Aww, I feel better now. I thought people had stopped reading. Yeah, I know I haven't updated...sorry about that! But it's my junior year in high school, and you know, it's hard to find the time and inspiration to write at the same time. I've got a job, two hours of commute every school day, Japanese class, training my dog, and homework, which leaves me exhausted most of the rest of my time...Luckily this was a three day weekend, so I'm feeling pretty good today! Alright cracks knuckles let's get started then!
"Takashi? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Kouga."
He looked down at his claws, the cuticles caked with dried blood. He looked down in the water again, studying his features.
"Claws...fangs...some white hair...and my eye color's getting lighter...Why am I changing now?"
Kouga sniffed the air for a second, shaking his head in confusion.
"What the hell...-?"
Takashi turned around and made a face as he found Kouga in his face sniffing vigorously.
"What the heck are you doing?"
"Your scent just went crazy for a minute!"
"What?"
Kouga backed up and looked away for a moment, pondering.
"It's like...there was a sudden burst and your scent changed. Little by little, you've been smelling more and more like a demon. I think something's going on with your demon blood."
Takashi remembered what Shippo had said...
--"More like...something in your blood..."
"-And I sense something latent within your aura," Miroku stated.
"What are you saying? My body's trying to keep a secret?" Takashi began to laugh nervously.
Shippo stared seriously at him...
"...Actually, it very well could be...but, the frightening thing is...since the first time I detected it, it's grown stronger; begun to reveal itself." --
Shippo walked around, grimacing.
"Dammit! He took off!"
Miroku jumped off of Kirara, quickly followed by Sango. Suddenly he gasped as she began to fall, and quickly ran over to catch her.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine...I just got a little dizzy."
"I guess it must be the miasma."
Shippo sniffed around, searching for any trace of Takashi. He worked his way out from the center, until he stopped and stood up.
"Kouga!"
Miroku and Sango looked up, walking over.
"You guys aren't gonna believe this! Takashi's okay!" He smiled and sighed with relief.
"Naraku went to the east, but Takashi's scent moves towards the southwest! And I think Kouga's with him; he must have rescued him!"
"-Wait...why would Naraku just let Kouga take Takashi? There's no way Kouga could outsmart Naraku..."
Shippo froze.
"Something's going on...and it revolves entirely around Takashi."
"Whatever it is, he'll be safer with us. Come on, let's go find him. I bet he's at the wolves' den with Kouga."
The next morning Takashi yawned and stood up to go outside and get a drink of water, mumbling "good morning" by reflex whenever one of the wolves came up and sniffed him. Stumbling down to the water, he bit his lip from the sudden rush of cold to his fingertips as he cupped the water in his hands.
Splashing cold water on his face, Takashi looked into the water for a few moments, then stood up and turned around but flinched when he saw Kouga standing right there in front of him.
"Hey, I got you something else. I couldn't help but notice how shredded your clothes are."
Takashi looked down at himself, remembering that for the last several days he had been walking around in his pajamas. For the first time, he noticed the pain in his feet as he looked down at the shredded socks. He had been walking with no shoes, and his feet had become blistered and sore.
"So I brought you some new stuff."
Takashi's face was twisted in apprehension, staring at Kouga's attire. He imagined himself covered in brown fur...yikes.
"I got it from the village where I've been stealing cooked meat for you."
He handed him a bundle containing a hakama, haori, and yukata, with a pair of shoes on top. The haori was a dark blue, and the pants were black. He felt the sturdy fabric and sighed with relief, setting it down on the ground and pulling off his shirt to put on the upper half. He then moved behind a rock to put on the pants, then fitted the shoes carefully and walked out to reveal himself.
"Heh. If your hair was longer, you'd look just like him."
"...You mean Inuyasha?"
Kouga nodded, but then gripped his chin in a contemplative manner.
"Well, you still got a couple of features missing. I just can't help but wonder if you'll get his ears."
"Listen...thanks for taking care of me lately."
"Hey, your mother would never forgive me if I left you out here."
Kouga turned off and mumbled a "see ya", stopping for a moment when Takashi blurted something out.
"-WAIT a minute. Ears? What do you mean 'if you'll get his ears'?"
Kouga grinned evilly and decided to let the boy worry about it for a while. It would take his mind off of other problems he had right now.
Takashi sat down, and as Kouga had predicted, began wondering what the heck he had meant. He already had elfish ears sticking out of his head, what could be weirder than that?
...Unless...
Takashi gasped and bit his fist, fearing the worst.
"Dad must have had huge deformed FREAK ears! Crap! I'm going to look like a total dork the rest of my life!"
Kouga laughed again from a distance, walking back up into the cave.
Sango stared down below as she watched Shippo dash across the treetops to remain in eyesight. Kirara was flying at a swift but steady speed, the wind blowing pleasantly against her face. She suddenly felt a slight pain in the back of her head, but it faded after a quick breath of air. She looked up, noticing it was very bright today and that there were few clouds.
"...-Miroku, not now-"
Sango found a familiar pair of hands wrapped around her bosom, gripping them through her uniform. She sighed as he gave a light chuckle, pulling her against him. He gently propped his chin on her shoulder as he spoke into her ear, his breath tickling the hairs on her neck.
"After we find Takashi we can go home and relax...it's been a while since you and I have had a chance to-"
"Miroku..."
He lifted his weight from her, leaning over to look at her face. She appeared ill, her eyebrows furrowed as she swayed with a bout of dizziness.
"I'm not feeling so well..."
That was all she needed to say. Miroku called down to Shippo, who stopped in his tracks and looked up.
"Something's wrong with Sango! She looks very sick!"
"Bring her down then!"
Kirara landed quickly on the ground, laying down to make it easier for Sango to dismount. Miroku laid her gently against Kirara, who growled comfortingly. She was pale as a ghost, groaning a little. Miroku brushed a few stray hairs from her face, looking concerned.
"Are you alright now?"
"I'm fine...I'm just a little motion sick is all."
"Motion sick? You never get motion sickness..."
"Uh...Miroku, could you go gather some wood for a fire?"
"What? But Sango-"
"Just go okay? I'll explain later."
Miroku clenched his fists and gave Shippo a death glare, but stormed off into the woods. Shippo waited for him to be completely out of ear shot, then finally sighed.
"Sango, I didn't want to say anything before you knew, but regarding this situation with Takashi, for your sake I'm going to tell you. This isn't motion sickness Sango; you're pregnant."
Sango's face lit up.
"R-...Really?"
"Yeah, well..." Shippo turned away. "I know you and Miroku have been trying for more and I just thought you'd prefer to find out on your own and tell him yourself but...You need to go back."
"...How long have you known?"
"About a month."
"Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"I...was worried about Takashi, and I needed all the help I could get. Now that we know he's with Kouga, I can go get him on my own if I want. Besides, the baby's starting to affect you."
Miroku grumbled as he tore about the woods picking up random bits and pieces of firewood. Sango was sick, and he was her husband! Who was SHIPPO to give orders?
Suddenly, Miroku dropped a piece of firewood and cursed as he looked to inspect his hand.
"-Ouch! Damned splinters!"
But this was no splinter. In horror, he touched the pinprick of a hole to find that he could feel his finger being pulled toward the hole in his palm. He closed his fist tight and looked back at the camp, then again at his hand.
"The Wind Tunnel."
That's right...I'm kicking up the drama here. Miroku's in big trouble, and Sango is expecting. I figured I couldn't just leave them with ONE measly kid, after Miroku's been rambling on and on throughout the entire time we've known him about wanting children.
You know, this stuff I'm writing really proves a point I keep trying to tell my teachers...They make us read into all this symbolism and deep hidden meanings and junk in English, right? Well, I've noticed that I accidentally-and I said ACCIDENTALLY- used a lot of mirror theme in this story. Which proves my point that, maybe these authors didn't WANT us looking for the hidden crap! Maybe it had NOTHING to do with the story that Piggy's glasses represent wisdom in Lord of the Flies! Maybe it had NOTHING to do with the story that Holden's hat reminds him of his brother because it's red like his hair in Catcher in the Rye! Or...maybe I'm just good at writing and I didn't know it? ...Hmm...NOPE! (By the way: I'm SORRY if you were doing a search engine on these books for a school project or something and this came up because it has the key words!)