Quick AN: Okay I finally got a flame. Someone without the balls to sign in (as usual) decided to tell me that Sesshomaru and Kagome were out of character (putting it nicely). I have two things to say about that. First thing, so what? It's my story. Second of all, their personifications are correct. First we'll take a look at Sesshomaru: He's failed to kill Naraku several times (going by the anime and manga): Kagome killed Naraku. Yes, he would be weary of a HUMAN who killed someone he could not. Then she's able to fix Yusuke's device. Again, Sesshomaru has never seen something like this before, and yet, Kagome can fix it. Then she's able to kill Rin and Jaken (by accident) and it only proves how weak he is for not being able to protect them. Then she saves Inuyasha and can communicate with his dead father. Any normal person (strong or not) would be a little freaked out by that. Plus there is much more that I've done to him, so yeah, he's going to be a little intimidated by the human priestess.
Then we have Kagome. She's not freaky. Think about it. She lost Inuyasha to Kikyo, she lost all her friends, and she killed Kouga. She blames herself and the cursed jewel. She needs a path to walk down, but there is none. She's snapped, any normal person would have, too, if they were in her situation. So to the flamer, I say thank you because you just proved that I have well thought out characters that are three-dimensional. I'm sorry if you don't like "real" characters. There are a lot of stories out there that will fit into your superficial expectations.
Now onto the Chapter,
Fyyrrose
Chapter 15 Someone Call for a Doctor?
Kagome exited the portal. How Kanna managed to get it to open at her front door she will never know. Then again, she knew nothing about portals aside from the well, and that was a mystery to her. "Thanks for the ride home." Kagome joked as she ushered Kanna inside.
"Kagome, where have you been?"
Kagome looked sheepishly at her worried mother, "I'm so sorry, it was just that I had to go and save Inuyasha's soul, and then there was an issue that came up, an-"
Her mother waved her hands in front of her face effectively silencing her and her ramblings. "I know it must have been important if you left so suddenly, and I see it was serious if you're in your pajamas. I would have liked a phone call."
Kagome kissed her mother on the cheek. "There was no phone, sorry. Plus I don't think the demon realm really likes human technology."
Her mother nodded her head and held her nose. "Kagome, I know you've been gone a few days, but seriously, you stink. I think you should run up and take a shower. I'm sure I can entertain your friend in the meantime."
Kagome turned beet red, "Kanna, why didn't you tell me I stink?"
Kanna shrugged her shoulders, "All humans smell."
The priestess nodded her head and proceeded up the stairs to a nice long, hot shower. After several minutes of scrubbing away grime and caked on dust, Kagome felt clean. Until that moment, she didn't know how good it felt to have your skin be able to breathe. It was a godsend.
Turning off the taps, Kagome quickly went into her room and changed into some real clothing. She loved her pajamas, but this pair was destined for the trash. They had a good run. She didn't know how her school uniform stood up to so much, but glad it did.
Dressing in a simple blue dress, she brushed her hair and went back downstairs to entertain her guest. "So Kanna, what about this friend of yours?"
Kanna nodded her head. "She is an ice demon that comes to this realm to visit her friends. She usually does not stay too long. Also Raisha got this funny feeling about her. He is good when it comes to stuff like that. I tried searching for her with my mirror, but I cannot see her."
Kagome's mother gasped, "You're a demon?"
Kanna held her head in shame. "Yes." She knew how humans felt about demons. She was ashamed of what she was. But it was a fact of reality.
"That's so cool!" Mrs. Higurashi beamed.
Kanna's head shot up. She was confused. She looked from mother to daughter. Both were giggling. It was scary. She now realized where Kagome got her personality.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Mrs. Higurashi addressed her daughter. A friend of yours came by while you were away and left you this number to call when you got back." Kagome's mother handed her the note. "She sounded kind of worried. You better give her a call."
Kagome opened the folded note and read it:
Kagome,
We could really use your help.
In a bind, and need healing.
Call when you get this ASAP
Shizuru
Kagome turned to Kanna, "You don't mind if I call, do you?" Kanna shook her head. Kagome left the room to make the call. She dialed the number on the bottom of the page. She wondered what was so urgent that she would resort to stopping by personally to deliver the message.
"…Hello? Hello, is anyone there?"
Kagome snapped out of her musings, "Sorry, is Shizuru there?"
"She's sitting in with a sick friend right now; but is there anything I can help you with?" The voice over the other end of the line asked.
"I don't know." Kagome replied. "I got a note from Shizuru stating that it was urgent that I call her. She said something about needing a healer."
"Yeah, our friend Yukina has been poisoned, and she thought that maybe you could help her. Whom am I speaking to?"
"Kagome." The other end went silent. "Umm is something wrong?" She asked after a few moments of dead air.
"No nothing is wrong," The voice on the other end rushed, "I just didn't think she'd get you. If you can help, we'd all be grateful."
Kagome wrote down the directions to the shrine and hung up the phone. She joined her mother and Kanna at the table a few moments later. "One of her friends is sick, someone poisoned her, and she thinks that I can help her."
"Poison?" Kanna slanted her eyes, "What is her name?" She was genuinely interested.
"Umm, she said it was Yukina."
Kanna gasped. "That's the girl I was talking about. Do you have any herbs or medication?"
Kagome nodded. "Yeah, they are in my sanctuary out back."
Kagome's mother nodded, "Then it's best to aid her if you can."
Kanna and Kagome left for one of the outer sanctions on the shrine grounds. Kagome entered and looked at the herbs. She had no idea what she should bring. She knew it was poison, but from what and how serious was it? There were over forty different plants that she could bring with her.
"This one." Kanna picked out a plant that came from one of Kaede's seeds.
"Are you sure?" Kagome was skeptical. After all, how did Kanna know that this specific plant would be the one to cure her?
"Like I said, it was my brother who poisoned her to get to you. He would do it in a manner to draw you out. That's how his mind works. This plant is the cure. Trust me on this." Kanna handed her a plastic bag. "You should take the whole plant. I don't know how far the poison has progressed."
Kagome nodded and placed the entire tray in the bag. "I hope this works Kanna. I've seen enough suffering already. Any more and my heart would break."
"There's still more to come Kagome; it hasn't even begun yet." A haunted whisper voiced behind her. Kagome turned around only to see that Kanna was gone. Shrugging, Kagome raced outside and towards the train station.
She reread the note making sure she got on the right train. When a person's life was in danger, there was no leaving it all to chance and rushed memory. She boarded the train and kept the plant safely guarded. She didn't want to find out that she could have saved her, but failed because some punk ruined the plant.
She knew she was taking a chance going there weaponless, but now was not the time to battle. Now was the time to save a life…if she could.
Following the directions that the girl on the phone provided, she found herself looking up at a sea of steps. "I thought my shrine steps were bad. These are even worse." Kagome grumbled as she raced up the steps.
Reaching the top, she stopped to catch her breath. Her mother would be pleased at how fast she could climb them. Swallowing the air in large gulps, her breathing slowly returned to normal.
The shrine itself looked like it could train a thousand men. Her shine was small and not as powerful compared to this one. Looking towards the forest in the background, it sent shivers down her spine. She would not want to go in there without an arsenal.
"Why are you here?"
Kagome looked towards the main structure. An elderly woman with a stern expression addressed her.
"I was told to come here." The woman eyed her suspiciously, and Kagome continued, "I have herbs." She held up the plastic bag to prove her authenticity.
Before the woman could say anymore Shizuru appeared from behind the elderly woman. "Great Kagome, you're here." She approached her. "When Botan told me you called, I had hope. I hope you don't mind, but there's a demon that's trying to help cure her too. It seems all we can do is lessen her pain."
Shizuru ushered her inside the main establishment and proceeded to walk down one of the many hallways. Kagome followed behind her taking in all the sights and powerful vibes she was getting off this place. She couldn't tell yet if this place was good or evil. There was a possibility that it was a combination of both. Nothing was innately good without a dark and powerful secret and vice versa.
Shizuru slid back the shoji and entered the room. The smell of medicine made her remember the smell of Kaede's hut. She breathed deeply. While the smell was comforting, it placed a heavy burden on her memory.
"Kagome, this is Jinenji. He's been asked to help." Shizuru introduced the two.
"It's been a while Jinenji; I hope you are fairing well." Kagome said brightly to the oversized, aging half demon.
The horse demon stood shocked and slightly blushing. "You can't be Kagome because she died long ago."
"Yeah, I get that a lot, but," Kagome pinched herself, "I'm real."
"I'm glad to see you are safe then Kagome. Shizuru told me that you might have something to help cure Yukina."
Kagome glanced over to the young demon sleeping peacefully on the mat. Kagome knelt beside her. Her skin was burning hot despite the look of smooth icy cold texture. The girl moaned in pain. Kagome could see a purple vein trying to spread across her exposed body. She could only imagine how much she was suffering.
"I hope this is what you need." Kagome said taking the plant out of the bag.
Jinenji's eyes lit up bright and wide. "This is the plant! It's been extinct for over 500 years. How did you get your hands on it?"
"A friend gave it to me." Kagome could picture Kaede stuffing the seeds in her bag with tender care. She missed all of them, but right now wasn't a time for a trip down memory lane.
"Botan, I need you to get a pair of scissors and a grinding bowl please." Kagome watched as the one Jinenji addressed as 'Botan' scuttled out of the room in search of the requested items.
She returned a moment later and handed him the requested items. "Kagome, I'll get you to cut the leaves, and I'll grind them up into a paste."
Kagome nodded. She took the plant out of the bag and started to cut off a few leaves. She opened up the plant to cut into its center when there in front of her eyes was a giant, hideous looking black bug. Kagome screamed, threw the plant away from her, and hid behind Jinenji for dear life.
Everyone's eyes widened at the scene before them. "What's the matter?"
Kagome couldn't answer his question, instead she pointed frantically towards the plant. He picked it up and saw what had frightened her. He started to chuckle. "You haven't changed, have you?"
Kagome was speechless from fright. She shook her head and handed him the scissors. Jinenji held open the plant and allowed the bug to crawl up his massive fingers. "Seeing this bug tells me that this plant is in perfect health."
"Couldn't you tell me this before I started cutting the leaves?" Kagome seemingly went into hysterics causing Jinenji to laugh even harder.
She saw how she was reacting and she started to laugh at herself. Yes, she was being foolish for getting all worked up over a bug.
"So how about you finish your job?" His question was simple and direct. He averted his eyes when he saw her expression. If looks could kill…
"You know what Jinenji, instead I'm going to boil some water. I feel like having tea. I'm going to leave you to do the work." Her smile darkened. "Serves you right for asking that question Jinenji." She turned her back on him and addressed Keiko, "Which way to the kitchen?"
Keiko shuffled out of the room confused as all hell; all the while Jinenji was chuckling and shaking his head.
"I don't know Jinenji, something about her doesn't seem right." Botan spoke in hushed tones hoping that Kagome wouldn't over hear.
The giant shrugged, "I met her over 500 years ago. You can't assume that after all this time you're going to be the same person you were back then." He continued slicing off the leaves. "But underneath all the sadness I feel in her; she's still the same person."
"Wow, it sounds like you knew her well."
Jinenji shook his head. "I met hera few timesbefore; both directly and indirectly. She was the only human to befriend me. She wasn't afraid of my looks or the fact that I'm a half demon. However, she was afraid of a crawling insect." Both shared a slight chuckle. "She was my first friend and my first crush." He admitted to the ferry girl.
"That's so romantic," Botan swayed, dancing around the room, "A reunion with a lost love. Imagine the possibilities and the wedding."
Had Jinenji not stopped cutting the plant to watch Botan twirl about, he was certain that he would have cut his finger. Shaking his head sadly he spoke, "Those times are long gone. We all grow out of those things, but she will forever have a place in my heart."
Those words caused Botan to become a bumbling idiot, not that she wasn't already. A few moments later the girls returned with a pot of boiling water.
"This should be enough to make a paste and some tea while we wait." Kagome said placing the hot pot on a potholder.
"I'm almost done. Kagome I was wondering if I could take a few of the inner seeds so I can grow them in my garden. Sadly, all I had was a few frozen leaves. They were enough to lessen her pain, but if I could grow them again…"
Kagome smiled brightly, "Sure, take what you need. I still have a few stocks at home." She had seen him this happy once before, and it warmed her heart to know she could do it again.
"So what's the deal with you?" Botan asked sitting beside her. "You're the one that was on the other end when the boys got lost. Thank you, by the way, but seriously, what are you?"
Kagome sighed. "I'm a simple shrine priestess that was fortunate enough to have an adventure. That's all," She finished by shrugging her shoulders.
Botan wasn't satisfied with the response, but she knew she would get nothing more on the girl now. "It's time."
Everyone turned and watched as Jinenji applied the paste to Yukina's skin. Kagome noticed right away that the purple veins were growing smaller and shrinking. She hoped this was a good sign.
When the time came for the paste to be applied to more sensitive areas, the group got up and left Botan to finish off. Settling for one of the larger areas, they settled down for tea. Kagome had a nagging feeling that she should leave, but she was determined to see the product of her help.
Everyone was conversing when Botan entered the room with a giant grin plastered on her face. "Yukina woke up a few moments ago, and she's feeling better. I told her to rest, and she says to say thank you to both of you for your effort."
Kagome was glad. She averted Hakudoshi from getting his grip on another innocent. "Where is she now?" Kagome hoped to speak to her before she left.
"She's sleeping deeply now that the poison is wearing off. She's a fighter and it took all of her strength."
Kagome nodded her head at Botan's explanation. Anyone that fought off poison for that long was bound to be strong.
"I should check up on her." Jinenji supplied the group, but Botan shook her head.
"She's asleep now and the smell of herbs would be too strong to get any kind of scent reading from her."
Jinenji settled back down and continued drinking his tea. Kagome was just about finished her own cup, when she felt several strong presences race towards them. Suddenly, she felt like a trapped rat.
They were coming straight towards them. This wasn't good. She wanted to escape. She now chided herself for coming weaponless. She vowed never to leave the house without something to protect her anymore. That is, if she survived through this. She didn't know who or what was coming, but she had an idea. One that she wasn't looking forward to.
Four extremely irate teenagers stepped into the threshold of the shrine. "What's that bitch doing here?" Yusuke snarled at Kagome.
Kagome was hurt. 'Why would he of all people be mad at me? I haven't done anything to him but save his ungrateful ass at Sesshomaru's castle.'
"Yusuke, watch your mouth." Keiko snarled right back. Kagome could feel Keiko's anger roll off her in waves.
'Memo to self, never get Keiko mad. She could give Sango a run for her money.' The pair continued to glare at one another. Kagome placed her cup back on its saucer. "I'll be leaving now." She stood from her spot and smoothed out her dress.
Yusuke approached Kagome with caution. Despite his body action, his mouth made up for it. "You're not going anywhere 'til you tell me why the fuck you are here!"
Kagome was about to ask him if he was seriously an idiot, but before she could voice her opinion and land herself into hotter water, Keiko slapped Yusuke over the head.
She gave Keiko a small smile of gratitude before leaving. She wasn't wanted, and she didn't want or need to stay someplace where she was unwelcome. Shaking her head, she slipped between the boys standing at the front entrance and left.
Animacrazyblackchick: Sorry, it was all the muses' fault. I think that's going to be it for Sess. There might be a reference, but the girls want to take a stab at the YYH team. Let me ask you a question, if you were Sesshomaru would you help Kagome? I know I wouldn't. I guess then you didn't read the Q&A from last chapter. It addressed the pairings there. As for the cliffies…umm it's not my fault?
Fluffy's Pet Girl: ;) of course…just be glad I don't write romance! I don't think anyone could stand the fluffy cotton crap that spews from the fingers. Angst is good; it's what I'm best at. Just like the ending I have planned grin
Amin Vanima Mellonea: -- I like the other name better...easier to remember. IFG means Inner Fan Girl. Of course you can replace the "I" with anything. My beta calls her insane. She didn't want to be classified as a yaoi fg… so she came up with inner . As for the wolves… a neat answer is at the bottom, but don't forget these aren't her wolves. They are a branch…and they are not important. I like killing things, and the wolves would have been in the way. Sorry, I'm trying to stay vague so I don't give away the secret plot I don't know about yet.
Tbiris: Although we love chocolate we have enough here already…you have to do better than that!
Princess Fey: Thanks for being so upbeat. I feel bad about leaving it for so long, but it's still in the works. I just hope I haven't lost all my readers. I think Sesshomaru was a little more than mad
PastelStar: To answer your questions would give away some of the plot. So just sit back and enjoy.
Silver-Shadow-Fox: Why thank you, that's the best compliment I've received! Hope the next few chapters will fill your need for the YYH gang.
Q & A:
1. Why did Sesshomaru kill the wolves?
A. Cause he couldn't kill Kagome
2. Why did Kagome leave the wolves? (Pick one you like)
A1. She didn't know Sesshomaru would kill them.
A2. Look at it this way: A broken dog would simply lie down and die. Stripped of everything and battered she figured he would leave.
A3. She wasn't thinking and because to her they were just another tribe not "hers".
A4. To advance the plot (my personal reason) … you'll see
3. Why are your updates taking so long?
A1. I do go to school, and I do work, and I do like to sit down and watch a good anime.
A2. For those of you on my author alert list, I do write, just not this story. My challenge fics keep me interested in writing.
A3. Telling me to update soon will not get me to update sooner.
4. What are the pairings?
A. Read the Q & A from last chapter
5. Didn't they know Kagome was there to help?
A. Nope…they just got back…how were they supposed to know? Remember the last time they saw Kagome she jumped off a cliff and pissed off Sesshomaru
Beta: LMAO, I shouldn't have been watching Naruto while reading this over. Sasuke's head sticking out of the ground, that's so priceless! And Sakura fainting too… -.- they need to hurry up and get to a plot now. Haku drool Oh, you must have moved on from comma splices—wait, One Piece is on, let me go turn it on mute—okay, so now you're now ending sentences in prepositions (you did it in the Grav. Fic too btw). Wonderful chapter. And I'm still not sure about Jinenji… I got distracted, hehe… Damn Catholics, LOL!