing!" He yelled, surprising his teammates who found the situation somewhat startling.
Instantly, Kagome understood and stared at the amused man in front of her. So Shippo warned him and yet he did nothing to save her? She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists.
A fierce flame wrapped itself around the priestess's form though it went unnoticed to the young man. When he saw the glares directed from behind her, his laughter ceased and he gulped. Somewhat befuddled, his eyes returned to the girl and it was then he regretted jesting over something quite serious. As her shoulders trembled slightly, he felt the urge to reach out to her, though he was hesitant. Unfortunately his attempt to console her fell short and he found fierce blue eyes firmly fixed on his own, daring him to make a move; his eyes said it all, 'hands off.'
Determined to teach the sniveling man a lesson he'd never forget, Inuyasha stepped closer, popping his knuckles in warning of what was to come; it was enough to frighten the guard.
"Sir, are you implying that our young friend told you of his mother's kidnap, and yet you did nothing about it?" Came Miroku's voice as he stood in front of his female friend.
He gulped again and perspiration fell from his brow. What would he do? He made a mistake and let a poor girl get abducted. What would his superior say about this? Well the good thing now was that she was ok; that's what really mattered, right?
Sango placed a comforting hand on the young girl's shoulder; she and Kagome already knew the truth, that she had never been raped by that man, though the fact that the guard had done nothing to help save her that night stabbed Kagome hard.
"What's the racket over here?" A masculine voice called out, and immediately the guard felt his heart pound in his chest.
Nervousness dripped from his brow and he hesitantly tried to explain the situation, but feared he would likely lose his job because of it. "I...I uh...well..."
The man, who was dressed in a higher ranked armor stood before the group, eyeing them from top to bottom. Stubble covered his face, leading the others to suspect he hadn't shaved that morning. Well past his forties, he stood quite straight with his head held high in superiority. "Is there a problem?"
Shippo openly pointed at the guard, whom Inuyasha held against the wall. "That man let my mom get kidnapped! He didn't do anything to help!"
Surprised, the commanding guard fixed his hard gaze upon the young soldier. "Is this true? His mother was kidnapped and you dismissed it?"
Even the commander was against him. "I-I thought it was a game...I didn't notice anything suspicious..."
Angered, Shippo once again voiced his complaints. "I told you I was serious! If anyone's to blame, it's you! You're supposed to help people!"
Inuyasha heard enough. "So you let that bastard run out of here?" What the hell kind of security were they running around this town? They were pathetic excuses for lookouts; hell he could do a much better job.
"I-I had n-no knowledge and I didn't s-see anything out of the ordinary," The man replied with a sudden stutter as Inuyasha slowly cracked his knuckles. "If you c-could give a name and d-d-description...then I would be—"
Now this Miroku found hard to believe. "You had no knowledge? A child reported his missing mother and you laughed. What does that say about your duty to the town?" Well they certainly had a name and a description and that man's face was plastered on all the walls of Clock Town.
"I've heard about enough..." Raising his fist, Inuyasha reared his arm back and prepared to knock the man in the face, but he never got the chance. Instead, he fell back when a loud slap echoed through the town.
Residents who passed by paused on their daily errands watched with piqued interest. The slap had been so loud, that it had astonished them, especially the young adults crowded around the exit.
With his head turned to the side due to the rather harsh and painful blow, the sentry averted his eyes away from the bar and to the young girl standing irately before him, with her hand still held high and ready to strike again. He saw her tearful gaze penetrate his own; he blamed himself.
That fact that she had slapped a young man, who hadn't been seriously aware of her kidnap, she felt guilty yet at the same time furious. Sometimes it was better to listen to the voice of a child rather than assume everything they said turned out to be lies.
"Kagome..." Sango whispered.
Even Pamela, who was half hidden behind Miroku, couldn't help but stare at the scene unfolding in front of her. She had no idea what the adults were talking about, but it seemed severe.
"I was scared..." Kagome softly muttered, her eyes hidden by her bangs as she spoke to everyone around her. "If my friends hadn't have saved me in time, then...but I wasn't harmed," A sigh escaped her and her shoulders slumped as she lowered her hand to her side. Sakon's main goal was to steal the Jewel; somehow he had knowledge of it in this world and she wasn't sure how, but her only guess was someone had told him, someone who could possibly be responsible for Termina's inevitable end.
The half demon's ears picked up on her soft voice and he found that he couldn't quite believe his ears. Kagome hadn't been harmed? But she was returned with multiple bruises. Perhaps she wasn't raped? Wait, since when did this information surface?
Without a word, she stepped past the still man and out the exit; she didn't look back.
Following after her, Link barely spared the guard a glance. Security had always been lacking it seemed. "Come along, Serena," He called, and the little fairy, who had been so engrossed in the entire event, fluttered after her two companions.
Ashamed and embarrassed by the man, the commanding official shook his head disappointedly. It was bad enough that his men were lazy these days, and he didn't need one of his own men screwing up. "Allowing a thief to run out of this town with one of our citizens is very upsetting...Not only are you a disgrace to your town, but you disgrace the honor of true men."
He gulped but lowered his head. "Forgive me..."
"Forgive you? You're lucky nothing befell that young girl," Replied the older male. The superior officer looked Inuyasha in the eye. "Do you have a description of the one responsible for her kidnap?" He asked seriously.
Inuyasha glared. "You've got that bastard's picture all over town...Shouldn't be too hard to figure out..."
With widened eyes, he grabbed the young guard by the back of his neck, earning a cry from the said sentry. "You let that scoundrel escape? Do you realize what you've done?!"
As the commander berated his lackey, the gang followed after Kagome and Link. The fact that their friend had admitted to not being harmed echoed in Miroku, Shippo and Inuyasha's head. Sango already knew the truth, as did Link and Serena.
Ψ
Silently, Kagome trudged along, and a frown marred her once elated face. So far, her morning had been quite nice, until now. Now that Inuyasha knew, he'd surely try to pick a fight with her. Why was that? Because he probably wouldn't believe the fact that she hadn't been violated.
"She's upset..." Serena whispered into the young swordsman's ears, as he walked a few feet behind her.
Even he knew that. There was nothing he could do anyway; it was something Kagome would have to understand and deal with on her own. Sure the whole matter was depressing, but at least she was okay; that's what counted. If he could somehow take away her tears, fears and sadness, he would, but Link didn't know how or if doing so would be right.
Deciding to say something to ease the silence hovering around them, Link opened his mouth to call out to her, but he stopped himself. Kagome was still walking away, distancing herself from the town as well as her friends too, but either she didn't notice or she just didn't simply care at the moment. He wanted to stop her, but something told him not to and to leave her alone. Link never did do so well with this sort of stuff; in fact, it made him feel a little awkward. "Kago—"
"Hey! Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted suddenly.
One moment Link was about to console the priestess walking in front of him, and the next he was pushed aside by a certain silver haired half demon. Did Inuyasha lack moral respect? Link felt his hands clench in annoyance, but he refrained from saying anything, but rather, he settled on glaring at Inuyasha. A simple, 'excuse me' would have sufficed.
Seeing the anger in her partner's eyes, Serena couldn't help but sweat drop. 'Uh oh...'
Caught up with his retreating friend, Inuyasha walked alongside her long strides. "Hey, is it true?"
Kagome spared him a glance. "That I wasn't raped? Yes..." She replied nonchalantly, her eyes closed.
Inuyasha saw her expression, and his ears pinned back upon his head. From the way she casually continued on, as if nothing had happened, worried him. She had to be angry. "I-"
"Link told me he had a run in with Sakon the other night," Kagome suddenly admitted, surprising Miroku and the half demon. "What Sakon was really after was the Jewel. He had intended to hurt me, but Link and Shippo showed up before anything could happen," She explained.
Inuyasha blinked then glared back at Link who was walking along side Miroku and Pamela by this point. "Wait, you knew this entire time? Why the hell didn't you say so in the beginning?!"
From behind the monk, Sango frowned. "Because he didn't know," She replied. "Sakon was still wearing his clothes at the time, and there was no proof that he had done anything to her. We only just realized, Inuyasha..."
"You knew too?" Miroku was surprised. Sighing, he supposed it was good news; at least the priestess was no longer burdened with such troubling thoughts.
Serena nodded. "It's true! I guess there was no reason to worry after all."
Inuyasha huffed. "So what else are you hiding from us, Link? Is there anything else we should know?" He criticized, earning glares from each of his companions, excluding Pamela of course, who hadn't a clue what was happening.
Fed up with his constant, irritable interrogations toward Link, Kagome suddenly stopped and turned her body stiffly to face Inuyasha, who hadn't been prepared for the look she sent him. "Would you leave him alone already?!" It was difficult not to lash out on Inuyasha, but he was getting on her last nerve. "I'm ok, so drop it! What's wrong with you? Why do you have to pick a fight with Link? It's bad enough that you pick one with me like every day! Couldn't you for once just be happy for me?" Instead of picking a fight, couldn't he celebrate or show some joy?
Leaning back, Inuyasha couldn't help but swallow. What in the world crawled up her...Why the heck was she always defending that brat? He didn't get it. All he wanted was to ask why she didn't say anything about it in the first place, not bite his head off.
She took a breath and turned toward Inuyasha, while her friends simply stood there and watched the scene before them unfold. "And for your information, it was really none of your business. Link told me because I'm the only one conflicted by it. I would have told you all on my own, but this isn't some..." She paused. "this isn't some modern day talk show where my life is broadcasted on every television screen!" Relieved that she had gotten it all out of her system, she continued on down the path, her friends following after, but a certain half demon remained grounded to his spot.
In all her life, Serena couldn't believe it. How could such a small girl, human no less, contain such venomous hatred inside her soul? To her, it seemed that whenever someone, namely Inuyasha attempted to prick her thorn, those innocent rose petals would enflame with a desire to kill. This other side sought vengeance.
With all of her pent up fury diminished from her system, Kagome took a big breath of the fresh air and sighed. Slowing her speed, Kagome couldn't help but glance at Link, who was calmly walking alongside her, staring ahead with a look of indifference on his face. There was something different about him today, and when she realized what it was, her eyes brightened some. "Link, where is your hat? Did you leave it at the Inn?"
Sango and Miroku sweat dropped; it seemed Kagome was back to her normal self again.
Somewhat embarrassed, Link rubbed his neck but couldn't help but allow a tinge of pink to color his cheeks. "I...uh...put it away for the time being..."
Kagome smiled. "Oh I see." There he went again, rubbing his neck like that. Every time he did that, she couldn't help but smile; it was kind of cute, and she wondered if Link realized that.
A hint of mischief filled Serena's thoughts suddenly, and she fluttered in between the two before perching herself onto his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you put it away for safe keeping..." She muttered somewhat loudly that only Kagome and Link would hear. "Only because she said you looked 'cute' last night!" She blurted rather loudly before giggling.
Inuyasha's ears twitched at this.
Mortified by his annoying fairy friend, Link struck her a glare. How could she yell something so embarrassingly loud, especially in front her? He dared not look at Kagome. That was humiliating; what was with Serena? He turned his head, hoping to hide the fact that his face had taken on a dark shade of crimson, but he couldn't help but look at Kagome from the corner of his eye; she was smiling to herself. Link swallowed and nervously tried to rid himself of his embarrassment.
The fairy's teasing only persisted, along with her many laughs. "Aw you sure do blush easily Link. I was only kidding."
Straight ahead the open foliage of trees spanned a great distance, and the group found themselves walking down a dirt path toward their destination. Up ahead, somewhere in the forest, past the trees, a tall mountain reached the sky, with a ring of clouds circling its peak; from the map Miroku carried with him, it seemed there was a passage way through that mountain to Woodfall. The path forked the road; one would take them through Milk Road which led into the Romani's Ranch, and the other would lead them through Southern Swamp where the third pendant hopefully still resided.
Although Miroku still found the map difficult to read, Link clarified the different routes they could take through Southern Swamp that would lead them to the Deku Palace, where he was sure they were needed. Unfortunately that would have to wait until after they dropped little Pamela off at the Ranch, if her stay was welcomed.
During their walk, Link had fallen behind the young women in front of him, who were chatting up a storm, while Inuyasha settled all the way behind him and Miroku. Shippo was on Kagome's shoulder and Kirara was nestled in little Pamela's arms beside the monk.
While surveying their surroundings, it seemed there was no threat to worry over. During their return to Clock Town, there hadn't been one earthquake, and everything seemed oddly peaceful. Though the town had been somewhat empty, there were still inhabitants around. The sky was still the same as it had been since the festival; it was red and the two eclipses still high in the sky. Though despite the eerie color, there were some blues in the sky peeking out from the redness.
Though he had been calmly enjoying the quietness around him, the youth couldn't help but gaze at the girl in front of him. Link was used to seeing her in her uniform, her green skirt and blouse, but ever since yesterday, he never expected to see her wearing such revealing and tight formed clothing. While the girls were enjoying their gossip, he couldn't help but let his eyes linger on one aspect, and that was her shorts. What did Kagome call them again? Hip hugging shorts? Link supposed the name was fitting for such clothing, because they were indeed short.
From the gentle sway of her hips and her bare thighs rubbing against the other in her casual walk, Link found himself blushing profusely, and he attempted to look elsewhere. What was he doing? This was the second time he found himself looking at her in such an unbecoming way. Girls deserved respect, and Link found himself becoming quite flustered with his male curiosity. In general, women were mysterious creatures, and though he might have glimpsed at a couple in his past, this was the biggest eyeful he ever encountered; now this wasn't a bad thing, but he was quite taken with Kagome, but mainly it was her personality and jovial humor that attracted him, like it did for a moth to a flame. Kagome was easy to get along with, and she was quite cute too.
Once again, Link found his eyes staring at Kagome, lingering from her long ebony locks to her small waist and he turned his head away, only to catch the eyes of a certain monk who was grinning at him. Link realized he must have been watching him the entire time.
"It is a marvelous view," Miroku replied, his eyes sparkling with amusement as the young boy's eyes widened and his face took on a darker shade of burgundy. "I'm actually thinking of asking Lady Kagome if she'd lend me some of those 'shorts' for Sango."
If he could have, he would have denied it, but at the moment, he found it difficult to say anything, lest he made a fool out of himself by accidentally tripping over his words. Of course it wouldn't have been a surprise if he did. Just the fact that Miroku had caught him in such an act embarrassed him. Link supposed it was better than having Serena take notice.
"Something magical always comes out of her bag, such as clear containers she uses to fill with water, and an abundant supply of strange foods from her world," Miroku continued as he mused to himself. Too bad Kagome was fresh out of her supply of ninja food, no thanks to Inuyasha of course. Miroku was sure if Link had sampled some of her goods, he'd be astounded. "But I believe these 'shorts' are the most magical...if you understand my meaning," Miroku winked.
Inuyasha's ears twitched at this. "What the hell are you whispering about Miroku?"
The monk's grin never faltered. "We're discussing Kagome's shorts. Aren't they interesting?"
He felt the urge to roll his eyes. "Oh, that's nothing compared to that two piece she wears..." Inuyasha thought for a minute. "I think she called it a bikini..."
The monk blinked while following behind the unsuspecting girls. "Are you referring to Lady Kagome's undergarments?" He whispered back. If that was the case, then he'd already witnessed them up close during a breezy day some weeks ago.
"No," Inuyasha blushed. Leave it to Miroku to know all about Kagome's personal possessions. "These are more revealing." In fact, they revealed too much skin, and he didn't like it. Stopping, he suddenly knelt down on the ground, thus causing both Miroku and Link to pause on their path and stare. Using his claw, he drew a simple outline in the dirt, something resembling Kagome's bra and panties.
Still, Miroku was confused. "They look somewhat like what she normally wears under her clothing...is a 'bikini' truly that different?"
He nodded. "Yeah, but the only difference is this," He pointed to the drawing of the upper part of her body. "It's mostly just string that keeps it all together."
"String?" Miroku questioned. He eyed the poor drawing Inuyasha sketched into the soil. From what he saw, the attire covering the breasts was quite small, and it was held together by four strings; there was two for around the upper torso and then two for the neck that tied together. Miroku found this quite interesting. Since when did Inuyasha pay so much attention to Kagome's swimwear? His eyes fell onto the groin area, where only a small cloth, resembling Kagome's underwear, shielded the frontal regions of her feminine assets, and supposedly one for the back. However, just like the bikini top, there were also strings attached to this part which tied at either side of her hips, revealing more skin than what was first thought. The monk glanced back at the retreating women, his eyes landing on a particular priestess, and he found himself imagining her in attire.
While Link found this all completely questionable and a little indecent, he couldn't help but observe the drawing. Link never once saw a girl's undergarments, nor did he ever think of such lecherous thoughts. Still, the 'bikini' was quite different from what he was used to. He never knew there was actually swimwear. Normally when one wished to bathe, it would be without clothes, but apparently there were clothes to simply 'swim' in instead of bathe. How odd.
"Why have I never seen Lady Kagome in a bikini?" Inquired the monk.
Wasn't it obvious? Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "She stopped wearing it after you showed up, you perverted monk."
A disappointed frown graced his lips, and he couldn't help but sigh. "How unfortunate..."
Unsure why the guys had suddenly lagged behind, Kagome and the others stopped. Down the road, she saw the boys all huddled together, looking at something interesting on the ground near Inuyasha's feet. What were they looking at? "What are you guys doing?" She yelled.
Feeling as if he'd been caught red handed, Link hurriedly turned away from the drawing. For the first time in what felt like ages, he felt his heart pound in his chest quite loudly and he felt a little nervous. It wasn't as if he had done anything wrong, still though, he couldn't help but avert his eyes away from his teammates.
Standing up straight, the monk waved, flashing the girls a charming smile. "Nothing for you to worry about."
While Miroku persuaded his female friends that nothing was amiss, Inuyasha nonchalantly stood up and silently erased the drawing with his foot, which ushered baffled stares from Kagome and Sango ahead of them.
Of course Serena was no fool. "Nothing my wings!" Fluttering over to the boys, she couldn't help but notice Link's entire face redden as if he'd been caught doing something sneaky, and if she had to guess, the fault lied with the poor examples of role models, Inuyasha and Miroku. "What was that?" Serena asked the half demon suddenly.
"What was what?"
"You drew something in the dirt. What was it?"
Inuyasha arched a brow. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Oh so he was going to play these games, was he? If she had to guess, and judging by Link's face, whatever it was that Inuyasha had marked on the ground probably had something to do with the girls up ahead, quite possibly Kagome.
"Anyways," Inuyasha followed after his three friends. "Let's get a move on."
Sometime during their walk, Kagome had this uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she nervously wondered why. Somewhat bothered, she couldn't help but lean in to her female friend. "It feels like we're being watched..."
Assuming it wasn't her imagination, Sango spared a glance behind her. "It's probably that lecherous monk."
"No...it's stronger...like it's more than one," Curious, Kagome slowly glanced over her shoulder, mid-walk, only to spot Miroku smiling innocently with closed eyes and a somewhat embarrassed blonde haired boy who avoided looking back. From what she could see, Link's face was completely red. 'Huh?' Awkward, Kagome thought perhaps it was her choice of clothes that she decided to wear on their travels; it was easy to walk in.
Looking away, Kagome focused on the path in front of her and Sango, but she couldn't help but sense that feeling again. From The corner of her eye, she noticed Miroku whisper something into Link's ear, and Link embarrassingly looking from her and then away nervously. Even Inuyasha, who was behind the boys, his face was slightly reddened also; this shocked her.
Stiffly, she realized why she had that strange feeling. Deeply embarrassed, she awkwardly fumbled with her shirt, hoping to cover her shorts up so as to keep a perverted monk and half demon from looking. Yeah, she saw the way Miroku was staring at her like that, and she had the nerve to tell Sango, but she refrained from saying anything. At least Link had the decency to look away; Miroku was a bad influence on Link.
Hoping to clear her mind, Kagome sighed, though her attention suddenly shifted away from her uneasiness and onto something directly to her left. An abundant of colorful flowers graced the land of Termina, and there such an ample supply, that she couldn't help but joyously stray from the path she and her friends took.
Baffled, Inuyasha shook his head at the grinning girl. "What are you doing? Don't wander off."
Despite his protest, Kagome waved it off. "There's no harm looking." Bending down in the tall patch of flowers, Kagome reached her hand out and collected them into her arms. Maybe she could press a few in her books and show them to her mother when she returned home. Yellows, blues, violets and pinks, not to mention many oranges and indigo colors surrounded her, filling the path toward the ranch ahead. It was like they were planted there for a reason. Not even her garden at home had so many.
Through the thick patch of plants, where the stems were so high that it concealed him somewhat, Shippo followed after. Pushing through, he stood upon his toes until he barely caught sight of Kagome directly ahead, kneeling off to the side.
"We don't have all day," Inuyasha complained, but Kagome didn't listen.
Pamela found the sight amazing, as she had never seen so many flowers in her life; of course who could blame her? She lived in a dry wasteland for years. Smiling to herself, she picked a small pink flower and showed the small kitten in her arms.
After collecting a few, Kagome stood up, and from the sight of Inuyasha's impatient tapping of his foot, she smiled. "Ok, let's go."
Inuyasha nodded. "Good. Let's stick to the path, and we should arrive at the ranch before late afternoon." Right now he supposed it was nearing 10am, and his stomach growled from missing breakfast.
While Shippo ran out of the patch of flowers to catch up with his friends, Kagome found her attention still shifted to the bouquet in her arms; she was still smiling to herself. Ever so slowly, she stepped through the flowers after her friends.
"I swear I can't keep my eyes off you guys for a minute or else you'd—"
A feminine shriek, which sounded like a familiar priestess, caught the group by surprise suddenly. Turning around, they expected to see a monster the source of her scream, but all they found were her flowers, which she had last been carrying fall through the air in the spot where she last stood.
"disappear..." Inuyasha voiced as he blinked. It wasn't but one second and she was gone.
Panicked, Miroku looked around, but there was no trace of their missing friend. "Kagome?!"
"Where did she go?" Shippo asked as he warily searched his surroundings. His mom couldn't have just vanished into thin air, could she? That wasn't possible.
A muffled voice caught their attention, and everyone leaned closer to the spot where she disappeared. Looking closely they found a large hole in the ground, and they peered inside.
Achingly, Kagome rubbed her butt. Darkness surrounded her, and she squinted up where the light of the sun fell upon her. The faces of her friends' came to view, and she shielded her eyes.
Shippo couldn't see anything through the blackness. "Kagome! Are you okay! Say something!"
A groan reached their ears.
"I'm okay...I think I hurt my ankle..."
While his friends were looking down into the hole, Inuyasha gruffly crossed his arms. "Leave it to Kagome to fall into a hole in the middle of nowhere!" Couldn't she watch where she was going?
Not surprising, her friends nodded, except Link who couldn't help but find their nods disapproving. Was that really any way to think of a friend? Kagome couldn't be that big of a klutz, could she? Falling into a hole in Termina field happened rarely, and he experienced a few falls in his past; Link realized he should have warned ahead of time.
"Are you hurt?" Sango asked cupping the sides of her mouth with her hands.
Yes, she hurt, but it wasn't so bad. Something through the darkness caught her attention, and her mouth parted. "I...I...see a tunnel..."
"What?" Miroku asked. What was his female friend talking about?
Kagome wasn't wrong. There really was a tunnel through this darkness, and she wondered where it led. "There's a...light...I think I hear music too..."
Immediately, the little fox child's expression took on a frightened one. "No! Kagome, stay away from the light!" During his childhood he remembered hearing stories from other demons; apparently who had died once in their lifetime but had somehow regained consciousness. The demons told them of a light they saw just before their eyes closed and reopened, and it was said to be the afterlife. When Kagome didn't reply back, a heavy silence fell on the group. "Kagome! Kagome!" He cried, and his companions couldn't help but sweat drop.
Inuyasha shook his head. "She never listens, damn it!"
"Perhaps Lady Kagome also struck her head when she fell," Miroku thought aloud.
"I'll get her..." Inuyasha groaned, but just before he could reach the hole, Sango stopped him.
"If you do that, you might land on her,"
Shippo nodded. "She's right!"
Sighing, Serena fluttered beside the hole. With her fairy light, it wouldn't be difficult for her at all, and to top that, she wouldn't have to worry about landing on the poor girl below either. "Alright, alright. I'll go down and check on her."
Pleased by this, everyone crowded around as they watched the little fairy descend into the darkness. Deeper and deeper she dropped, and as she did, her light dimmed until it was just a faint speck. They guessed the hole was deeper than they first thought, and if that was the case, Kagome had to have suffered a painful injury.
Inuyasha huffed. "This is annoying."
"It's not her fault!" The fox kit shouted. "How was she supposed to know there was a hole there? What if I had fallen in?"
The half demon shrugged. "Who cares?"
A sudden scream echoed from the underground cavern, and everyone felt their hearts drop. "Help! Link! Get down here quick!" Serena shouted in between her high pitched shrieks.
A gasp escaped the little boy. "What happened?"
Without hesitation, Link immediately jumped into the narrow opening and found himself falling into the pit. In but a few seconds, he hit the bottom, and Serena's pink light hovered above him.
Shippo peered through the hole along with Sango and Miroku. "You didn't land on her, did you?"
"Is everything alright down there? Is anyone hurt?" Miroku asked. "What happened?"
Laughter perked Link's interest and he couldn't help but stare at Serena questionably. Her light, which had been so dim suddenly brightened before him, allowing him to discern his surroundings. From what he saw, there was no danger, yet there was only a laughing fairy and a missing priestess.
"Oh my goddess! Didn't take you long to come to the rescue!" She laughed.
Link made a face. So it was another of Serena's stunts again. She purposefully dimmed her own light to make it seem as if the hole was much deeper than what it actually was. Ignoring her amused laughter, he looked around and noticed a bright light up ahead and a soft melody drift to his ears. Link had a pretty good idea where the light led to.
Finally able to regain her fairy composure, she cleared her throat and looked off in the direction her companion faced. "There really is a tunnel!" Serena guessed Kagome was already down there; she was the adventurous type that was for sure. "Let's go check it out!"
Footsteps reverberated inside the small tunnel as Link calmly approached the lit room ahead. From his line of vision, the light from the torches, surrounding an immense pool of clear spring water, flickered and their shadows danced off the walls. Shimmering lights of pinks and purples cascaded down the walls of the room and into the pool like fallen rain, and the melancholy music grew louder when he reached the fountain.
Unlike the fountain in which the Great Fairy rested, there were no sparkling white marble floors or any emblems which resembled that of the Triforce, instead, a few stone steps led into the crystalline water where the pink fairies played.
Standing near the rim of the spring, Link watched as the young school girl stood in the center of the fountain, giggling as the stray fairies circled her. Black locks splayed around her petite form as the flow of air slowed in the space she occupied, and the sight of her cheerful expression brought a smile to his face.
Seeing Link at the far edge of the pool, she ushered him toward her. This place reminded her of the Great Fairy's fountain back in Clock Town, and she wondered if this was where another supreme being dwelled, but there were only fairies present.
The water rippled as he stepped forward and as soon as he stood within arms-length of the priestess, he too was encircled by the fairies. "This is a Fairy Fountain," He voiced, earning the young girl's attention.
A lingering fairy fluttered into her view, perching itself onto her shoulder, its light quite warm against her cheek. She smiled as a couple played with her hair and tugged on her clothes as the rest silently danced around the duo.
"It's a playground for them, only there's no Great Fairy to watch over them here. It is, however a safe haven for them," Link explained.
"No Great Fairy huh?" It was there playground? Smiling mischievously, Kagome suddenly grasped the boy's hands, causing a blush to stain his cheeks and earning a certain fairy's attention from the sidelines. "Do you hear that?" She asked him as she pulled him closer to her.
Blue eyes were fixed firmly on her delicate hands which held his. What was she doing? "Hear what?" Link's eyes searched around him as Kagome pulled him closer toward the center of the pool but when he gazed into her eyes, he saw them sparkle and he gulped in uncertainty.
"They want us to join in."
Before Link could fathom what was happening around him, Kagome moved her feet, causing him to stumble after her as she spun in complete circles with him following every step. Her hands still held his, and he realized they were dancing, only in a childish way where they were still arms-length apart from each other.
Despite his perplexedly, Kagome laughed, and for the first time since arriving here, she felt so at ease. Even if she missed her friends and family at home, she couldn't help but want this feeling to last. She wasn't sure why she was so happy and she wasn't sure why she was dancing with Link either, but it felt right. Just dancing like this released all of her pent up frustrations she kept bottled up inside her for too long. For the first time since arriving here, she was having fun.
As the two danced in the fountain, with the fairies joining in, Link noticed the emblem beneath his bandaged hand glow. Normally if there was a threat or if he was among someone with the other part of the Triforce, it reacted the same way. What was the connection with Kagome? Surely she didn't bare an emblem, and nor was she a threat of any kind. Did it mean anything?
One by one, the fairies which encircled the two suddenly vanished, leaving behind a cloud of their glittering dust. Their disappearance caught the two by surprise, and their dance ended just as it had begun. Even the music, which had captivated the young priestess ended, and all that was left was an empty fountain.
Revelation hit Kagome, and she released Link's hands suddenly, allowing them to fall at her sides as her smile fell. "How awful..." Because of the inevitable doom placed upon Termina, it seemed everyone had to suffer. Those poor fairies that were so lively only moments ago were gone from this world.
"Don't worry," Link said. "Once Termina is saved, I'm sure those that have perished will be reborn." He hoped so.
Kagome nodded. Why did good things have to come to an end, especially so early in life? The fairies never had a chance to grow up and learn all that the land had to offer them.
Serena, who was still on the sidelines, watched the close interaction between the two quietly. Why couldn't they see what she saw? There was definitely some attraction budding.
Eventually the two departed from the silent fountain and stepped through the passage until they stared up from the hole they'd fallen in minutes ago. Inuyasha's face peered down into the darkness, and thanks to Serena's light, he was able to see.
Kagome smiled. "Inuyasha, you won't believe what we found down here!"
"I don't care what you found, hurry up," He growled. They had to take their good old time down there; besides, what could be so amazing down in a hole?
She frowned. "And just how exactly are we supposed to get up there? The least you can do is jump down and help—"
Inuyasha glared. "Do I have to do everything for you? You should have been watching where you were going; instead you fall into a stupid hole!" He criticized.
Sango and Miroku glanced at one another and sighed. There they went again, and just when they were starting to enjoy the peace and quiet.
"How was I supposed to know?" She called up, fisting her hands at the glowering half demon above. "I didn't see it!"
"Of course you didn't see it. You were too busy staring at Link!" He explained, and when he saw her gasp, he inwardly smirked. That's right, he never missed a thing.
The priestess attempted to refrain from yelling any louder. If she had her backpack with her, she'd pull out one of her books and throw it at him, preferably her history one. "W-what I do is none of your business!"
Serena gasped. "She didn't deny it..." She whispered into Link's ear, but he was too busy glaring at Inuyasha to notice.
"Whatever," Inuyasha sighed. "If you need help, I'll come down and get you." Before he could jump in, Kagome's voice stopped him.
"No, don't bother! I don't need your help!"
His eye twitched. "What's your problem? You're the one who asked for help in the first place!"
"I didn't ask, I suggested it! Just forget it!" Since she fell down, she'd find a way to get back out. Kagome didn't need some 'jerk's' assistance. What was his deal anyway? Couldn't he for once stop acting with such hostility and help a friend out?
Women! He wanted to strangle her so bad. Amber eyes shifted to the boy beside her. "What about you? You coming?" If Kagome didn't need his help, then fine by him, but that didn't mean he couldn't offer Link any help, besides, he even went down to fetch her in the first place.
Link shook his head, only annoying the half demon further. "No thank you. I have a different means of getting out."
Pushing himself off the ground, Inuyasha turned his back with his nose in the air. "Suit yourselves." From the looks his friends sent him, he shrugged. "I'd like to see them get out of this one."
Rummaging through his satchel, Link emptied the contents onto the ground before him and searched for his intended item to help him and Kagome escape from there. His wounds still hurt him, but he managed.
Mystified by the strange objects at her feet, Kagome knelt down on the ground. A wooden contraption, similar to a sling shot caught her sight and she held it in front of her. There were other items as well, such as a small boomerang, bottles of potions and other interesting things. One particular item caught her eye, and she picked up a small letter.
'This is Link. He is under my orders to save Hyrule.'
— Zelda
Zelda? Who was that? From what Kagome knew, that name was normally given to a woman, though it was an old fashioned name. Was she someone important in Link's life? Obviously she had to have been, or else he wouldn't continue to carry the letter around; it was still in great condition too.
Despite the name, the word Hyrule was mentioned in the letter, and it seemed Zelda defined Link as her knight to save the land. Well he did save the land; that's what he told her and Shippo back at the Laundry Pool over a week or so ago, and she had believed him; how else would she describe how he got those multiple scars on his body?
"She was a dear friend of mine back home," Link suddenly replied, and at this, Kagome placed the letter back on the ground.
She smiled. "You must miss her. Have you kept in contact?"
Link shook his head. How could he if the land flooded years ago? He was sure there were no survivors. "No..."
Two small instruments caught her attention and she held them each in her hands. One was beige in color with seven holes, and it was about the size of Kagome's palm; if she had to guess, it was light weight, possibly made from wood. As for the other, it was blue, bearing a familiar symbol she knew she saw someplace; three individual golden triangles were engraved into the flute and this one was much bigger than the other and heavier too.
Looking up from his search, he watched as Kagome inspected the two. "The smaller one was given to me by a friend." Saria was her name; she was like an older sister to Link, always looking after him and standing up for him. On the day he left his forest home, she gave him her fairy ocarina as a way to communicate to each other, no matter how far away he was from her. After arriving in Termina, Link could not communicate back with his dear friend.
"What about this one?" Kagome asked. "Did Zelda give it to you?"
His eyes widened suddenly, but he only nodded. "How—"
The priestess grinned before picking up the letter. "That same emblem is on this too. Am I right?"
Link nodded. "Here it is,"
"Huh?"
Ψ
Sitting beside the hole, Sango and Miroku watched as Inuyasha impatiently growled out his frustrations. They shared a glance before sighing. Pamela and Shippo were sitting off to the side silently while Kirara absentmindedly watched a single yellow butterfly fly past them.
"How could you leave them down there?" Sango complained.
Inuyasha turned around. "She said she didn't need help," He replied ignorantly.
"Sure is taking them a long time...what do you think they're doing?" Shippo asked.
At this point, Miroku looked up and smiled to himself. Sneakily, his eyes looked upon the woman beside him, and his fingers slowly edged toward her. "Well if I was in Link's position with a young woman like Kagome, I would definitely take advantage of the situation—"
Not at all oblivious to the monk's stunts, Sango seized his wrist before digging her nails into his flesh to which the monk held back a painful cry. "This isn't funny Miroku."
Shippo sighed.
For a moment, Inuyasha mused to himself. "What are you going on about? Link and Kagome? As if!" He replied. "Kagome's probably down there crying and Link probably regrets staying behind." As if anything could develop between those two. Knowing Kagome, she'd stubbornly refuse to let anyone touch her; Inuyasha would know from experience.
Miroku didn't think so. "I don't know Inuyasha...don't forget about our conversation last night."
"What?" Oh that was right. 'It must have been the alcohol...' Still there was no way anything could happen between them. Link looked like a wimp and Kagome was too stubborn for her own good; that was a horrible match up.
While his back was turned, he didn't notice a pair of hands reach onto the opening edge of the pit Kagome and Link had fallen through, but Sango and the rest of his companions did. A familiar raved haired girl emerged, thanks to Miroku's assistance followed by the young blonde whom Sango pulled out effortlessly.
"Watch, any minute now she'll be crying for me to get her out of there. Literally, begging me!" Inuyasha replied with a smirk. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" He poorly mimicked the priestess's voice.
Annoyed, Kagome clenched her fists. "Sit!"
Gravity caught the half demon in its trap, effectively slamming him into his old friend, the soil, creating an outline of his body in the path. Inuyasha's chin hit the ground pretty hard and he slowly regained his standing only to turn and gulp when a certain raven haired priestess glowered at him.
"I don't sound like that!" She yelled out of anger. Fed up, she turned away. How many times would he upset her in one day?
Placing his hook shot back into his satchel, Link felt eyes on him, and he guessed it was concerning how they escaped. Before he could explain however, Kagome suddenly hugged him around the shoulders.
"Thank you Link!" No thanks to Inuyasha of course.
Elated that his mother and his good friend Link were alright, Shippo leapt onto the boy's shoulders. "How did you get out?"
Serena decided to answer that. "With Link's hook shot of course, remember?"
Now it dawned on him. "Oh yeah! I remember now!" Sparing the half demon a glance, the little boy disappointedly shook his head, his auburn bangs falling into his eyes. "No thanks to Inuyasha of course!"
"It's okay Shippo, because I realized something..." Kagome began, and at this, everyone silently listened. "I don't always need Inuyasha to come to my rescue," Although her ankle kind of bothered her, she didn't hesitate to walk down the path, past a certain half demon whose ears suddenly dropped at the sound of her voice. Kagome could get along just fine on her own, and she certainly wasn't a cry baby that needed help every—
Something on the road caused the young girl to stumble suddenly, and believing it was another hole, she flailed her arms as she desperately tried to regain her balance. Realizing it had only been a rock that snagged her shoe; she regained her composure. Red in the face, she continued on as if nothing had happened though her friends couldn't help but sweat drop, though they followed after.
"Wow Link, you can really pick them," Serena muttered under her breath.
Miroku couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "That is our Lady Kagome for you."
With a relaxed head and free swinging shoulders, a medium sized russet haired mule, harnessed to a two wheeled wagon, trudged along down the path. A logo of a cow's face was painted upon the wagon's arched bonnet-like canvas top, and seated upon the driver's seat sat a young woman holding the reins.
A steady four-beat clop of hooves took everyone's attention away from the path and toward the oncoming wagon. Moving out of the cart's way, the woman seated upon the wagon pulled on the reins and the mule effective stopped.
"Hey there!" Greeted the driver.
Long flowing red hair fell in thick waves down her back, and her tanned complexion brought out the deep blue of her irises. Though she was a little roughed up from the trail and perspiration coated her forehead, she waved to the traveling group. This young woman, seemingly in her late twenties, wore a short sleeved blouse with a yellow scarf tied loosely in the front and was held together by a silver pendant. Faded over time, her purple skirt was tied around her slim waist by a simple brown belt, where her shirt was tucked in neatly; patterns similar to a wasteland decorated her skirt, and hidden beneath her skirt, she wore ankle length brown boots, which were quite dirtied from traveling.
Since it was rare to see travelers on the road toward the Milk Road, she couldn't help stop and say hello. "What brings you all out here?"
"We're on our way to the Ranch," Sango explained.
Hearing this, a smile formed on the young woman's face. They wanted to go to the ranch? "If that's the case, why not catch a ride with me? I happen to be the owner." She grinned.
"Really?" Shippo asked.
A youthful boy with blue eyes and blonde hair caught her interest suddenly and before anyone knew what to expect, she jumped from the seat and enveloped Link in a tight hug. "Long time no see Link!" The red head held him against her bosom. "How have you been? I almost didn't recognize you without your hat." Pulling him away to inspect him from head to toe, she couldn't help but pat his head gingerly as a mother would to her son. "You sure have gotten cuter and taller too."
Pulling away from her affectionate touches, Link awkwardly shifted his feet. Don't get him wrong, he liked the woman very much, much like a sister he never had, but he wasn't used to so much affection. "I've been well, Miss—"
The woman patted him on the shoulder. "Oh please. There's no need for such formalities. Remember, you can call me Cremia," She laughed. He was such a sweet boy. Turning her attention away from the boy, she eyed his companions; she guessed they were foreigners, judging by their strange clothing. "What are your names?"
One by one, they each introduced themselves to the owner of Romani's Ranch, and she was delighted that they were so eager to visit her happy home; it wasn't everyday she had company, as there were only a few people living on her land.
"Well, let's hurry on home then, shall we?" She pointed to her cart behind her. "Make yourselves comfortable; it's a bumpy ride."
Assisting the children into the back of the wagon, Miroku and Sango settled themselves inside. Crates, with the same logo of a cow painted on their wooden exterior, were lined up beside them, while a few open crates were tied by strong rope to keep them from falling over.
Since there was hardly any room in the back, Cremia offered the half demon a place up front, since there was room for two more passengers, and he took it, even going so far as to offer the priestess a hand up beside him, but she turned her nose in the air and ignored him. Instead, she settled in the back with Link, with their legs dangling off the edge of the wagon.
Deciding against growing irritated, Inuyasha sat down beside Cremia, who couldn't help but look from him and to the girl seated in the back with Link curiously. If she had to guess, there was a love triangle between the three.
"So why are you all headed out to the ranch? Touring?" The owner asked from up front as she steered the mule down Milk Road.
Though he felt a little crowded in the small space, Miroku settled against the wall of the cart. "Actually, we have come to ask you a favor," He began. "I know we are strangers to you, but would you be willing to spare a room?"
Baffled, the owner couldn't help but hand the reins to Inuyasha, who took them out of confusion as she turned fully around in her seat to stare at monk inside. "Spare a room? Are you all in need of lodging?" She asked.
Realizing he had the owner's utmost attention, as it seemed Inuyasha was now in charge of steering them in the direction he hoped would lead them into the ranch, Miroku sat up viewed the woman looking back him. "You see, we were told by the Innkeeper's wife, Anju that you might possibly have a room to spare."
"Really?" Cremia smiled. "Anju must have her hands full back at the Inn. Well if you need a place to rest for the night there is room."
A smile formed on the monk's face, but he shook his head. "I don't mean to trouble you—"
"Oh it's no trouble at all! In fact it gets lonesome back at home. It's just me and my little sister living in the big house," She admitted.
Miroku nodded. "It would be nice to rest for the night, but that is not the favor we wish to ask of you."
Annoyed as he fumbled with the stupid reins, Inuyasha glanced at the monk over his shoulder. "Get on with it Miroku,"
Cremia laughed at the half demon's attitude.
The monk cleared his throat. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," He proceeded, which earned a scowl from the half demon up front and a laugh from his teammates in the back. "would you be so kind as to allow this little girl," He indicated to the child seated between him and Sango. "to have a temporary stay at your home?"
The owner blinked before canting her head to view the child beside the monk. Cremia saw the little girl shy away from her stare, and she couldn't help but offer a kind smile. "No problem, but why might I ask? I'm guessing neither of you are her parents?"
Inuyasha eyed the girl turned in her seat who should have been paying attention to the road. "You sure are freakin nosey, aren't you?"
Without batting a lash, Cremia reached her hand out toward the half demon and ever so gently flicked his nose, much to his disbelief. "You sure are a rude one, aren't you?" She laughed at his flabbergasted expression.
No one had ever dared to flick his nose, especially not some red headed stranger. "Why you..." He was about to usher a rude comment, but before he could utter a word, she raised her finger, but he hurriedly covered his nose to prevent her finger flicking attack.
Once again, she couldn't resist laughing. She found him quite amusing, but she realized she was being rude and turned her attention back to the monk. "Sorry. As you were saying?"
"To make a long story short, Pamela can no longer return home, at least not for some time. Due to her father's work, he could not leave, and therefore we have taken liberty of bringing her into our care," He explained, and at this the owner nodded. "Sadly, we cannot care for her and we risk putting her life in danger as we travel across Termina..."
Cremia nodded. "Well it's no trouble at all. The only thing I ask, if it's okay, Pamela,"
From her name being mentioned, the little girl glanced up timidly.
"Would you help with the chores around the house? If you help out every once in a while, you can stay for as long as you want."
Pamela nodded, but didn't say a word. She clung to Miroku's robes, feeling a little uncomfortable with the idea; she didn't know the woman nor did she know anything about helping on a ranch.
A thought came to mind. "I'm sure you and my sister will get along just fine. She's a few years older, but she doesn't have any playmates. I'm sure she'll be thrilled." Though she wasn't sure what the little girl, Pamela must have gone through back at her home, she guessed it must not have been an environment her father thought safe for her to stay in. The fact that her father trusted these people, to take his one and only daughter away from home and into the care of a stranger was also quite bewildering. "Miroku, perhaps tonight we can talk further on this arrangement?" She asked.
"But of course," He replied earnestly.
Satisfied, Cremia turned in her seat and retrieved the reins from Inuyasha. "Thanks!" They were already passing the Gorman Track, and last but not least, they entered past the gate where a sign overhead read, "Romani's Ranch."