A Pain Held So Deep Within
Chapter Nine: The Oden Song

Authors Note: Hey everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, even though it wasn't that great. I was surprised that no one gave me the secret password though. All you had to do was read the beginning Authors Note in the last chapter for it. And you got a prize too.. But I guess either no one wanted the prize or no one reads my Author's Notes. But any how… I cut most of the drama out of this chapter, just because I wanted to do a fun chapter. So, I hope you all enjoy it.

Well… I just recently got a job. So it might be a while until I update once again. I am almost half way done with the TENTH chapter. And I think you all are going to enjoy it! Anyways… I hope you have fun reading this chapter! REVIEW!

Chapter Nine: The Oden Song:

Continuous footsteps could be heard throughout the Higurashi shrine, along with a few small curses.

"Where the hell are they!?" came a feminine voice.

"Calm down, Sango. I'm sure they are on their way back as we speak." a masculine voice replied.

"Calm down!? How can I, when Kagome and Inuyasha are in Feudal Era without any weapons, Miroku?" Sango yelled.

"You seem to be forgetting that Inuyasha is a half demon and can defend himself and Kagome without a weapon." Miroku tried to reason.

"And you seem to be forgetting that without Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha is prone to turn into a full demon and kill everything in sight!" Sango argued.

"But that's not going to happen since Inuyasha has Tetsusaiga."

"Are you def or something!? Did you not hear Inuyasha when he said he couldn't remember where Kagome put it? Or are you blind and didn't see Inuyasha leave WITHOUT it!?" Sango screamed at her love.

"Please, stop yelling Sango. But no, I am not def or blind. I heard Inuyasha and I saw him leave without Tetsusaiga." Miroku replied.

"Then why are you saying that Inuyasha has Tetsusaiga!?"

"Because he does." Miroku simply replied. "Kagome came and got it for him. She also gathered her bow and arrows. Then she left back for feudal era." Miroku explained.

"And you failed to tell me this why?" Sango said as she angrily gritted her teeth.

"I didn't think it was of importance." Miroku simply responded, ignoring her anger.

"You baka! It is important!" Sango yelled.

"Why?"

"Why!? Why!?"

"I believe that is what I asked."

"Kagome came back without Inuyasha…" Sango began to explain.

"I never said Inuyasha wasn't with her." Miroku cut in.

"So, Inuyasha was with Kagome?" Sango asked as she allowed herself to relax and let her anger die down.

"No, Kagome was very much alone." Miroku replied. And the anger was back.

"Then whey did you tell me that he was!?"

"I didn't."

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I said that 'I never said that Inuyasha wasn't with Lady Kagome'."

"That's saying that Inuyasha was with Kagome!" Sango argued.

"No, it's just saying what I didn't say. But I also never said, 'Inuyasha was with Kagome'. I never said anything about Inuyasha's whereabouts. You just assumed." Miroku responded.

"…"

"I love being right." Miroku said. He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Then a loud bang could be heard throughout the old shrine.

"What was that for!?" Miroku questioned as he soothed the growing bump that Sango had given him.

"For being a baka." Sango simply said.

"But I was being smart for once and outsmarted you!" Miroku protested, unknown to the reason of why he was being named a baka.

"Rule number one Miroku: Never try to be smarter than your girlfriend. You get hurt that way." came a feminine voice that didn't belong to Sango. Miroku and Sango turned towards where the voice came from. They found Kagome and Inuyasha standing in the door way.

"Kagome!" Sango exclaimed as she ran to give her a hug.

"Calm down there Sango. I've only been gone for a couple of hours." Kagome said as she returned her embrace.

"True, but for those couple of hours I had no idea if you were okay and if bozo over here had found you." Sango responded as she pulled away.

"Hey! Listen you…" Inuyasha interrupted.

"Inuyasha, sit boy." Kagome said. "I was fine Sango." Kagome assured.

"Oh, alright." Sango replied.

"Fine my ass! If it weren't for me you would have an arrow through you're heart right about now!" Inuyasha yelled as he pried his face up from the floor.

"Inuyasha… Sit!" Kagome yelled back.

"Kagome?" Sango interjected, wanting an explanation of Inuyasha's words.

"It's true, I had a small situation before Inuyasha arrived, but I could have handled it." Kagome said arrogantly.

"Small situation!? If I hadn't of jumped in front of you, if I hadn't gotten there when I did… you would be DEAD! Dead Kagome! Is that 'small'? And don't say you could have handled it! You just stood there, waiting for the arrow to kill you! You didn't even TRY to avoid it!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome warned. She was half angry at his words and half hurt.

"It's… It's almost as if you wanted to die…" Inuyasha said softly. "Kagome… did… did you want to die back there?" he asked.

"I…" Kagome began, but realized that she couldn't finish. 'I don't know…' she thought.

"Sango sensed her sisters confusion. She needed to stop Inuyasha from interrogating her. She needed to buy Kagome some time to think things through.

"Inuyasha, you're being ridiculous. Kagome would never want to die." Sango responded.

'Or would I? Inuyasha is right. I didn't even attempt to move out of the way.' Kagome thought.

"No, I want to hear that from Kagome. I won't be able rest until I know that Kagome does not want her life to end!" Inuyasha retorted.

'Inuyasha… No, I didn't want die. I wanted to keep on living my life… with you.' she thought once more.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha began, "Tell me you didn't want that."

Kagome whipped her gaze to Inuyasha's orbs.

"No, I didn't want my life to end. Nor will I ever want that, Inuyasha." Kagome answered.

"Good." Inuyasha said as he flashed a small and brief smile at Kagome. The two where knocked out of their trance when a loud crashing noise filled the room. Kagome whipped around to find Miroku standing over spilled soil, broken pots, and blooming flowers on the floor.

"Oops?" Miroku said.

"Miroku… what did you do!?" Kagome yelled.

"I was looking for some ink…" Miroku replied.

"In the flower pots!?"

"Yes?"

"My mom's going to kill me!" Kagome exclaimed.

"What's all this commotion?" came a voice.

"Oh crap." Kagome said. She quickly tried to come up with a plan to hide the mess. But it seemed as if her mind was failing her that day. Before she knew it, her mother was standing in the room staring at the mess.

"My… flowers…" Kara exclaimed.

"Mom, it was an accident. I'm so sorry." Kagome said.

"Who did this?" Kara questioned.

"Um… I did mama." Kagome said, taking the fall for Miroku.

"Kagome…"

"I'm so sorry mama. I was walking by it and I accidentally bumped into it and…" Kagome was cut off when Kara pulled her daughter into an embrace.

"Mama?"

"I've been trying to think of a way to get rid of those flowers. You're grandfather brought them home after some trip of his. And I think I'm allergic to them." Kara explained.

"So… you're not mad?" Kagome asked.

"No, not at all." Kara replied.

"Ms. Higurashi, I don't think it's right for Kagome to take the fall for something she didn't do. It was I who knocked over your plant." Miroku said. He then put his arms out as if he was awaiting his hug, but only received yet another bump in the head.

"Well, I better get back to cooking. We're having your favorite, Kagome." Kara said as she returned to the kitchen.

"What's your favorite, Kagome?" Sango questioned, ignoring that whimpering monk.

"Ramen?" Inuyasha asked, full of hope.

"Oden…" Kagome responded. Although it seemed as if she was chanting it to herself, rather than answering a question. "Oden, oden, oden, oden, oden…" Kagome began to sing as she pranced around the living room. She grabbed her hair brush, put it up to her mouth, and stepped onto the coffee table. "Ah-ah-ah-ah-oden, I'm loving it!" Kagome sang. (A/N: Think McDonalds commercials)

"Uh… Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.

"Oden, oden, oden, please give me number one! Oden, oden, oden, I can't wait until you're done!" Kagome sang to a different tune.

"Did I hear someone singing the oden song?" Kagome's grandfather asked as he came into the room, only to witness Kagome dancing on the coffee table and singing.

"Kagome! Get down from there!" he ordered. Kagome quickly snapped out of her oden phase and scrambled off the table. She watched in anticipation as her grandfather advanced toward Kagome and the table. She expected a scolding, so when he opened his mouth to speak, she closed her eyes and waited.

"I want to dance on the table too!" he said. Kagome snapped her eyes open to see her grandfather dancing on the table just as she was. Kagome instantly joined in as soon as she overcame her shock. It wasn't long before Kara had joined them as well.

"Oh no… not again…" came a boyish voice. Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku turned their attention from the singing trio to the source of the voice, Souta.

"Is this… normal?" Miroku questioned.

"This? Oh this is below normal for them." Souta explained.

"I see…" Miroku replied.

"Normal or not, how do you get them to shut up?" Inuyasha asked.

"Watch and learn, Inuyasha." Souta said. He cleared his throat and shouted, "Oh no! The oden's on fire!"

The singing and dancing stopped immediately. The singing turned into screaming, and the dancing into running.

"No! I'm coming my precious oden!" Kagome yelled as she ran into the kitchen in search of a fire.

"No! Kagome! It's not worth it! Save yourself!" Kara yelled as she tried to hold back the yelling Kagome.

"Nooooo!!!! I'll save you oden!" Kagome's grandfather said as he charged into the kitchen, only to find the oden slowly cooking.

"Where's the fire?" Kara questioned.

"Souta! What did I tell you about yelling such things when they aren't true!?" Kagome yelled.

"Sorry sis, but it was the only way to get you, mom, and gramps to snap out of it." Souta explained. "It was funny the first couple of times.. But now it's just scary…"

"What are you talking about!? The oden song is adorable!" Kagome retorted.

"Whatever sis…" Souta said as he walked back upstairs to his room. Kagome rejoined the others and sat down.

"That was rather… enlightening…" Miroku commented.

"Shut it you…" Kagome warned.

"Of course Lady Kagome." Miroku replied. The group sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Kagome spoke.

"So, Miroku, why were you looking for ink anyways?"

"Oh, I wanted to write down that rule you told me about for further reference." Miroku replied. Kagome blinked a couple of times before bursting into laughter. "Why are you laughing!?" Miroku asked.

"Because even if you memorize the rules, not, in a couple of years, maybe even months, they will completely change." Kagome replied.

"Well, then why are they called rules?" Miroku questioned.

"Never mind, Miroku, it's too complicated to explain." Kagome said.

"Oh, okay then…" Miroku responded.

"Anyways… who's up for a little game?" Kagome questioned as she placed a goofy grin upon her face.

END CHAPTER

Authors Note: Hey everyone! Thanks for reading chapter NINE of 'A Pain Held So Deep Within'! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I thought it was time for a fun chapter! The next chapter is going to be half and half… the first half is fun and the second half.. Some more drama unfolds… Anyways… REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!