O0...So much...frickin...homework...Japanese class, Vet Science, IT'S TOO MUCH! Not to mention volunteer work at WAGS (Sign up today! Send one dog, get a 2nd dog discount! -) I'm sorry I can't update this very often. It's hard for me to continue at this point, because I had all the previous stuff COMPLETELY figured out. But now I've figured out what goes where, so here goes...cracks knuckles...
Naraku watched Takashi through Kanna's mirror, amused by his bleak expression. He was lost in his own thoughts, walking aimlessly as Kouga pulled him around different turns of the hallways. He smirked at the thought that Kouga actually believed he could have rescued him so easily.
"You think you can keep him safe from me; Kouga, you are a fool. You're simply delaying the inevitable."
"-Naraku, why are you letting them escape? We need the boy, and-"
"Patience, Kagura." He looked behind him to see her sour expression.
"I only brought the boy here so I could fully break the spell. But now that his demon powers are reawakening...-well, I suppose you could say he needs a little time on his own..."
"But now the others know you're still alive! Without a doubt, they'll come for you."
Naraku leered at the mirror as it faded into another image.
"I'm counting on it. My plans didn't merely include Takashi's suffering alone..."
He grabbed the mirror from Kanna, looking down into it and smiling.
Shippo crept around on the ground, sniffing furiously, filtering out every little detail of each scent to the last particle of dust. His palms were sweaty, caked with soil as he crawled. Miroku sighed in boredom and wrapped his arm around Sango's waist, pulling her closer to him.
"Shippo, how much longer is this-"
"Shh."
He pushed himself up onto his knees and sniffed the air as a breeze passed. His eyes widened, and he stood up, pointing in the direction the wind came from.
"That way."
Miroku nodded and lifted Sango onto Kirara, then mounted her himself and took off. Shippo raced along on the ground, occasionally jumping over the treetops so Kirara could keep track of him. As he ran, he grimaced in shame.
I let Naraku take him. I'm not any stronger than when I first met Kagome.
He thought back to when she still traveled with them; how she used to give him treats; how she'd let him curl up beside her every night before going to sleep...
And now I've lost her real son to that bastard. How could she ever forgive me if she were here?
He had watched in horror as Takashi vanished into the smoke of Naraku's miasma, realizing just what had happened. The only son of his surrogate mother had been taken by the most cruel and evil demon to have ever lived.
I'll get him back, Kagome.
"Well, here we are."
"Wow...this place is amazing..."
Takashi looked at the waterfall, observing the landscape. Wolves were laying contently among the rocks, some pups playing by the water. He looked up to see two demons running down to greet them, jumping down from behind the waterfall.
"Hey, Kouga! Who's the runt?"
"...This is Takashi. He's Kagome's son."
Takashi did not like the looks on their faces when they heard Kouga say that. They stared at him, then looked at Kouga sympathetically. He rolled his eyes at them and shrugged.
"What! We all knew it wasn't going to be that way."
"...Be what way?"
Kouga looked down at Takashi, and gave a nervous laugh, then cleared his throat.
"I uh...I kind of wanted your mother to be my mate-"
"WHAT!" Takashi's yell shook the trees as hundreds of birds took off in fright.
...-Revived after fainting, Takashi coughed and sputtered as the cold water hit his face, shaking his head as he looked up at Kouga.
"Relax. Nothing happened between us. The feeling wasn't mutual for her. Besides, does it look like I'm your sire?"
Takashi scratched his head.
"I guess you're right...even though this is probably a spell, I doubt white hair and yellow eyes were recessive genes."
Kouga stared for a moment, his eyebrows raised HIGH up. His mind went a complete blank, wondering what the hell Takashi just said.
"What the hell is a gene!"
Takashi sighed and wiped the remaining water off of his face.
"Never mind. I'm convinced you and everyone else here is just a stupid crazy dream. –Ow! Hey!"
Takashi rubbed his head, hissing at the pain after Kouga bopped him on the head.
"Was that enough to enlighten ya?"
"Yes! Ow! Fine, I get it, I'm awake, this is real and I can't change that. But still...I wanna get out of here. I mean look at what's happened to me!" He stared down at the brook, looking at his reflection swirling in the water. He remembered the reflection in his dream; and it was laughing at him again as he screamed inside.
"Yesterday I was a normal kid trying to make it through school with some social dignity. Now when they call me a freak, it'll be literally...-That is if ever even get home again."
He sulked, his shoulders drooped and his head hanging down. Kouga came over and looked at him.
"What do you mean they call you a freak?"
He rested his forehead against his hand, and closed his eyes searching his memory.
"Well, there were some incidents when I was younger; the kids thought I was weird. Like one time when I was really young...I can barely remember it, but it was my first day ever at school..."
Takashi wouldn't budge; he stood there, petrified, clutching his dog doll. He looked up at his mother, who just smiled and beckoned him to go in further. He took a step, then changed his mind and ran back to his Kagome, clinging to her leg. She sighed and leaned over to stroke his hair, speaking to the teacher.
"Sorry; he's not away from me very often, and he's very shy. I've been nervous about taking him places because of a little condition he has."
"Oh? What is it?"
The teacher leaned in closer and whispered.
"Don't worry, I've seen them all before; bed wetter, paste eater, you know...so I'm sure things will be okay..."
"Well, actually...it's not that kind of thing...it's more...it's more of a genetics thing...his father was...a very different man."
The teacher looked sad.
"...Was?"
"...I'd rather not discuss that. But the point is, he's pretty much never been around anybody except his family."
"This 'genetic thing'...is he sick?"
"Oh no, no! Very healthy in fact, it's just that...er...well the kids would make fun of him. I can't say much more than that."
"Well, alright..."
Kagome knelt down and cleaned his face with a wipe, pulling the hair away from his face affectionately.
"It's okay honey, I promise you'll be fine. Just go in there and you can play."
He smiled a little.
"Play?"
"Yes. And you'll get to make some friends too!"
He giggled and clapped his hands.
"Play an' friends!"
She looked up at the teacher.
"He also doesn't say much in front of people. At home he's quite talkative, though..."
She picked him up and carried him into the room, setting him down on the floor and kissing him on the cheek. But when he realized she was leaving, he toddled towards her as fast as he could, then began to kick and grunt when the teacher restrained him.
"Mama! Mama!"
"Takashi, it's okay. Your mother will be back later today to pick you up."
"But-! But Mama-! But! I want Mama!" He struggled to convey his message as he tried to wriggle out of the teacher's arms. Luckily, the teacher had a secret weapon...bribery.
"Takashi, the other kids are having a snack right now; why don't you join them?"
Takashi stopped his struggling, then hesitantly looked over at the other kids.
"But..."
"What? What's wrong Takashi?"
"I don't know..."
"You don't know what's wrong?"
"No...playing..." He pointed at the kids.
"Oh...you've never played with other kids before, is that what you're talking about?"
Takashi nodded violently.
"There's nothing to worry about; talk with them the same way you do with your mother."
"...O-...Okay..."
He walked over slowly, clutching his dog tighter. As he walked, one of his shoe laces was loose, and he stepped on it, tripping and falling into some of the chairs, knocking them over. He found himself on the floor, every single kid in the room laughing and pointing at him. Some came over and teased him, others just made faces at him.
Slowly, a burning rage kindled in his mind. He stood up and told them to stop laughing at him, but they just told him to shut up. He clenched his fist, and bared his teeth. Then he opened his eyes...
"I...I don't remember anything after that until I woke up in the nurse's office. The teacher said I attacked one of the kids...I ripped his shirt to shreds. His parents moved him to a different school just to keep him away from me...the other kids wouldn't even talk to me. Now I'm known as the mute freak who sits in the corner alone and doesn't speak."
He sat down by the water, looking away as Kouga sat beside him.
"So you go into a blind rage and now nobody even talks to you...It sure sounds like you live like the half-breed you are..."
"Half-breed?"
"Somebody who's half-human half-demon. Like you, the other half-breeds live difficult lives because neither race will accept them for what they are. The demons see them as weak; and the humans fear them and see them as abominations."
"But...why did you say I'm a half-breed?"
He shrugged.
"Well, you're obviously part demon."
"I'm not a half-breed. This is just some spell of Naraku's..."
"Not to ruin it for you kid, but from what I can smell on you, a spell has actually been broken."
Takashi raised his eyebrows, looking over at Kouga with suspicion.
"What? Broken?"
"Yeah; I figure somebody put a binding spell on your demon blood. Naraku must've broken the spell when he had you at his castle."
"No...I can't be demon. I'm not...Why would Mom...?"
"Hey, I resent that."
"Sorry."
He took out the beads in his pocket and rolled them in between his fingers, sighing. He looked up when he heard Kouga gasp, seeing his shocked expression.
"Where...the hell...did you get those!"
"My mom made them; she said my father had one just like it..."
"Holy..."
Kouga grabbed the beads and looked at them, then looked at Takashi. His face turned slightly upset.
"Your father?...Th-...He...THAT...HE'S your old man!"
"What! You know who my dad is!"
Kouga clutched the beads hard in his palm, then began to grind his teeth, mumbling to himself.
"I can't...believe...that frickin'..."
"Kouga who is he! Tell me!"
"-HIS NAME IS INUYASHA, ALRIGHT! INUYASHA!"
Takashi felt a door open in his mind. His father's name. He'd never heard it before.
He picked up the beads after Kouga threw them to the ground and stormed into the forest, screaming his head off yelling something about undeserving mutts.
I DID IT! WOO! I BLOODY DID IT! Shakes her freaky thang while the chibis run in fright of her dancing I HAVE OVERCOME MY CREATIVE BLOCK! Holds up a box labeled Brain Drain I knew these brain laxatives would work! - (I know. BAD Joke!) Though I still wish I should have read this: "Warning: Side effects include turning what is supposed to be a dramatic moment into a comic moment of ranting and raving."
Now in response to one of my reviews...I've got a dramatic plot thing going here. Inuyasha is not here for a REASON. After Kagome left he had to take some time to reflect on things...III So if you began to read this story for some hot Tetsusaiga wielding dog demon action, TOO BAD, HE'S NOT HERE YET!
For what's coming up in the future...we'll be meeting even more friendly faces from the past...some not as friendly as others...
But sometime in the future chapters, he may not be so friendly, but he's twice as hot as anything; that's right folks! It's that cuddly killer of a bishie, FFFFFLUUUUUUFFFYYYYYY!
Sesshoumaru waves regally to the hordes of fangirls trying to smash down the bullet-proof patented glass wall
I like Kouga better myself, though u Drags Kouga away by his tail to her room