After exiting the Cuccu Shack, Inuyasha followed after the monk, though he couldn't help but wonder to himself. "Why do you think she decided to stay behind?" There wasn't really any reason for her to.
"Well I'm sure she wanted to keep him company. You saw how depressed he was," Came Miroku's reply. Knowing Lady Kagome, she'd have to fix that.
Inuyasha still didn't buy the whole thing. Then again, knowing Kagome, she was the type to put her nose in other people's business. Why would she waste her time on a person who was in denial with the world anyways? It seemed like too much of a hassle.
Multicolored slates covered the exterior of the building in front of them, assorted in layered pale colors of reds, greens and blues. One would have thought the entry way inside would have been more extravagant, but all that stood between them and the Doggy Race Track ahead was a plain wooden door.
Upon entrance, the two immediately found themselves on the other side, but instead of a room or deck to welcome them, an extension of the same field greeted the two. Ahead of them was a fenced off enclosure filled with different assortments of small dogs frolicking around as they played with each other.
"Quite unusual," The monk began as he and his friend observed the view. As he proceeded forward, something unexpected happened that caused him to stop and the half demon to look on with amusement.
"Richard!" A boisterous feminine voice called out while waving her arms in front of her wildly.
A small furry canine with gray hair scampered toward them, with its owner, a large busted full figured woman giving chase. The dog darted around the monk who suddenly stilled when the older woman blindly charged straight for him, and unable to react in time to avoid the collision, he found himself on his back, smothered by her fairly large breasts.
Unable to help himself, Inuyasha snickered.
Due to her weight, she found it difficult to stand up, and all the while, she was unaware of the suffocating male beneath her. It seemed her little Richard had escaped her for the seventh time that day, and she couldn't quite understand what had gotten into the pooch. From underneath her, she realized she had fallen on top of a young man, dressed in the world's most bewildering and unappealing clothes, and she attempted to get up.
"Oh how careless of me!" Her richly voice exclaimed, and as soon as she managed to regain her footing, she offered her apologies. "My name is Mamamu Yan. Might you two be customers?"
Thankful he was no longer smothered by her incredible weight, Miroku stood up, though he achingly held his lower back. From the sidelines he noticed his male friend smirk, but Miroku said nothing and instead properly scrutinized the person before him.
A dolled up middle aged woman, dressed in quite an extravagant silken blue dress certainly emphasized her richly taste, not only in fashion but also in makeup. In Miroku's opinion, the dress clung to her full figure rather tightly which in turn exposed the harsh outline of her wide hips and paunchy stomach; it was a wonder she could walk without tripping over the long ends. Working his way up her form, he saw that the neckline was too low for his liking, and he couldn't help but notice her double chin.
Heavily powdered makeup was applied to her round face and her full lips were painted thickly with the reddest lipstick ever thought imaginable. Of course it wasn't just her large lips that caught him and Inuyasha off guard, but it was her odd hairstyle. Her thick brown locks were pulled up rather high into the largest bun they had ever laid eyes on, and not a hair was out of place. Beaded accessories adorned her wrists, neck, and sapphire hoop earrings hung from her pointed ears. There was pungent aroma around her person, and if Miroku had to guess, she was wearing perfume.
All in all, she was quite a sight to behold...
Miroku cleared his throat. "Actually we're just looking."
This didn't seem to bother the woman at all, and she beckoned them toward the corral ahead. "Well you can't look if you stand there," She replied with her head held high and her back turned.
There was a strange sense of arrogance in her voice that Miroku and Inuyasha couldn't help but notice. While she walked ahead of them, with her large hips swaying from side to side, the two couldn't help but look at once another. The dog that she had chased only moments ago followed behind Inuyasha, looking at him with certain interest as it wagged its tail.
"I assume this is the Doggy Race Track, correct?" Miroku asked from behind the woman.
Stopping at the entrance of the gated fence, she turned and nodded. "That's right. Tell me, are you tourists?"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "What gave us away?"
A bright smile caught him off guard. "Well considering your tacky clothing and strange accents, I could tell easily!"
With his sarcasm forgotten, Inuyasha felt the urge to call her out on a load of insults, but from the look the monk sent him, he refrained and crossed his arms as he arrogantly stared at the woman. She had a lot of room to talk about 'tacky' clothes. Who the hell did she think she was?
Ignorant of the half demon's annoyance, Mamamu Yan clasped her hands together and leaned in toward the two. "Since you're new here, I guess you've heard a lot about my famous dogs, right?" She didn't bother to let them reply. "After all, they are the fastest dogs around! Especially my little Richard!" She pointed to the dog staring up at Inuyasha.
"Richard?" What the hell kind of name was that?
Shocked and nearly flabbergasted, Mamamu Yan openly gaped at the half demon. "You say you've never heard of my little Richard? He is a famous puppy! My precious puppy can run faster than any of the other dogs around here!" She exclaimed quite proudly, though Inuyasha and Miroku couldn't help but sweat drop at her dog-obsessed complex.
Inuyasha glanced inside the fenced area where the flock of dogs played before staring at the one at his feet, still earnestly staring at him. "I still don't see what's so special about them…"
"Well, my dogs are unlike any others!" She replied with her hands planted firmly on her hips. "I happen to be a top breeder in Termina, and my dogs are much cuter. Much cuter!" A sudden thought came to her mind and she mentally congratulated herself for coming up with it. After all, it wasn't everyday she had tourists visit. "Well, since you've traveled all this way, why not give it a shot? I'll give you a free game, sound good?"
"Free game?" Miroku asked.
She nodded. "That's right!" Approaching the half demon, she turned him toward the entrance and shoved him inside the fenced area, along with the monk following behind somewhat hesitantly. "The rules are simple. Pick a dog you think is the fastest and then bring them out here and I'll start the race."
"Hey! Hands off!" As soon as the woman released him, he found himself standing in the middle of the corral. The woman had practically pushed him inside and expected him to play some stupid game. "I didn't come for no freakin game!"
Miroku slowly nodded. "Sounds simple enough…"
"What the hell, Miroku?! We don't have-"
Of course the monk waved it off. "We have plenty of time. After all, we'll be staying on the ranch until tomorrow." What did it hurt to play for a while?
Immediately after entering, the little dogs ceased their afternoon play and turned their little eyes to the newcomer. Their tails wagged when a certain half demon, who seemed to bare some distinct resemblance to their pack eyed them uncertainly though irritably. A new friend had joined them, and they didn't hesitate to welcome him.
In a strange fashion, Inuyasha watched as all the different colored dogs surrounded him, with their tongues hanging out of their mouths and their tails endlessly swaying. "This is stupid…" Looking among the dogs, he didn't have any idea which was fast and which was not. In fact, he didn't care. Carelessly, he picked up a brown coated puppy and stared at it for the longest minute. The rules to this game sounded stupid, and there was no guarantee that he or Miroku would win. All it called for was to randomly pick a dog and hope for the best.
Sniffing his foot, one of the dogs nibbled on his pants, and annoyed, Inuyasha pushed it away. However, another dog attempted to climb on his leg, hoping to be picked up, but again Inuyasha shook his leg to ride himself of the small canine.
"What the hell? Get off!"
While he was bent down, petting a silver haired pooch, Miroku couldn't help but quizzically glance at his friend behind him. "Are you having troubles, Inuyasha?" Miroku sweat dropped when he saw Inuyasha attempting to distance himself from the dogs, but it only resulted with them chasing after him.
Mamamu Yan covered her mouth and laughed at the scene. "Oh my! I haven't seen my pups so active in a while. They must really like him."
OOO
Gathered below the hill from the house, Romani stood before Link, Shippo and Pamela as she prepared to explain the game to them. It was simple, the game would involve a young maiden who was kidnapped by a wicked monster who wanted the treasure she kept safe, but in the end good would triumph over evil. So in order to complete the game, a hero was needed, and Romani had her eyes on one specific person for that job.
"No." Link refused.
Romani saw this coming, but she merely waved her finger at him, still smiling. "Too late. It's already been decided."
Shippo frowned at Link. "How come you don't want to play?"
He didn't bother explaining, and he felt ridiculous even being a part of some silly game, especially Romani's. If he had decided to follow after the others to tour the ranch, then he wouldn't have been forced into such a situation.
Since Link was silent, obviously agreeing to take part in the game, Romani observed her other two friends. All that was left was to pick a servant, a princess and the evil villain, but who would she choose. Since Pamela was younger and quite shy, she didn't think she'd be a good villain, but then again, Romani wasn't picky.
"I'll be the villain!" Shippo offered, and at this Romani mused over the decision.
Even if he was short, maybe there was potential? "Ok, show me what you've got, Shippo."
Removing a small leaf from his sleeve, the little boy placed it upon his head and shortly after doing so, he transformed in front of the three. Hovering in the air before him, he regarded his friends as he triumphantly smiled. "How's that?"
From the rancher's open mouthed expression, she couldn't help but stare up at Shippo's newly transformed state. What hovered in front of her was not the kid with the little tail but it was a large rounded pink ball with swirly eyes and small hands. "How did you do that?"
"I'm a fox demon. I can transform into anything," He replied.
Romani giggled. "You look funny! Your eyes are so goofy!"
Pamela also stared at Shippo, but this wasn't the first time she had seen him transform into such a shape. Still, she never heard tell of demons in Termina, and he certainly didn't look evil at all.
"Hey!" The fox pouted. He would have crossed his arms, but they were too short in his new form.
Recovering from her laughter, she crossed her arms. "You need to be scarier, or it just won't seem as serious," She explained, and from this he nodded. Her attention then shifted to Pamela. "You can be Link's sidekick, because there can't be two princesses," She pushed her red locks over her shoulder. Besides that, Pamela was much too young to be a princess anyways.
Shuffling her feet, she mused over her new title in the game. "Sidekick…" That involved her taking part in the battle, didn't it? Pamela wasn't sure she was ready for that.
Since Pamela was playing hero with Link, she needed a weapon, and Romani searched around for something the little girl could use. Looking around the bricks and searching around the area, she caught sight of a small stick and with that, she handed it to the child. "Here. Every sidekick needs a sword to smite evil."
Now there was only one thing missing that was needed for the game. They were short of their treasure, the main object of the villain's desire. What could be used to act as an important item in the game?
"We need something for our treasure…" Romani mused.
Shippo also searched around. "What about this rock?" He held it up to her, but she shook her head.
"That won't work…we need something shiny…" Romani replied thoughtfully. The game wouldn't commence without the treasure. Sure it probably wasn't needed and it could just be the princess the bad guy was after, but she was really hoping to have something that possessed a lot of power.
Removing his quiver of arrows and bow to the side of the windmill, Link started removing his dangerous weapons. If it was a game they were going to play, he didn't want anyone to get hurt. After removing his belt and sword, tossing it to the side, he proceeded to place his satchel onto the grass, but Romani suddenly grasped it, much to his displeasure.
"What this?" She eyed the small bag Link always wore. Opening the lid, she peered inside and she immediately found the treasure she searched for. "Wow!" Romani pulled out the small circular pendant from the bag and her eyes glistened as she saw the beautiful white stone imbedded in the center of the ancient relic. This was perfect.
When Link saw her remove the pendant from his satchel, he hurriedly reached to reclaim it, but she pulled it out of reach. "Romani please return that."
"Why?" She questioned as she held it behind her back. "This would be perfect for our treasure."
Shippo saw the round object in her hands and openly gaped. "Hey, we can't play with that!"
Again Romani had to question why. "It's just a rock with a stone in it. It's not like I'm going to break it or anything. I'll give it back after the game is over." With that said, she smiled at her friends. "Ok, let's start the game!"
Shippo and Link warily glanced at one another before sighing.
OOO
Sitting silently beside the quiet and mysterious man, Kagome, from time to time, couldn't help but observe him while his attention was solely focused on his chicks. The way in which his hair was styled, into an almost perfect mohawk, reminded Kagome of a punk rocker back in her world. Grog certainly had the image down, that was for sure, and it left Kagome feeling a little curious. The only difference between a punk rocker and Grog was the lack of makeup he wore. Surely they didn't have bands in Termina, did they?
Baffled by her transfixed stare, Grog turned his head and regarded her calmly. For the longest minute, she'd been staring at him, which he couldn't fathom why. "Do you find something interesting about my head?" He asked, and from her surprised look, he guessed right.
"Well, it's just, you kind of remind me of something back home is all," Kagome replied with a slight laugh, feeling embarrassed he had caught her staring.
He arched a brow. "Care to elaborate?" After all, he was all ears, and it wasn't like he was doing anything in particular.
The priestess eyed his hairstyle. "Well, your hair sort of reminds me of a fashion back at my home. Most of the time, these hairstyles are worn by performers of music, such as rock and the like," She explained. Kagome wasn't sure if she should go into elaborate detail about her Era, as it would probably confuse the young man.
Even as she tried to explain, Grog didn't appear the least bit fazed and he raised his shoulders and shrugged. "I assume you traveled far from your home…"
She laughed. "I did. I guess it's not hard to tell, huh?" Kagome wasn't oblivious to the way he stared at her clothing, but he didn't make it a point to stare too long as his main attention was focused on his feet.
Though it was really none of his business, he couldn't help but wonder about her homeland, wherever that might be. "Where?"
She fell silent and awkwardly shook her head. Why were people always asking them those questions? "Um…well…hard to explain…far away actually." Hoping to change the topic, Kagome leaned in closer to the male beside her and stared at his spiked hair. "So…what do you use to keep your hair that way?" Did he use some kind of gel?
"Water downed nectar…" Grog replied. "Or wax…really makes no difference." Noticing the girl reach her hand toward his head, he leaned away, unsure of her motives.
"Can I touch it?"
He blinked. "…Why?"
There really wasn't any point in touching his hair, but Kagome had that urge, just like she did when she first saw Inuyasha's ears; it was something she had to do in order to get it out of her system. Kagome wanted to know what it felt like, since she had never actually felt someone's mohawk before. "I just want to see what it feels like."
Even if the reason seemed entirely random and unimportant, he lowered his head awkwardly, and allowed her to run her hands over his spiked hair, to which she giggled.
His hair felt stiff to the touch, and it must have taken quite a great deal of wax to coat every strand of hair to stand up so tall. Soft fuzz of the rest of his hair around the outer edge of his head to his ears greeted her fingers, and satisfied, she pulled away. "Thanks."
The woman was definitely a strange one, but there was something interesting about her nonetheless. Although she didn't particularly resemble many of the women around these parts, she did seem to have a certain style and attitude about her. Besides the fact that she was a complete stranger to him, he still found her company less boring and quite amusing, even if he didn't care to show it. There was one thing that bothered him; why did she want to stay behind to talk to him?
Grog watched as she held one of the baby chicks in her hands, cooing at it sweetly while softly petting its head before letting it go. The girl was smiling, seemingly not at all bothered being next to him. The girl, Kagome, was enjoying herself it seemed.
"Can I ask you something?"
He only nodded, wondering what the talkative girl wanted this time.
"Why did you say…your family, as well as the world was disgusting?" She asked, frowning at his silent gaze. Surely he had to have some reason for saying that. Did Grog have a hard life, after being kicked out of his home?
There was a reason, and it wasn't just because of his family, but why did this girl care? Really, it was none of her business. If he said the world was disgusting, then it was disgusting. "The same reason there are liars, murders and rapists out there…" Was Grog's only reason. With those sort of people around, that made the world an ugly place.
Kagome guessed that made perfect sense, but even if those bad things were around, it didn't mean that the world didn't possess its own natural beauty. Sure there were people out there who did what they liked in the most obscene ways, but that didn't mean there weren't good people elsewhere.
A thought came to her mind suddenly, and hoping to change the awkward silence between them, she rummaged through her backpack she had forgotten to leave back at the house. A few of her belongings slipped out, but through the thick books and clothing inside, she found what she was looking for. Pulling out a strange black squared panel, Kagome presented it to Grog, baffling him only further. "Let's play checkers!" Unfolding the black board, she laid the checkered black and red tiled panel before them both and emptied a small sack of her red and black chips into the grass. "I'll show you how to play."
"Checkers?"
She nodded. "The rules are simple. All you have to do is pick a color, red or black, and you place your checkers," She picked up one of the small chips in front of her and showed them to him. "on the black squares until you have three rows filled horizontally in front of you," She explained, and she went about showing him an example as she set up his side of the board and hers. "We take turns. You move your chip diagonally to the next black space, and then I do the same. If my chip is in the way of your move, you can jump it, like this," With her red checkers, she easily jumped his black one and proceeded to take his into her hands, leaving him one less chip than when he first started out. "See?"
Grog nodded.
After moving a few of his black chips off the board, she placed her red chip at the very first row on his side. "When I reach your side, or if you reach my side successfully, then that person is crowned king or queen, meaning you're able to jump forwards and backwards."
Again he nodded.
"To win in checkers, you must move your pieces until you jump all of your opponents. Remember never leave one of your checkers by itself because it will be vulnerable and easily captured," She warned. When she thought she explained the rules as best as she could for a beginner, she organized the chips back into their original places and clasped her hands in front of her. "So, does it sound easy?"
"Your game…is different, but it seems well explanatory…" Since it was the beginning of the game, he pushed his first checker away from home.
OOO
"You'll never get my treasure!" A mighty grotesque monster with curved horns and sharp teeth bellowed. Giant clawed hands slammed into the ground in front of the two swordsmen invading its territory, and he was determined to foil their efforts.
Thankfully young Pamela and Link were quick to dodge the oncoming attack, bracing themselves as they rolled out of danger before regaining their standing. A few times, Pamela faltered in her steps as she followed Link's instructions, but she still wasn't as fast as the older boy, though as the game proceeded, she started to pick up the pace, though still awkwardly.
From inside the prison, which was in fact the windmill, Romani was held captive. The ferocious roar of the beast from outside the mighty walls caught her attention, and she realized a battle was commencing. Without even looking, she knew her knight had come to fight for her freedom. "Hurry my prince!" The princess cried, and dramatically, she threw herself against the cold bare walls, her hand held to her forehead as she suddenly felt faint. "Help me!"
Those that were in battle couldn't help but sweat drop at the girl who was clearly visible on the inside of the half-finished structure. Even Shippo paused to observe the scene. One thing weighed on their minds and that was, Romani was a terrible actor.
Shaking his thoughts away from the red head, Shippo raised his fist and aimed for Link, though once again, the youth was quick to dodge, given his agile speed. Delighted he had separated the older individual from the younger one, Shippo swung his fist for the little girl, who bared her sword protectively in front of her.
Defensively, she remained in that stance, closing her eyes as she awaited the harsh blow. It never came, and all she felt was a small tap upon her forehead. Warily, she opened her eyes. In front of her, she saw Shippo's, or that was to say, the giant beast's finger outstretched toward her head. Pamela was no fool; she realized the game was a little difficult for her as a beginner, but that didn't mean Shippo had to take it easy on her. Still, he was kind enough to give her a chance to attack, and she took that opportunity. With her mighty blade, she struck his hand.
From the sidelines, Serena cheered for the little girl as she watched the game take place from the top of the cell in which Romani hid. The view was pretty good from there, and she could easily evaluate Link's performance in a less dangerous situation.
From her feeble attempts to do him harm, he laughed and with his powerful legs, he shook the ground beneath them, thus causing them to lose their balance. "You fools can't defeat me!" He cackled.
For what seemed like endless hours, Pamela realized she and Link had been fighting the monster nonstop, and it seemed that no matter what they did, no attack could penetrate its scaly thick skin, which acted like strong armor. The only visible area of its body not protected was his head, and Pamela readied herself to attack. As soon as Shippo swung his arm back at the ground in front of her, she knew for a fact that his tremendous weight slowed his movements, and mustering up her courage, she stabbed his arm. Immediately after, she glanced at Link on the opposite side. "H-hurry, his skull!"
Nodding, Link darted straight for the beast, and while it was stunned by the girl's swift attack, he jumped onto its open back and as he ran along the length of his spine, he aimed for the head, but he was careful not to hurt Shippo, after all it was only a game.
The moment the flat part of his blade struck his skull, a cloud of pink smoke materialized in the air, and Shippo sat upon the ground holding his head achingly. He knew Link had gone easy on him, but he wished his friend would have gone a little easier. "Ow…that hurt," He rubbed the small bump.
Those that were so immersed into the game suddenly paused, and Link who was suddenly quite apologetically, offered to help the boy up. Even Pamela, who saw the little boy in pain, couldn't help but drop her stick and run to his side.
"Shippo, you're supposed to be a ferocious monster! How can you be brought to tears by a small tap on your head?" Romani voiced aloud.
Rubbing his head achingly, Shippo glanced at the red head peeking from behind the bricks. "But it really hurt!"
While Romani interrogated little Shippo, Link decided it was time to put an end to the game, and he knew Romani wouldn't be satisfied until she was rescued. He felt awful that he had recklessly hurt his little friend, and the only thing he could do was offer his apologies.
Romani sweat dropped. "Some monster you are…"
"Don't listen to her Shippo!" The fairy shouted from her resting place. "You're doing great!"
As Pamela helped Shippo to his feet, the tyke couldn't help but glance at Serena and smile. Immediately after, both he and Pamela resumed their fight, though he decided he would battle her in his original form.
While they fought, Link took that moment to sneak past the two and toward the windmill where he knew Romani was playing prisoner. Climbing the wall proved quite easy, as it wasn't very tall to begin with.
Watching as her partner scaled the walls, Serena couldn't help but smirk. For someone who didn't like playing games, he certainly was doing a good job at it. "Aww look who came to the rescue," She teased. "Prince Link…or was that grasshopper?" She giggled. It didn't matter what nickname Romani had presented him with, Serena knew for a fact that the little red head had a huge crush on him.
Though his eye twitched at her bantering, Link ignored her and once at the top, he peered down inside the small space where Romani stood, distracted by the events happening outside. "My hand, take it."
Clasping her hands in front of her, Romani's eyes glistened as she stared adoringly at her rescuer. He had somehow gotten past the beast that kept her locked up, and now she was saved. "My prince!"
Using his strength, Link attempted to lift her out of the cell, but to his dismay, he lost his balance and fell inside the same cell as the girl. It seemed Romani was a lot heavier than he first thought.
Serena whistled. "Smooth…"
"Oops…"Pretending it had been some sort of trap that had caused the young warrior to fall inside, Romani approached the boy, who sat up while rubbing his cheek irritably. "You came to save me!"
A disgruntled look passed through his blue eyes when he regained his footing, but he couldn't help but notice the pendant hanging loosely around her neck. Before the game had started, Link remembered she had used one of her leather strings to make the pendant into a necklace, and she had been adamant to wear it. Thankfully it was still in one piece. Before Link could utter a word, she suddenly threw herself onto him and he felt the wall behind his back.
"Every hero deserves a reward, right?" She said suddenly as she held her hands upon his shoulders while inching herself closer, her lips parted. "Shall I give you a kiss?"
Reminded of Amber back on Great Bay, Link turned his head and pushed her away. "This wasn't part of our agreement," Seriously, why was it always him? Stubbornly, he managed to place some distance between them both, but Romani wasn't going to give up so easily.
Serena, who was watching this, couldn't help but flutter in between Romani and Link, intentionally pausing the kissing scene. Her light burned red. "Link you two timer! Wait until I tell Kagome!"
Hearing the fairy mention that dark haired girl's name, Romani narrowed her gaze to the flabbergasted boy in front of her, whose eyes were on Serena. "Kagome?"
Pretending as if she had not heard the girl behind her, Serena continued. "I knew those two were a bad influence on you!" She scolded.
Still taken aback by what the little fairy said, Romani was just about to question her, but before she could utter a single word, the fairy flew out of the cell, possibly back to the fight that was supposed to be taking place outside.
"Wait, it's not what it looks like!" Tempted to chase after, Link made a move to follow his fleeing friend, Serena, but he stopped on account of Romani's hand holding his own. Wait why had he panicked? Serena was obviously playing one of her games to mess with his head, and it wasn't like they were in a relationship. So what did he have to worry about?
Romani pouted. "What is this about?"
Turning around, Link noticed the hurt in her blue eyes, and he couldn't help but awkwardly rub the back of his neck. Romani clearly held some feelings for him, that he was sure of, but the feelings weren't mutual. In his eyes, she was a friend and nothing more, but he couldn't gather the courage to let her down easily. If he risked hurting her, Link would never forgive himself, and that was the last thing he wanted.
A sudden scream broke loose from outside the cell, and baffled, both Romani and Link peered out the opening of the structure, witnessing a surprising scene. A large bird with wings that expanded quite a few feet, its skin seemingly dark and grotesque, threateningly hovered above both Shippo and Pamela a few distances away. Its eyes were glued to the two as it circled them from the skies.
Temporarily forgetting her question, Romani gasped. "What's that?" That was the biggest bird she had ever seen in her life.
Link held back a growl of annoyance. Not once had Link come upon that bird on his travels through Termina, but he came upon it five times. Known as a Takkuri, the bird mainly inhabited the entrance of Milk Road, attacking travelers and stealing their important possessions. It wasn't until sometime after being attacked that Link came across his stolen goods in the Curiosity Shop, and it became clear that the bird worked for the owner and his accomplice, Sakon.
Deciding not to waste any time, Link darted out of the structure and quickly gathered his quiver and bow. He didn't hesitate notching an arrow.
Seeing her two playmates in sight of danger, Romani cupped her hands around her mouth as she feared for their lives. "Shippo! Pamela, get out of the way!"
The two did just that, and once they were a safe enough distance away, Link released his arrow and it soared straight for the bird. Unfortunately it simply flew out of the intended path.
Shippo and Pamela quickly ran for the shelter in which Romani occupied, but the Takkuri was adamant on capturing its prey, so much that it blocked their path; this in turn frightened the children, and in hopes of escaping, they turned and ran in the opposite direction.
"W-what is that?!" Pamela gasped. The bird was horrid looking, and it was far bigger than any creature she had ever laid eyes on. Did it want to eat them? She never saw a bird quite like that, not even in Ikana.
Glancing behind him, Shippo realized he had to do something fast, or else he and Pamela would be in serious danger. Pushing the little girl ahead of him, he stopped and prepared to face his opponent sailing directly toward him at an incredible speed. Taking a deep breath, he felt the familiar sensation of his powers under his fingers. "Fox Fire!" Immediately the flames sprung from his hands and enwrapped his form, providing him with a barrier of some kind before unleashing itself onto the bird in front of him. To his dismay, his attack missed, and he fell back as its sharp talons reached out for him.
"Shippo!" Link shouted, this time intervening in its attack to carry the boy off to its nest. Using his blade, he slashed at its open back, a few times, and the bird was so startled by the unexpected attack that it flapped its wings and took for the sky, away from the swordsman and child.
As Link came to the fox's rescue, little Pamela safely returned to the protection of the structure in which Romani occupied. From a distance, she saw Link eyeing the skies suspiciously and Shippo cowering at his feet in fear. She wanted to go out there, but seeing that giant bird frightened her. Would they be alright?
Stuttering, Shippo tugged on Link's beige pants. "W-what is that?"
"A Takkuri," Link replied, glaring at the offending bird circling them. Such a bothersome creature. Why was it here anyway? Straying from Termina Field puzzled him, and he couldn't help but worry that the children were in danger. Normally it only attacked travelers, and the only things that concerned its small brain were shiny objects, not children. If Link had to guess, he figured Sakon was responsible, otherwise, why would it appear on the ranch where he and his friends lodged? Seeing that thief in Ikana had not been surprising, and he knew that Sakon sought to kidnap Kagome again, but if his intentions were so, why bring the bird out here? Could it be acting on its own accord or was something else aloof?
A sparkle of something glimmering from below suddenly distracted the bird, and with its interest suddenly piqued, the Takkuri watched as a little girl with long red hair left her shelter of protection. Around her neck, it saw a shiny object swaying as she ran toward her two companions, and its eyes narrowed.
Worried about Shippo, Romani fled from the windmill, waving her hands above her so as to catch their attention. "Hey! Are you two alright?" When they turned to look at her, their mouths flew open, but before she could get close enough to question why, she stopped when she saw a shadow loom beneath her feet. Warily, she glanced up, and seeing sharp talons outstretched for her and the massive wings shrouding her vision of the sky, she shrieked.
"Oh no!" Shippo cried.
If Link wanted to, he would have face palmed, for the second time that day. Since there was obviously no way to shoot the bird down without injuring the Romani, he turned to Shippo. Shippo, who had seen the look in his friend's eyes understood immediately. In seconds, Shippo transformed into his own version of a bird, and he ascended into the air with Link.
Lifted into the air by the back of her dress, Romani struggled. Below her, she saw that she was being whisked away from her home and away from her friends, and she cried out. "Help!" Now she really was a damsel in distress. Here she was, a helpless little girl who still had so many years left to live, and she hadn't even found a husband. How could her life end in such a way?
Serena, who had been calmly watching the fight scene take place between the bird and her friends, couldn't help but intervene when she saw the red head taken into the skies by the giant bird. Pretty much, the Takkuri had effectively changed the entire plot twist of the game. As she swiftly fluttered after the bird, Serena called out to it, in hopes of earning its attention. "Hey! You sorry excuse for a mutated bird!"
The Takkuri glanced over its shoulder and eyed the small fairy, but instead of stopping to confront her insults, it continued on, close enough to fly over the exit of Romani Ranch, but it stopped suddenly and squawked in pain.
One by one, Serena pulled on its tail feathers, successfully gaining the ugly bird's attention. "Yeah! That's right, you better turn around an—" Before Serena could insult the bird, she gasped when it turned on her and prepared to peck her, but she flew out of the way. "Man…you're so ugly!" From up close she saw its eyes were on either side of its head. Ugly wasn't even a word for it.
While the bird was preoccupied with the fairy, Shippo sailed by swiftly, and as he passed the Takkuri, Link readied his blade and slashed at its open back, and in a moment of surprise, the bird squawked and released the girl.
Flying away, Serena sought safety inside Link's satchel.
Frightened as she fell from the bird's grasp, Romani watched as the ground beneath her spun. Unprepared for her inevitable doom, she screamed her loudest ear-piercing scream. Where was her sister when she needed her? Luck was on her side suddenly when strong arms caught her, and baffled, Romani stared into the blue eyes staring back, and she was rendered speechless with her heart pounding deafeningly in her ears. Link, her knight in shining armor had saved her.
"Are you alright?" Link asked, and from the tears cascading down her face, he guessed not.
Before hearts could materialize in her enraptured gaze, her mouth flew open, and she clung to his tunic tightly. "Watch out!"
OOO
For the second time in a row, Grog had beaten Kagome at checkers, and she openly pouted. How had he beaten her first thing, when he had never played the game in his life? Kagome hadn't even made one queen when he jumped all of her chips. "I thought you said you didn't know how to play?"
A small smirk, though almost unnoticeable pulled at his lip. "I'm a fast learner."
Saddened by her loss, she folded up the board game and returned it to her bag before crossing her arms in front of the man, who couldn't help but arch a brow at her. "It was like you read my every move…"
"You made it easy…and I simply did as the rules implied," He said, watching her frown. While fingering a blade of grass by his feet, he curiously eyed her strange backpack. Inside that sack he had a pretty good feeling it contained lots of unique items, even more strange than her board game. "Why do you lug such a heavy messenger bag?"
Sadness forgotten, she looked at her backpack and back to him. "I've been on the road for a while now, and since I'm away from home so long, I bring all that I need with me, in case of emergencies."
"Were you kicked out…by your family?"
Kagome shook her head. "No…I left because…my friends needed me, and from time to time, I go back home," She explained, staring hard at the man in front of her. Why had he asked such a question? Did he think she was kicked out her home too? She guessed she couldn't blame him for thinking that way; after all, she was carrying a heavy load on her back these days. "Sometimes, it's like I've never left," What with her grandfather coming up with excuses about her absences from school.
"How long are you usually away?"
She mused. "Maybe for a few to five weeks at most…" Right now, it had been more than a month since her absence from the future, and right now she was sure her family was worrying about her, as she had told them many times how dangerous the Feudal Era could be.
Grog saw the sadness in her brown gaze, but he couldn't connect his loss to hers. Kagome obviously had a family that still cared for her, even at her age, but they were both very different people, leading very different lives.
"I have a younger brother, a mother and a grandfather," Kagome commented suddenly, earning his attention. "Right now I haven't seen them for so long…" Removing her wallet from her bag, she opened it and pulled out a few pictures to show the young man. "This is my family."
Looking closer at the colored photographs, he saw an older woman whom he guessed was her mother, her little brother and grandfather. There were also pictures of Kagome as a child, grinning in her mother's arms. The last photo he came across was of a young man with the same jet black hair as Kagome's, dressed in a blue suit with kind brown eyes. "This man is your father?" He held it out for her.
She nodded slowly, frowning as she stared at the image. "Yeah…he passed away when I was little. There was an accident…" Shaking away her sad thoughts, Kagome allowed a small smile to tug at her lips, and after returning the pictures back into her wallet and bag, she pulled out a deck of cards. "Want to play Old Maid?"
OOO
With its sharp talons outstretched, the bird was ready to reach out for the little girl wearing the shiny necklace it so desired, but Shippo had flown out of harm's way and proceeded to do as Link instructed, and that was to dive his entire form toward the ground below.
"A-are you sure about this?" Shippo asked Link as he saw the ground close in on them quite quickly.
From behind, the bird squawked as it dove straight for them, its beak prepared to damage Shippo and his friends, but the moment Shippo was about to hit the soil, he flew back up into air, out of the bird's reach.
Unable to stop in time for the collision, the Takkuri fell head first into the ground and its feathers scattered around its disheveled form. The world spun around in its eyes and quite unsteady on its feet, it attempted to recollect itself.
Shippo took that opportunity to land some distance away from the bird, allowing Romani to take shelter inside the windmill with Pamela. The moment Link jumped off from his back, the fox transformed back into his original form and eyed the boy beside him. "What will you do?" It didn't seem like the bird was about to give up any time soon.
Link spared the child a glance. "Take cover, Shippo." As the child fled to the safety of the walls, Link ran toward the bird, his sword ready to deliver a strike that would end its life.
Noticing, through its blurred vision, the bird watched as a boy with blonde hair, dressed in green charged for it, and though it was still slightly dizzy, it flared its nostrils and expanded its wings threateningly. However, it was not prepared to dodge the oncoming attack.
In seconds, his sword pierced through the bird's chest, its blood falling onto his blade and staining the grass in front of him. Finally, the bird that had annoyed him for many years would finally succumb to its death, never again steal or attack the innocent. After removing his blade from its torso, the bird painfully backed away from Link, attempting to flap its wings.
Link, who was not the least bit concerned, watched as it took for the sky slowly. There was no reason to shoot it down, as it would die from blood loss soon anyway. For now, all that mattered was that his friends were safe.
"You did it!" Serena cheered excitedly, suddenly circling her partner.
Blushing and feeling a little feverish, Romani stood behind Link and threw herself onto the boy, once again knocking him to the ground with her above him. "That was the best Save The Princess game ever!"
Before he could push her off him, he felt her lips against his cheek, and he blushed in embarrassment when his friends, who were gathered around, witnessed the display of affection from the rancher. "W-what are you—"
"You really are my hero!" Romani giggled.
OOO
Finally finished at the Doggy Race Track, Miroku and Inuyasha made their way to the Cuccu Shack, to pick up their friend whom they left behind. Mamamu Yan had been a little disappointed that the two had left her coral earlier than expected, but it was only because of Inuyasha's insistence.
"Those dogs seemed to like you, Inuyasha," Miroku commented. The monk remembered, during the race, that he and Inuyasha had both lost, but afterward, Mamamu Yan had asked if the half demon would like to take in one of her stray puppies, the one with the brown coat that openly adored Inuyasha. Inuyasha's thoughts had been on the lines of, 'hell no, that's the last thing I need.' In Miroku's opinion, he would probably grow jealous of Kagome's affections for the pooch.
"Well they were annoying as hell."
Reaching the door that led into the Cuccu Shack, the two walked inside, noticing Kagome and Grog leaned over as they were distracted with what appeared to be a card game. From where they walked, they watched the priestess throw her arms in the air.
"You're cheating! You've never played this game ever and you've beat me five times already!" She said frustratingly. "How do you do it? Not to mention checkers!"
Standing before the two, Miroku curiously scratched his cheek. "What's happening?" He asked.
From the priestess's annoyance at his person and the fact that he kept beating her at her little games, Grog smirked. "I believe she's upset because I beat her at Old Maid…"
Astounded, Miroku couldn't help but gasp. "You beat Lady Kagome?" Why that was the most startling news he had heard in so long. How was it possible? "No one has ever won against her."
Though it was weird that Grog was suddenly talkative, and showing some interest in games rather than his chickens, Inuyasha ignored him and openly smirked at the distraught girl shuffling her cards. "How does it feel Kagome?"
"How does what feel?" Kagome turned her attention to her friend as she placed the cards back into the small box.
"Having your ass beat?" He replied, smirking at her expressionless stare.
Annoyed, she turned away from Inuyasha and hefted her backpack onto her back, before slowly facing him. "I don't know Inuyasha, but how does dirt taste?"
Inuyasha blinked. "What?"
"Sit!"
Rocks and dirt filled the air before them, and Grog couldn't help but stare at the small impression in the soil where Inuyasha lay. Somehow, Kagome had used a spell on the half demon, and it was clear she was no ordinary female.
While she walked away, leaving Inuyasha in the dirt to rethink his actions, Kagome stopped and pointed at Grog, who remained seated in front of the tree next to Miroku. "I swear revenge Grog. I will reclaim my status as number one in Old Maid and Checkers." Even though she wasn't sure if she'd ever see him again, Kagome couldn't help but torment the guy, and when she saw his lips curve upwards, she mentally congratulated herself. All in all, she was happy she stayed behind to cheer up the melancholy man.
Grog shook his head, trying not to chuckle at her childlike personality. "Your friend is amusing…"
Miroku agreed with that, and when Inuyasha pulled himself from the ground irritably, the three departed, waving their goodbyes. Grog sat there, and as he watched them depart from his shack, he couldn't help but allow his thoughts to linger back on the girl, Kagome. What a strange female. For the first time, in what seemed like ages, she had managed to make him smile, and he hoped it wasn't the last he saw of her.