How Will I Know
Disclaimer: I got a cookie from my beta's boyfriend, and he wouldn't let me have anymore. So I stole 2 more, and then when he hid them I just wanted a cookie so bad. So I bought my own pack of cookies at the store today! Anyway, I don't own InuYasha.
Chapter 13: Reunited!
As the river water flowed, Sango washed her clothes, wearing her bare minimum, a kimono. Miroku was supposed to be keeping watch for danger upstream, but Shippou and Sango both believed he was watching something closer to where a kimono was all that covered a young woman doing laundry. Sango finished up the laundry and went into a thicket, cutting a small path, and after making it to the center, a small changing room. Shippou returned to Miroku, and Kirara kept watch around the thicket. As Sango stepped out wearing a new, dry, clean set of traveling clothes, Miroku appeared next to her.
"Miroku!" Sango jumped, but quickly recovered.
"Yes, Lady Sango?"
"You're a pervert."
"Thanks, Lady Sango." Miroku said with a mischievous grin on his face. Sango looked down and laughed hollowly. They walked over to their 'camp' of the past three days, and sat on the grass. If InuYasha and Kagome didn't show up by tonight, they would leave first thing in the morning. Sango stared out at the river, her eyes glazed over in thought. Suddenly, Miroku was behind her, rubbing her shoulders for a change.
"Relax, Sango. Do you really think InuYasha would let Naraku harm Kagome? I'm sure they're both fine. Remember when they took out Menomaru? He was more powerful than Naraku, don't worry so. It makes me feel your pain." Sango sighed, and leaned back into Miroku's massage.
A half-hour later, Kirara suddenly sat up, then transformed, bristling and snarling. Sango jumped up, startling Shippou who yelped and in turn, startled Miroku. They stood, picking up their weapons, unwilling to fight a demon at a time like this. Over the hill came a large white horse. They blinked as a group, and, sure enough, it had a horn on its forehead. Sango threw her Hiraikotsu as it bore down upon them with such great speed.
The horse leapt into the air, dodging Sango's attack, and landed ten feet from them, standing still. The group was struck dumb as a familiar figure slid off its back and ran toward them with tears in its eyes.
"Sango!" Kagome cried out in relief.
"Kagome!" Everyone collided in a fierce hug around Kagome, the horse forgotten. Kirara stood outside the group, staring at the horse. Both demons studied each other, and then accepted the other. Kagome pulled away from her friends.
"I missed you guys so much! Are you all alright? How have you been? How long was I gone?"
"We missed you too!" Shippou shouted, clinging to the front of Kagome's shirt. She hugged him with one arm as she talked to her friends.
"We're alright. In fact, we're excellent since you've shown up!" Miroku stated.
"You were gone for seven days! We were so worried, especially since we couldn't find you." Sango chimed in, and Kagome pulled her sleeve across her eyes. She looked around at all her friends, noticing someone was missing.
"Where's… Inu… Yasha?" It hurt her to say the name.
"We haven't seen him since-" Miroku began.
"Since he went after…" Sango intervened, trying to put it gently.
"Kikyo?" Kagome guessed. Shippou nodded into her chest, sniffling.
"That InuYasha's such a jerk!" He whined, and then pulled himself closer to Kagome, who held him with both arms now.
"Kagome, I missed you! Don't leave again!" Shippou cried.
"It's alright, Shippou, don't worry, I won't." Kagome looked around at all her friends, and found their faces carried as much sorrow for Shippou as hers did.
"Is there a camp or something that you guys have? I think I'd better explain what happened."
Kagome told the story from when she first woke up with the bandages on around her and Kagura in the hut to when she'd found Ekonika and run here. The only part she'd left out was when she had seen InuYasha through the orb. When she finished, Shippou was fast asleep in her arms.
"So Kagura… wanted you to help her fight Naraku?" Miroku asked.
"Yes. She's controlled by him, and it looked like she was truly afraid of whatever power he might have over her. I wonder what will happen now."
"Yes. We should wait to see her reaction; I'm sure we'll see her again, whenever it may be." Sango concluded.
"So, Kagome…" Miroku asked.
"Yeah?"
"Your new friend, Ekonika, right?" The horse was standing on a ledge at the top of a very small waterfall, hardly even a drop, staring at nothing in particular. One of her ears flicked back as her name was mentioned.
"She said she knew Kikyo?"
"Yes…"
"How does she know Kikyo, then?" Kagome started to say she didn't know, but was cut off by the same feminine voice she'd heard earlier; this time, there was a touch of annoyance.
"Why don't you just ask me?" Ekonika appeared stunningly close to Miroku, almost making him fall over backwards.
"Sorry, sorry." Miroku blushed. "How is it that you came to know Kikyo, then?" His embarrassment faded when Ekonika sat, looking awkward. She looked around at them all.
"Now is not the time." She simply stated, and went back over to the ledge.
The group shrugged at the vagueness of the mare, and forgot it.
It was growing dark, and Kagome had laid out her sleeping bag. As she curled up inside it with Shippou (who hadn't left her since she'd arrived) she tried not to think, and instead listened. Miroku sort of snorted for a second, and Sango rolled over on her blanket. She listened as Ekonika ate grass as the small white pony. She rolled over to watch her, and after a few minutes, Ekonika looked over at her. Kagome looked back, still not willing to think. As Ekonika turned once again into the giant unicorn, Kagome's eyes unfocused as she drifted into a restless sleep.
The dirt path flew under her feet rapidly. She was so much more aware of her surroundings; she could hear all the trees sway in the gentle breeze, and could smell scents that were until now invisible to her. One scent came to be stronger than the rest, and she followed it. As she ran, the scent was identified as Miroku's and Sango's. Suddenly, a cabin appeared. It smelled strongly of the group, and faintly of herself. As she tried to find where the scents lead, she fell to her hands and knees, the scents being much closer to her sensitive nose here. She caught a glimpse of her hands. They were clawed, like InuYasha's. A small part of her conscience realized she was seeing things through InuYasha. Suddenly, the scent was found, and InuYasha took off running downhill. A horse glimmered in the distance, far off by a river. Suddenly, a large aura grew stronger from the mountainside, between him and the horse. A snarl ripped through the cold morning air.
Kagome sat up suddenly, and looked around. Miroku and Sango were also sitting up, trying to clear their vision by rubbing their eyes. The echo of a snarl rebounded to them, and something that looked a lot like the Wind Scar appeared on the mountain.
Well, suspense again. Sorry. Please R+R!