A special thank you to…
Kannilala…The Lonely Bird…bdrake07…ffgirlmoonie…Goddess of the Moonlit Sky…Punk Rock Miko2…Avelyn Lauren…Smiley Gurl 87…AznxAngel…MeiunTenshi…
Disclaimer:
(In a small café in a little out-of-the-way village in Wales)
Pwale: We are here to discuss a very important matter. Are we all present?
Inuyasha: Koga isn't here.
Sango: And neither is Miroku.
Pwale: …
Mr. X: Speaking of which, I haven't seen them in a while…
Blake: Pwale? Something you want to tell us?
Pwale: …Kagome has a bondage fetish!
Everyone else: WHAT? YOU HAVE A WHAT?
(In the castle, more specifically in Pwale's closet)
Koga & Miroku: 1003 bottles of beer on the wall, 1003 bottles of beer, take one down, pass it around, 1002 bottles of beer on the wall…
(on the closet wall they have stenciled these words)
Pwalefriend does not own us. Pwalefriend does not own us. Someday we will be free!
P.S. For some reason, there are coffee stains on my computer. I drink coffee while writing sometimes, sure. But I don't splatter my Mac with the stuff. What did people do to my computer in my two week absense! I just felt like sharing this.
The Stamp of Gold
Friendly Business
By Pwalefriend
Happy Birthday AznxAngel! Whether it be belated or early, happy birthday!
When Sango heard the pounding feet coming her way, she was surprised. But it was nothing compared to her total shock when Inuyasha actually came around the corner. Sure, he had threatened to come down, but no one had actually taken him seriously. Coming down to get Kagome would have completely blown his cover!
After all, the only people who knew about Kagome and Inuyasha's friendship (besides themselves) were the Elementals. And they certainly weren't telling.
Inuyasha slammed into the door.
"KAGOME!" He roared. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, KEEPING THIS FROM US?"
There was only silence from the other side of the door, until.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MR. TAKAHASHI," Kagome spat at him. "BUT I'VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK YOU THE SAME THING!"
"DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?" Inuyasha shouted. "I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"
"Um, Inuyasha…?" Sango whispered as he brandished a piece of stationary at the blank door. Her efforts were useless and as Inuyasha read the letter Miroku, Shippo, Sesshomaru, Kagura and Kohaku all came around the corner just in time to hear it.
"My Dear Kagome-" Inuyasha read.
"I wish that I could write to you with good news from your home, but I'm afraid that I can't. I'm so sorry, Kagome.
There's been an accident, love. Now, I don't want you to get alarmed, but Grandfather's taken ill. Your father's old colleague, Mr. Lee, his son is in medicine and they kindly decided to take a look at Grandfather.
Kagome, it doesn't look good. According to the doctor's, it's all in Grandfather's head. But he's not getting any better.
Sota and I send our love, Grandfather wanted to send a mummified hand, but I'm afraid that the post wouldn't let us.
Thank you so much for what you're doing for us.
Sincerely,
Mother."
Inuyasha, when he finished reading, glared at the door.
"Mind explaining," he hissed. "Why you didn't tell any of us about this?"
"WELL LET ME THINK FOR A MINUTE HERE, INUYASHA!" Kagome screamed at him; her voice was choked with unshed tears. Inuyasha winced inwardly. It hadn't been his intention to make his friend cry. "MAYBE BECAUSE IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUISNESS!"
Now, that got him angry.
"OF COURSE IT'S MY BUISSNESS YOU STUBBORN WENCH!" Inuyasha bellowed.
Sango was stunned. Even if it wasn't any of Inuyasha's business, it was hers. She happened to know Grandfather Higurashi. Quite well actually, he had helped take care of her and her little brother after their parents had been killed in a trolley accident. Kohaku was just as shocked as her, she could tell by his chalk-white face.
"YOU'RE MY FRIEND!" Inuyasha yelled at her. "OF COURSE IT'S MY BUSINESS TO KNOW WHEN MY FRIEND IS HURTING!"
Once again his answer was silence, for Kagome had collapsed on her bed, fighting back her sobs.
As subtly as they could Sesshomaru and Miroku rushed to the window to look for any more signs of an Apocalypse. They didn't actually believe in the event, but it was the only explanation they could think of for Inuyasha's sudden…behavior.
'Did he just call her…a friend?' Shippo wondered, absolutely bewildered.
Clingy, along with a rather large group of other Elementals, were all hiding up in the rafters and bobbing up and down in excitement. This drama was even better then the drama with that horrid Kikyo woman!
Kagura sighed happily. Could it be? Dared she hope? Was she finally going to get that sister-in-law that she'd been waiting for all these years?
Diabolical plans began to form in that lady's head.
"Open up, Kagome." Inuyasha said.
"No!" She said, still angry and now sad as well. "Go away!"
Inuyasha, looking around him and noticing for the first time his audience, signaled for them all to leave. They all did so, except for the Elementals who deemed it not the right moment for their exit.
Also, Inuyasha didn't see them so they were free to spy as long as they wanted.
When he was sure that everyone was gone, Inuyasha placed one finger on the doorknob. If you had been watching you would have seen a tiny golden spark jump from Inuyasha's finger to the metal and then you would have heard the click of the door unlocking itself.
Kagome stared in surprise, her eyes red and her nose redder, when the door was quietly pushed open and Inuyasha stood in the doorway.
Inuyasha blinked as the smell of saline barraged his senses.
Oops.
He hadn't meant to make her cry, he really hadn't.
He covered the distance between them with two long strides and settled on the bed next to Kagome. She just watched him, unable to stop her tears. He watched her back.
"First the letter." She whispered. "Then I find out that I'm a Witch. And then Clingy tells me that everyone knew it, and no one told me! Why didn't anyone tell me!"
"Because we didn't think that you needed to know." Inuyasha said, a little guiltily. "We thought that maybe you wouldn't ever find out and that if we secretly taught you just enough to keep you from losing control of your powers completely, it would be fine."
"But why?" Kagome demanded. "Don't I have a right to know? Is there any other little detail about me that you're all keeping to yourselves? Anything else that you hope I'll never need to know?"
"Because. Yes. No. Yes." Inuyasha said, answering each of her questions directly and individually. That got her suspicion. She glared at him.
"And what are these things that I'll never need to know?" She spat. He flinched and looked away from her burning gaze.
"Just…things." He said. Then, to cover up his concern, he added haughtily, "Things that a Lady shouldn't know."
Kagome snorted.
"You forget far too easily, Inuyasha," she said disdainfully. "That I not only grew up in a city, but that I was one of the few women actively a part of Academia. I have said things that would make any Lady die of embarrassment."
Inuyasha frowned. She was right, of course, he had forgotten.
"But still!" He protested, loathe to admit that she was right.
Kaede sat with Kagura and Sango at the long counter in the kitchen. Activity was at an all time high (it was only an hour till dinner) and due to the noise their conversation was impossible to eavesdrop on, much to Clingy's (who was hiding in the kitchen rafters) dismay.
"So," Kaede said slowly. "Apparently our Inuyasha and our Kagome know each other far better then we supposed."
"Kaede, he called her his friend." Sango said excitedly.
She was sad about Grandfather Higurashi, but her friend and lord finally healing the wounds on his heart was much more important at the moment.
Kaede stared at Sango, then at Kagura.
"Gather all the women in the building with any skill at matchmaking." Kaede ordered briskly. "We have been given a chance."
Kagura smirked.
"Now that is what I like to hear!" She chortled happily as Sango went off to complete the mission.
'They won't know what hit them!' Sango thought triumphantly. Upstairs Kagome and Inuyasha paused a moment in their arguing.
"Are your ears burning?" Kagome asked him.
"Yes." Inuyasha said. "Yes they are."
They shared a look. They had a bad feeling about this.
Wow, can you believe it? I updated so fast this time!
Feel better?
But no, seriously, I don't think I have ever updated this fast before. Even if I write the chapter this fast (which only ever happens once in a blue moon) I usually give time for more people to review. Wow.
Well, REVIEW!
Roar!
That's right! You heard her!
HEAR THE REVIEW LION AND OBEY!
And since her trip to Fiji (don't know why she went there in the first place) she's made some new friends.
So, while my Candy Monster's are on Holiday you face the Review Lion and her horde of Review Ninja's!
WHAT NOW!
Sincerely
Pwalefriend