Chapter 2: The Tree People Attack
Synopsis A new chapter for you! Wheeee!!!
Kagome could feel hot breath against her cheek. She opened her eyes slowly, drouziness not giving her much reaction time as two fuzzy golden orbs came into clear view. Kagome blinked for a few moments before sending a hand into Inuyasha's already sore cheek.
"OW!" Inuyasha fell backwards, hand clamped over the red area, "Gods! Why are you so damn violent in the morning?!"
"You know I hate it when you do that! Goddammitall Inuyasha..." she said, punching her pillow and plunging her face into it.
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he got up, crawling over to her to shake her shoulder gently, "Kagome, it's two hours past dawn. I want to talk to you..."
"Wait two more hours past dawn then!" Kagome grunted through the fluff.
"I want to talk to you alone though... everyone will be awake by then." Inuyasha said.
His tone of voice sparked something in Kagome, as she staggered up onto her arms, looking up at him with half closed lids, "Are you serious?"
"Please?" Inuyasha pleaded a little. Kagome finally lifted herself into a sitting position, Inuyasha supporting her back firmly with his hand. She rubbed her eyes and sighed, "Okay okay... "
She reached for her coat, which lay under her pillow, and put it on lazilly. Half the sleeve hang off her shoulder as she got up and followed Inuyasha by the hand out of the campsite.
Kagome soon shook off the feeling of morning drowziness, looking around at the dewy morning that covered the forest floor. Inuyasha lead her a little ways in, far enough away from the campsite in case Shippo or somebody decided to wake up and follow their voices.
"Kagome, I wanted to--" Inuyasha began, only to turn around and see Kagome twirling a little in the light flitting in between the leaves of the forest canopy. The greens and yellows darted over her form, playing over her hair like fish jumping in a black sea. She stopped, realizing her audience, and tucked a strand of ink behind her ear in embarassment.
"Sorry... please, continue," Kagome smiled.
"Yeah, uh..." Inuyasha coughed, thinking about how to word what he was about to say, "listen, about the other day... and the day before, and the day before that--"
"Yeah, I know."
"Uh, I'm sorry. About the whole, manner thing." Inuyasha turned a few shades red from embarassment, the words "I screwed that one up" plastered all over his exspression.
"It's all right," Kagome said, smiling softly, "I understand... I'm sorry too."
"I know," Inuyasha grunted, looking off at a sound that came from a bush nearby, and concluding it was only a bird, "You were listening in on my private conversation with Miroku."
"Well, I was worried about you, you didn't come back and-"
"I'm capable of taking care of myself," Inuyasha said arrogantly, but caught himself, changing his tone abruptly, "But...uh...thanks for caring about me... and Miroku."
"As I said, I'm sorry too... about reminding you about hard things..."
"You shouldn't jump to conclusions."
"Well, you shouldn't act like a pig, regardless your upbringing."
"Yeah, well, you shouldn't jump to conclusions." Inuyasha crossed his arms, getting a little defensive, "And I'm not a pig!"
"Then what are you doing acting that way?"
"You're the eldest child, you wouldn't get it."
"What? Are you rebelling against Sesshomaru by using bad manners? Maybe that's what ticked him off in the first place! Because it's sure as hell isn't pleasing anybody else!"
"Shut up Kagome!"
"Okay then, monkey boy. Did you grow up in a tree? Because that's what your eating habits say..."
"If you ever found out about where I used to live, you'd be sorry you even thought about that...Take that back!"
"Make me! What? Are the tree people going to come down and attack me for telling you off about acting like a pig-boy?" Kagome shouted.
"WENCH!" Inuyasha barked.
"MUTT!" Kagome yelled.
"WHY YOU--"
Suddenly, there was loud crack, and the woosh of leaves and twigs falling from above. Kagome covered her head, as the wind roared past her ears. She looked up through the dust to see a figure cloaked in black and green holding Inuyasha aloft in it's grasp by the throat!
Two eyes peered through a black mask, nonvisible but apparent. Inuyasha bore his teeth and dug his claws deep into his attacker's wrists, attempting to tear them, but having them stay lodged in place. The figure squeezed it's grasp around Inuyasha's throat, a muffled voice following.
"How dare you impersonate my kin, Kitsune filth," the voice said, steeped in anger and dripping with acidic vengence, "Use my kin's appearence to capture a girl? You dishonor my sight with your existance!"
"What--are you--- taking about??!" Inuyasha choked, gasping for air.
"Inuyasha! You fing bastard!" the voice shouted, tightening its grip around his neck further. Inuyasha yelped and wheezed, unable to get a good breath, "You masquerade in his image to soil his name further! You sicken me... and so you must die!"
"NO!" Kagome ran forward, grabbing ahold of the figure's arm, "LET HIM GO! HE'S INUYASHA! HE'S NOT A KITSUNE!"
"You liar!" The figure grasped a sword from it's belt, and swung at Kagome, nearly missing. Kagome shrieked and fell back, her shirt cut, and her abdomen barely recovering from its near-death experience.
"I'm not lying!" Kagome shouted, "His name is Inuyasha! He's a half demon, half human! He's the second son of Sagumi-sama of the Dog Demons, otherwise known as Inutaisho, the Dog General, and the Lady Izayoi, of the prestegious royal clan of the valleys."
Kagome knew all this stuff from Myoga, when she was attempting to learn everything she could about Inuyasha's parents, just in case. Inuyasha, though in a grave situation, looked impressed, and oddly, the figure also seemed intrigued.
"How do you know that?" the figure questioned.
"Myoga, the servant of the Dog God himself, told me so, as did Inuyasha himself, that man in your hand. He is genuine! Leave him alone---please."
The figure looked at Kagome, and then turned to Inuyasha, who was darting in and out of consciousness. The figure released her grip on him and he fell to the floor, crumpled like a doll.
"You look like him, and your lass knows much on your pedigree, but as impressive as that is, I don't fall so easilly..." The figure kneelled down close to Inuyasha's face, "Though... you look so much like him... if you are a glamour than you are the best on yet..." They twisted their fingers through his hair, combing it gently and feeling the length. The figure withdrew its hand, removing the gloves to expose taloned, slender fingers. They flitted over Inuyasha's cheek, and oddly, Inuyasha wasn't compelled to move. He felt calm under the touch, as if all retribution was drained from his skin at the touch of its fingertips.
"Skin like his, and even lips like his. Let's test your fangs," It jabbed it's fingers between his lips, shocking Inuyasha for a minute and making him open his mouth. The finger grazed his fang, and instantly drew blood. The finger retracted, and the figure glanced down at it.
"Your father's teeth, for sure." they whispered, before they finally bent their head down, a sniffing sound coming from behind the mask. Inuyasha remained still, Kagome's hand on his head as she watched the character move about Inuyasha's hair and down his neck. Inuyasha almost snickered, as the figure's nose bumped his throat accidentally (he was secretly ticklish there).
"What's with this obession with my neck?" Inuyasha said arrogantly, moving out from under the figure.
"You smell like him too," the figure retracted their face away from him, a small chuckle eminating from behind the mask, "Do you howl like him?"
It pinched the back of his neck, and Inuyasha yelped like a kicked dog, scrambling back away from it into a sitting position against the tree trunk. Kagome held his arm and looked up at the figure, who appeared to be partially laughing from behind the mask.
"What the hell are you?" Inuyasha growled, gripping Tetsusaiga's hilt with his hand.
"I think I know who," Kagome said, grasping Inuyasha's arm tighter.
"I didn't think it was actually possible," the figure stood up and then bowed low to him, "But it's really you..."
"Inuko," Inuyasha whispered, his eyes wide with disbelief. The figure nodded and unmasked itself.
"Glad to see you again, little brother."