Disclaimer: IM SORRY!!!!!!! And I dont Own Inuyasha
Chapter Seven: First Day Away
"What happened to me?" Flashes of memories came flying back at him. A coyote. A navy haired girl. Searing heat and then...nothing. And that's when his head started to hurt. His whole body hurt, his neck was extremely itchy and it felt like something heavy was just sitting on top of his chest.
Wearily he lifted his eyelids and had to squint against the onslaught of blinding light.
"KENTA!" he flattened his ears against his head as someone squealed his name at a seemingly impossibly high decibel level. The weight on his chest shifted and further restricted his breathing.
As his eyes adjusted to the light, a face blocked his view and a pair of staggering golden eyes were staring down at him intently, scrutinizing him worriedly. The worry on the young face gave way to relief and two small black triangles rose up from a mane of unruly white hair. The canine ears twitched happily as the boys golden eyes glowed impossibly bright and he broke into a toothy grin, gleaming white fangs flashing.
"He's alive!" Canis shouted, as if he was determined to let the heavens know, should they come to claim his only brother, and drag him off to the afterlife.
Kentamaru sat up slowly, Canis refusing to leave his brother, simply slid from his chest to his lap, wide eyes never leaving his brothers face. Kenta looked down at the miniature version of himself, relief washing away his weariness. He grasped his brothers upper arms in his grip. His fingers wrapped easily around his brothers puny biceps and for the first time, as he looked down at the small hanyou in his lap, realized just how small and fragile Canis really was.
"You're alive," Canis admonished much more timidly than before as he stared adoringly up at Kenta. Kenta nodded, holding the youngsters gaze, his fingers tightening on his brothers arms protectively.
"So are you," Kenta breathed, a smile breaking onto his face as he shook Canis playfully. But as his smile grew, Canis's faded. His ears drooped and his lower lip trembled precariously as his eyes welled up with tears. Kenta shook him slightly as Canis lowered his head, his face lost in his white bangs.
"Hey," he called softly, stooping low to try and look at Canis. When Canis sniffled and turned his head, he couldnt suppress his laugh. "Whats the matter with you?" he asked incredulously, yet in the soft tone he only used with his brother. The salty smell of tears hit his senses.
Canis suddenly burst into tears and hugged Kenta tightly round the middle. The tears felt cold on his bare chest. It was at this moment, as he patted Canis awkwardly on the head, that he realized he wasnt wearing a shirt.
As Canis continued blubbering into his chest, Kenta took the oppurtunity to take in his surroundings. They were on the edge of the forest, the village they had been fighting for only a little ways away. The sun was beating down on him, though he figured whoever had moved him had placed him in the shade. So he must have been out cold for quite some time.
Canis began mauling Kenta with his fists at this point, and while it didn't hurt in the least, Kenta had to admit it was rather annoying. He had to grab his wrists and pull the still crying child away from him.
"Alright, now I'm pissed," he exclaimed. "What the hell's the matter with you?" he demanded shaking Canis.
"STOP DYING!" the youngster yelled at him.
"I havent DIED yet, baka!" Kenta yelled back as he released his brother. Canis turned his back on his older brother, twisting around in his lap.
"Good," Kenta heard him mutter and it made him smirk.
"Well dont you boys look happy," Miroku complimented as he strode forward, the rest of his clan in tow. They must have come from the village. He shielded his face from the beating sun. "Phew, lets move into the shade shall we?"
Kenta nodded and Canis hopped off his lap to join everyone in the shade. Once everyone was settled, Sango spoke.
"I'm glad you're both awake," she said sincerely.
"What happened to me?" Kenta inquired. Sango shrugged her shoulders and looked to her husband for support.
"We were hoping you could tell us." Miroku informed him. "After the fire blast, the youkai fled and we found you both unconcious in the charred alley."
Kenta scratched at the back of his neck, idly wondering why it was so goddamn itchy all of a sudden. He felt a small welt at the base of his neck, probably a mosquito bite. He thought back through what had happened.
"I jumped into the alley after wonder boy here," he nodded towards Canis at this, "fell off the roof."
"Fainted at the sight of blood," Kohaku pointed out. Canis cowered and his ears fell. Sango wrapped a motherly arm around him. Kenta continued.
"A girl was hiding in that alley, She caught Canis. She was, really weird. She was with the youkai...even though she was human. She called them by name..." The slayers all exchanged hard looks with one another.
"The coyote!" Kenta suddenly exclaimed, sitting up from his lounging position. He turned to Shun, who was busy tightening his half ponytail. "She called him Takato and he came to attack me in the alley. I couldnt kill him but..." he drifted off, hoping someone knew what became of the coyote.
"I was on my way to find you," Kohaku spoke up, in a rarely used serious tone. "I stood on the roof just before that bastard launched his attack. That other youkai, the coyote, was crawling away." he paused and swallowed hard. "The fire blinded me. When I regained my sight though..." Kohaku's whole body tensed up and began to shake as his anger rose up.
"...there wasnt even ash left of him." he hissed darkly. Sango and Miroku both shook their heads sadly.
"What kind of youkai would take out its own men. Its comrade?" Sango asked to no one in particular. Kenta leaned back on his hands, letting his head fall back and he stared up at the clear blue sky.
"That youkai...Kashiro...would have killed that girl too." he thought to himself and the girls face came to mind. When she had looked at him, realizing that Kashiro didnt care whether she lived or died. "What kind of sick, twisted person could do that?" and Kenta realized he had at last come face to face with his first glimpse of evil.
He popped his head back up, an eyebrow quirked in wonder. "The coyote.." she said suddenly. "What was he doing coming after me anyway? I thought you had it covered Shun?" he stared pointedly at his cousin. Shun turned on him, dark eyes flashing dangerously. Across from him, Kohaku almost fell over laughing.
"Seems Canis isnt the only one who faints at the sight of blood," he wisecracked before bursting into gales of laughter.
"I didnt!" Shun hollered desperately, his face igniting into color, his true nature showing. Always acting the tough guy but when put on the spot Shun was shy as a mouse. "I- I- I...it was that stupid bird!" he stammered blushing furiously. "He knocked me out!"
Kohaku and Kenta's laughter subsided but Shun wasnt through yet.
"What are you sniggering at Kentamaru?" he sneered and Kenta immediately shut up. The tone his cousin used intrigued and confused him. "You got knocked out by a girl!"
"Say what?" Kenta dead panned, staring at his cousin incredulously. The way Shun was smirking made him look exactly like Miroku. "I saved her life."
"Yeah and in return," Shun fumbled in his belt for a moment before pulling out a long, thin needle. "She got you good with one of these."
Kenta narrowed his golden eyes at the object in question, snatching it hastily from the young slayer. He held it up for inspection, twirling it around in the light.
"She must have tipped it with some kind of concoction. Whatever it was, it must have been powerful, you were out for hours." Shun pointed out, his matter of fact tone getting on Kentamaru's nerves. Finally looking up at the sun, Kenta realized it was indeed around noon. The fight had taken place in the morning. Scratching the welt on his neck, the welt left from the needle, Kenta glowered at the needle.
"Bitch..." he growled softly. Patting the grass around him, he swiveled around trying to locate his haori. He found it folded neatly near the trunk of a tree. In one fluid motion he snagged it and threw it on. He placed the needle in one of the many pockets inside it, after giving it one final lingering glower. "Why was I shirtless?" he snapped, his anger getting the best of him.
"I checked you for burns and injuries," Sango said kindly, in a ay that melted Kenta's anger and made him feel like a small child all over again.
"Thanks," he murmured, not looking directly at her. Instead, he turned to Kohaku. "The girl...where did she go?"
"The one that got you, with the navy hair?" he questioned, rustling his own ponytail in gestation as he spoke. "Black kimono? Blue obi?" Kenta nodded, his features hardening. "She left with them. They're bandits, they pillage villages for a living. From what we can tell, they're heading south, guess things are getting chaotic down there." Kohaku observed innocently enough. "Demons and youkai are congregating."
"That's where we're going!" Canis piped up at Kentamaru's side, where he had been dutifully silent while the older ones had exchanged words.
"WHAT?!" Miroku and Sando exclaimed in unison. Canis nodded happily, unabashed by the looks of horror on his aunt and uncles faces.
"We're heading south to see Totosai." Kenta told them bluntly, unaware of how much they knew of his situation and if he should even tell them. Miroku looked as if he understood, but Sango didnt.
"A war between humans and demons is about to break out!" she exclaimed and Canis scooched closer to his brother. "How can Inuyasha knowingly send his sons into hostile territory?" she raged, not at the boys but at Miroku it seemed.
"It is dense, even for Inuyasha," Kohaku observed and Shun nodded his agreement. Oddly enough, Kenta felt little anger as they insulted his fathers intelligence. It was an activity they all often engaged in, and in this instance he felt no obligation to defend his father.
"There's more," he said criptically, bringing all eyes and attention on him once more. "The warring states in the south, both seek an alliance with my father," he paused a moment, unsure if he should proceed. His gaze shifted to Miroku, who nodded reassuringly. "Both lords seek to ally themselves to my father, by marrying their daughters off to me."
"I take it Inuyasha did not handle that very well..." Miroku chortled lightly. Kenta shook his head.
"No he didnt, because the burden falls on me to decide which girl I marry."
"How is that a bad thing?" Shun scoffed naively. Sango looked sternly at her son.
"It isnt really, but there are many things Kenta has to consider. His own personal feelings may have to be cast aside in order to do what is right for his people," she informed Shun, but it sounded as if she were merely trying to understand it herself. "Such is the case in most youkai matings. Even though it is a daunting task, that will ultimately affect the course of your life...you shouldnt feel as if this is a burden on you."
Kenta gasped lightly, not fully understanding what she was trying to say. The look on his face was clearly one of 'what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about-lady'. Sango smiled and tried to explain.
"Inuyasha let you decide. He left it open for you to choose your own path and that of the future. How would you feel if he had chosen for you, had he told you who you would marry and how your life would go?"
Kenta had not thought of it that way. Inuyasha had never forced anything on him. He could have easily chosen one of the two lords and set up an arranged marriage, but he hadnt. Instead Myoga had devised a contract, to appease both lords and give him a choice. But Inuyasha had even gone a step further, giving Kenta yet another choice. To sign the contract...or walk away.
When he met his aunts eyes again, he understood. Sango smiled warmly at him with the eyes of a mother.
"Its not a burden father, that your father trusts you to make the right choice."
"Its an honor," Kentamaru finished for her. Sango nodded.
"I for one trust your judgement over Inuyasha's anyday." Miroku acknowledged.
"I agree. The choice is much better left to you," Kohaku said brightly, agreeing with Miroku for a change.
"Still," Shun chimed in, his sordid tones effectively ruining the upbeat epiphany. "It stands to reason that some would want Kentamaru dead. Afterall, if he's taken care out of the picture, all hell breaks loose and war erupts. Knowing this I dont see how Inuyasha could just send you two down into the belly of the beast."
Miroku ended the dark atmosphere Shuns words had created by smacking his sn upside the head. Aside from Kagome, Miroku understood Inuyasha best.
"Where did you learn to talk like that?" he reprimanded his son before addressing the group as a whole. "I am beginning to understand Inuyashas course of action and, for once, it seems to make perfect sense."
"No way..." Kohaku deadpanned.
"If Inuyasha has enough trust in his son to allow him to determine the course of this lands future, it stands to reason he trusts him to make the journey south and return home unscathed."
"But still...to gamble with his sons lives." Sango protested but Miroku silenced her.
"His loyalty and trust in unfathomable. He is inu-hanyou. He is not gambling. And who are we to talk, Sango." he said, hidden meaning in his words to her. Sango understood and looked at her own son, Shun. They too gambled with their own sons life, everytime they took Shun to a battle with them. She tore her horrified gaze away from her son to meet her husbands loving stare.
"We do not gamble," he assured her softly, reaching for her hand tenderly and not her ass for once. He turned to Shun, Kenta and Canis. "Parents would never set anything on their child unless they knew for absolute certain they could handle it."
Kenta sorely wished his father was here with him now. To ask his forgiveness for thinking like a child. The feelings of doubt and disrespect toward his father was the real burden weighing down on his soul. Had he not met up with his aunt and uncle, his resentment would only have continued to grow. With the knowledge now, of Inuyasha's trust in him, it didnt feel right to sit here and socialize with family.
"So..." Canis said tentatively. "This is going to get scary isnt it,"
"Maybe...so from now on, we cant let anyone know who we are. You cant call me Kentamaru either anymore Canis. Too many people may know me by that name. We cant let them know who our mom and dad are."
Canis nodded stiffly, acknowledging he understood.
"All right then, we cant waste anymore time sitting around here. We're known in these parts. The farther we get from home, the better." Kenta stated, standing up and brushing off his hands.
"That is wise," Miroku admonished with a smile. He rose gracefully to his feet, striding over to Kenta to clap him on the back. "The journey wont be easy, but whenever you feel burdened remember what we've told you here." he said. "Your family believes in the two of you. Kagome, Inuyasha, all of us. We have faith in you."
Kenta flushed lightly, at a loss for what to say, not wanting it to turn out rude like his father. Kohaku saved him.
"Cut it out you old sap and let the boys go!" he ordered. Sango stood too, coming to her husbands side.
"What will you do if you encounter those bandits in your travels?" she inquired. Again the image of the girls sad, pleading face appeared in his mind. Her words came back to him, puzzling him.
'You'll help me...?' she mocked lightly, eyes hidden under navy bangs, her tone bitter and sore. 'Thats what they said...'
"That girl needs help." he said slowly. Shun jumped to his feet.
"She left with those youkai by choice! You saved her life and in reutrn she drugged you!" Shun hollered in disbelief. "Are you insane?"
"You weren't there Shun," Kenta retorted. 'You didnt see her face' he added in his head. "She might need help. If I ever see her again...I'll help her." 'Even if it means killing her...'
Sango, Miroku and Kohaku all looked at eachother grinning. Kenta rolled his eyes and nudged Canis toward the forest. "I know...I know...just like..."
"Kagome." they finished for him, not the answer he would have thought. Kenta blushed.
"Thank you," he said and walked away in the woods, Canis waving jovially at his side.
The two boys covered a lot of ground in one day, but they were still closer to the castle than Kenta would have liked. He could have run much farther, had run farther in the past, and still make it home in time for supper. But that had been when he was traveling with Harusan. On this journey, however, his companion had just recently grown out of naps, and had an early bedtime.
Said companion was at his side, dragging his feet and patting his stomach wistfully. Kenta rolled his eyes. "Ya know, if you're hungry just say so." He said finally, exasperated. There was a moments pause. And then.
"I'm hungry,"
With that finally out in the open, Kenta abruptly halted. With another exasperated sigh and a hand on his forehead, Kenta looked to the sky. There was roughly four more hours of daylight left. He looked at his brother, black hanyou ears drooping as the little guy patted his empty stomach. Another sigh escaped Kentamaru, this one much softer.
'The farther we get from home, the easier it'll be to protect him,' he reasoned with himself in his head. 'But I suppose part of protecting him...'
'is feeding him,' he realized with a roll of his golden eyes. He quickly scanned the area to his right and left. No youkai. A good sign.
"Come on Canis," he said gruffly. "Help me find a place to make camp," Canis perked up immediately. If there was anything the young hanyou liked more than playing with his older brother; it was helping him.
"Alright!" Canis cried enthusiastically, bolting past his older brother. He ran a few feet, stopped and sniffed the air, left and right, his ears darting around like radars.
"This way!" he declared suddenly, pointing to the right before dashing off. Kenta followed behind him at a leisurely pace. He knew there was a small clearing, suitable for a camp to the left. Afterall, he'd spent most of his younger days in this part of the forest, playing tag with his father and Harusan. Once as a training exercise, the two of them had simply left him there, nearly a two hour run from home. Kenta had only been seven at the time. Kagome had not taken it well, when Inuyasha finally gave up and went to find his young son and bring him back home.
"Kenta!" Canis's bright voice brought him back and the eldest son of Inuyasha found himself in the shade of an enormous apple tree.
Canis was standing ahead of him, bow ready, arrows notched. He had a small pile of apples starting at his side.
Kenta watched as his brother took aim and loosed the arrow. It flew sraight and true, carefully striking the stem connecting the apple to the branch. A small target. Canis darted forward gracefully, catching the apple and arrow both. He turned toward Kenta, beaming proudly.
"Betcha cant do that!" he challenged as he stopped in front of his brother. He took a greedy bite into his apple. Kenta merely rolled his eyes.
"Keh, bet you I could!"
"Go ahead," Canis responded around a mouthful of apple, juice dribbling down his chin. He raised the bow.
Kenta snatched up the bow and plucked an arrow from the quiver on his brothers back. Stringing it, he pulled back slightly. The bow creaked and threatened to snap. It was not built for someone his size and he was going to have to be careful with it.
He sighted a plump red apple, one of the higher ones and smirked. He pulled back and took aim. When he loosed the string, it traveled a lot faster than Canis's. The arrow struck right through the center of the apple, but it did not fall. Simply hung there with an arrow through it.
The brothers were silent for a time as they stared up at the apple. Kenta frowned deeply at it, trying to make it fall by sheer force of will.
Canis chomped his apple loudly at his brothers side. "Its supposed to fall..." he said matter of factly between bites. Kenta shot him a quick glare and growled at him. Canis burst into laughter, spraying apple bits everywhere.
"Baka," he cursed as he stomped to the tree trunk. He turned back to Canis who was rollong on the ground, giggling like a school girl. "Oi!" he called back to him. "Watch this,"
Canis eyed his brother. Kenta turned back to the tree and punched the trunk. The giant tree visibly shuddered under his strength. A moment passed before the apple in question dropped to the ground.
Canis stared in awe at the apple. Then he looked up at his brother as if he had just performed some kind of miracle. More apples began to rain dowm from the tree, and Canis's attention was turned to the apples raining down from the heavens.
Still, Kenta was struck by the look on his brothers face. Did he really worship him that much? He shook his head in disbelief. If he wanted to be as great a hero to Canis, as their father was to him...
He had a long way to go.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm Sorry. 5 Months? REALLY? Did I mention how sorry I am?
Sorry for the long wait. Life LITERALLY kicked my ass these last few months. I cant begin to tell you what happened. Just know that I am sorry.
Interesting Facts:
Without knowing it and only during the editting process did I realize just HOW much foreshadowing I put into this chapter. Extremely subtle things...many VERY subtle things. Just the way I like it.
This chapter went un beta'd because Wings Of Ash, for lack of a better word, SUCKS. Just kidding she's been busy these last few months too. Any typos are her problem.
In the last five months I...turned 16. And got my beginners!
My readers have my deepest apology. I promise Im not giving up. Its not in me.
Deceptress