Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or Peter Pan. I only own this fan fiction piece.
Special Thanks: to anyone who reviews.
Summary: Cautiously, Kagome took the beaded strand. "Thank you, Kaede."
"You are most welcome. Now, go and enjoy yourself," Kaede said with a smile.
As she watched Kagome exit her home, Kaede thought to herself, 'She has a rare fire. They will be good for each other.'
Beware of Pixie Dust
Chapter 7
Strangely pacified, Kagome placed the beaded string in her pocket and walked out of the older woman's home into the darkening night. As she meandered her way around the tepees, she wondered at the cause for the rhythmic pounding of the drums that had just begun to sound from the village circle.
As she got closer, she noticed a familiar figure up ahead and jogged until she reached it. Detecting the presence of a female, Miroku reached over and—
SLAP!
"We're cousins, you idiot monk!"
Surprised eyes turned to Kagome, "Oh, Kagome; it's you." A small blush stained Miroku's face, "I thought you were Sa—" Quickly, he cleared his throat, "someone else."
"You didn't even look to make sure!" Kagome choked out, before slapping him once more for good measure.
Running a hand over his hair, Miroku gave a nervous laugh. "Well, actually…"
Thankfully, Miroku's next words were muffled as the beating of the drum grew louder.
Hearing a gasp, Kagome looked to her side to find that Sango had joined her, and she was staring straight ahead. Kagome's gaze followed Sango's and came to rest on two figures dancing to the beat of the drums—InuYasha and the chief's daughter, Kikyo.
Fighting a twinge of jealousy, Kagome watched as they moved. Then Kagome's eyes widened as Kikyo closed in on her partner and placed a small kiss on InuYasha's lips. Almost visible flames highlighted Kagome's angry body, causing Miroku and Sango to take a step back in slight fear.
'He can dance with her if he wants. It's not like I even like him,' Kagome told herself, trying to calm her raging emotions.
Abruptly, the drums switched to a faster rhythm, signaling the end of the dance and the approach of a speaker. With one final drum roll, the drums ceased and an older man with a single feather in his long black hair stood before the gathered people.
"Long ago, our people were given the Shikon Jewel, a symbol of power, prestige, and good fortune on this island, and along with the jewel came the task of guarding it. Many have tried to take it away and all have failed.
We gather now to celebrate our achievement with a test. The Shikon has been placed somewhere on the totem pole behind me. By focusing on the light the Shikon gives, you will attempt with bow and arrow to shoot as close as possible to the jewel itself."
Kagome snorted, "That doesn't make a lot of sense." She hurriedly shut her mouth though, as the people around her turned to glare at her.
The announcer continued, "As of yet, only one person has been given the gift of being able to see its radiant light from within the depths of the target and has been given the task of its protection. She, Kikyo, challenges anyone present to a test of sight and skill—the task of the Shikon guardianship is at stake."
Miroku whispered into Kagome's ear, "Everyone here will shoot; however Kikyo always shoots last. If she were to shoot first, the others would know to shoot for her arrow, since she is an expert markswoman and the only that can see it."
Kagome lifted a brow. 'I don't even want to know how he found out all this already.'
Oblivious to the girl's inner musings, Miroku continued, "This is basically a traditional confirmation of Kikyo's gift and her ability to protect the jewel."
Looking up at the towering pole, Kagome saw a bright glow emanating from the mouth of one of the carvings. "You mean that thing there?" Kagome mumbled, pointing at a spot almost to the top of the totem pole.
Miroku's eyes widened and instantly a host of eyes zeroed in on Kagome. Here was a stranger who thought she could see the Shikon jewel—a jewel that only two people (the creator and Kikyo) had ever been able to see once the jewel was hidden.
A few people began to laugh; the idea was ludicrous.
Finally, Miroku whispered, "I don't see anything, Kagome."
"But it's shining so bright, I don't know how anyone could miss it," Kagome insisted.
With both brows raised, Miroku gazed down into his cousin's sincere expression. 'I know it is unlikely,' he thought to himself, 'but it is possible.'
Outwardly, he only whispered two words…
"Challenge her."
------------------------------
A few minutes after Kagome left, Kaede stood shakily to her feet and hobbled out of her leather home.
As she too heard the call of the drums, she had the odd feeling that the pounding of the drums signaled the coming of change and she intended to be there when it happened.
------------------------------
"Challenge her?!" Kagome squeaked. "I've never picked up a bow in my life."
"Come on, Kagome. In being able to see the target you have an advantage everyone other than Kikyo does not have." The monk shrugged as he continued. "The worst that can happen would be that you failed, looked incredibly foolish, and utterly ruined your life, but what is the chance that that will happen?" he encouraged.
Kagome responded with a deadly glare as she felt Miroku propel her to the front of the crowd.
Suddenly pushed in front of a sea of unfamiliar curious faces, Kagome gulped and muttered, "I challenge Kikyo."
Wind blew through the town, causing some of the leather door flaps to tap lightly against the tepees—the only noise in the now eerily silent crowd.
Finally, the skeptical voice of the announcer asked, "What did you say?"
Kagome glanced up, and upon seeing his disbelieving look, she squared her shoulders, looked him straight in the eye, and repeated slowly and deliberately, "I—challenge—Kikyo."
For a moment, the crowd murmured together before another voice spoke up. "Silence."
Immediately, the people hushed.
A second later, the owner of the voice leaped in front of Kagome. "If she wishes to challenge, she may."
Gratefully, Kagome looked up to see a young male in front of her. Eyes widening, she took in his familiar attributes—the dark hair, the fur clothing, and the wolfish grin told her who stood before her even before she heard the collective whisper of the audience.
"Kouga—the prince of the Wolf tribe," Kagome murmured. Kouga was the chief of the wolf tribe, one of the two tribes that had gathered for the occasion.
Hearing the girl's whisper, Kouga snapped his head to look down at her, his gaze curious and his eyes questioning. Without pausing from his perusal of Kagome, Kouga called out authoritatively, "Bring a bow and arrow suitable for the girl's use."
Almost instantly, the requested objects were shoved into Kagome's hand and the area in front of the totem pole was cleared.
Already nervous, Kagome jumped when a masculine hand landed on her shoulder. She looked up almost guiltily into Kouga's eyes.
Kouga's gaze hardened a bit as he gave her a slight push and pointed to a line sketched in the dirt. "Stand there, Girl."
Wobbling, Kagome did as the Indian prince demanded. Then carefully, she notched the arrow on the bow and held it up, relying heavily on what she had seen in movies and read in books. Breathing in a deep breath, she took careful aim at the brilliant gleam shining from the small spot on the pole and let go.
Closing her eyes before seeing what happened, Kagome whispered, "Please hit it."
At the sound of a frantic feminine shriek, she opened her eyes slowly. What she saw made her wince. Instead of lodging itself directly in the jewel, her arrow had flown decidedly off target and had lodged itself in the post directly beside Kikyo's head.
Kagome looked awkwardly back and forth between the princess and the totem pole and then with a large sweat drop forming on the back of her head, she quickly exited stage right.
'Well, that was not intentional,' she thought, beyond embarrassed by this point.
From his post beside Kikyo, InuYasha doubled over in laughter. The girl could not hit Sesshomaru's ship nevertheless a virtually invisible jewel.
At the sound of male laughter, Kagome pivoted from her hasty exit.
Then marching up to InuYasha, she glared at the boy through narrow eyes. "How dare you laugh at me! I have never once shot an arrow, but I can see that stupid jewel just as well as Kikyo can," she said pointing at Kikyo, then pointing at the top of the pole, she continued, "It's right up there in that stupid monkey's mouth and its shining bright enough to blind a person. I don't know what…."
From her position at InuYasha's side, Kikyo gasped loudly. The girl had not lied. She herself could see the faint glow of the jewel from within the wooden mouth of the monkey.
Reaching above Kikyo's head, Kagome grasped the arrow and pulled it out of the wood. Then storming over to the line she notched the arrow again.
Having already experienced the side effects of Kagome's aim, Kikyo stood from her seat and hid behind InuYasha as she realized what the girl intended to do.
"I'll show them," Kagome muttered darkly.
With her anger boosting her confidence, she notched the arrow and lifted the bow. She aimed quickly, but carefully and released; this time her gaze did not waver from the arrow as she watched it zoom through the air and lodge itself in... the totem pole. However, instead of hearing the solid thump of the arrow on the wood, the people heard a rather disturbing sound—a sharp ping.
Kouga sprang to Kagome's side in time to see the arrow fall to the ground while lodged firmly within the Shikon. Kagome stood still in utter surprise and the people seemed to take a collective breath. Kouga was not so impaired. With wolf-like speed, he ran to the arrow and examined the now cracked jewel. Then he held the jewel above his head. Abruptly, the cheering crowd interrupted the thick silence.
Before the crowd had finished cheering, Kouga leapt to Kagome and picked her up into his arms.
Upon seeing this, InuYasha shrugged out of the fierce hold the Indian girl still had on him, and growling, he lunged through the thronging crowd.
'That wolf had better get his hands off Kagome.'
"What do you think you are doing?" Kagome squealed directly into Kouga's ear from her position in his arms.
He ignored her, but finally answered in an effort to get her to stop squirming. "You are now the jewel's guardian, and I have decided that you will be my woman."
Staring in open-mouthed surprise, Kagome stopped struggling for a bit as she tried to figure out how those two facts had anything to do with each other. She did not have to say anything; however, as a split second later, InuYasha stood before her with his sword drawn and looking something less than happy.
"Get your mangy hands off her," he snarled, his eyes bleeding red in color.
Kouga put her down and placed himself in front of her.
"She is mine now, InuYasha," Kouga answered haughtily (and foolishly) as he drew his own sword.
As much as Kagome disliked the wolf's behavior, she certainly did not want him killed. So taking a rather nervous breath, she stepped deliberately in front of Kouga.
"Please, InuYasha, I'm sure he doesn't really mean it."
"Oh, yes—" two male voices started.
Kagome persisted as she glared at Kouga, "Oh, no he doesn't. Please don't fight over me."
A long pause occurred and hurt look passed over InuYasha's face for a mere moment before he whispered accusingly, "You like the wolf, don't you? That's why you want me to let him go?"
Kagome sputtered in protest, "That's—that's not it at all."
"I thought better of you, Kagome," InuYasha spat before flying away from her.
Ignoring Kouga's now welcoming arms, Kagome flew after the red-clad boy to just outside the Indian village. She lost InuYasha for a few minutes, but finally managed to find him as he leaned against a tree, staring angrily into his forest.
Growling angrily, Kagome reached into her pocket and grasped the almost forgotten object inside…. Kaede's necklace. Then marching over to the still pouting boy, Kagome reached up and plopped the necklace around his neck.
Now quivering in her anger, she pointed a finger at him, "Sit. Just sit down and listen to me you egotistical jerk!"
Then turning abruptly on her heel she faced away from him and began to pace, but a loud crash and an echoing curse caused her to turn around abruptly.
Silver hair, twitching ears, and red clothing were all that could be seen from the vast hole newly formed in the rich ground.
"InuYasha," Kagome whispered. Subconsciously, her mind went to Kaede's words,
"Take these. Use them wisely, but once these are around someone's neck, one word is all that is needed to get their full attention."
Kagome thought, 'While it did get his full attention, I don't know that this is what I was aiming for,'.
Not knowing how much longer InuYasha would be like that, Kagome wasted no additional time. Glaring at the boy, she paced before him.
"How dare you insinuate something like that! The guy practically kidnapped me, while you were over there protecting Kikyo. What do you care anyway? I saw you earlier with her," she finished in a whisper. Then turning, she looked at him with her hands angrily on her hips in added emphasis, "I do not belong to you, and I do not deserve your wrath," and with that, Kagome stormed off.
And from the bottom of the pit, InuYasha muttered a four letter word he never should have allowed the boys to say.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Burning a vivid red with jealous anger, Kagura stood out from the dark vegetation of InuYasha's forest—an easy target for those interested in catching the small pixie. She, who had been with InuYasha since the beginning, could sense the interest the boy had in the modern girl—and Kagura didn't like it one bit.
Abruptly and without prior warning, a rough burlap bag was clumsily placed over the glowering female.
Kagura felt herself being lifted into the air as small green hands lifted the prize triumphantly. "I told you I could catch her, Captain," Jaken said, his voice cracking with glee.
Struggling against the sides of the bag, Kagura redirected her anger at her cackling captor.
Surprised at the venomousness of the pixie's movement, Jaken dropped the bag. Then screeching, he hastened to pick it up.
"See, Captain Sesshomaru? She's all safe and sound," Jaken said, poking the side of the bag for emphasis, completely ignorant of the fact that the fairy was no longer inside it.
The said Captain growled angrily, "Imbecile. The bag is upside down."
Eyes widening at his misfortune, Jaken hurriedly corrected his mistake, but not before Sesshomaru saw the glittering trail of gold shooting off to Jaken's left.
Taking a flying leap, Sesshomaru planted his foot on Jaken's head and shoved off, ignoring the first mates muffled cry of protest. He never should have let the idiot have the job of catching her in the first place.
With amazing speed and dexterity, the captain caught up with Kagura, and reaching out, he grasped a hold of one of her dainty wings.
Kagura kicked and struggled but it was no use; she was trapped.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's note: Turns out, I was wrong again. This story has at least one more chapter to go. :D
I really struggled with my portrayal of Kikyo. I have always liked her and believe her to be one of the most misunderstood characters, but in keeping with Peter Pan and some of the InuYasha plotline, I wrote her as I did.
Thank you very much to each of my wonderful (and faithful) reviewers; I could not do this without your support.