"I'm leaving Kaa san, tell Souta and Jii san I said bye." Kagome said.
"Okay dear, do you have any idea of when you'll be back?"
"Whenever Inu lets me. I love you momma." The miko gave her a quick hug. Adjusting the bulky backpack she headed out the door and made her way to the old well house.
The three days had flown by pretty quickly; surprisingly Inuyasha had not passed through the well to try to force her to leave early. The young miko couldn't wait to return to her feudal friends though and tell them about the discovery of youkai in her time. If there were youkai in her time maybe some of her friends had survived to this era.
Opening the shoji door the sudden sunlight illuminated the dancing flecks of dust. Walking in she gazed down into the dark depths of the portal. Some much had happened to her because of this hunk of old wood and nails. Taking a deep breath Kagome jumped into the well, once again continuing her feudal journey.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
The master thief was hiding in the leafy canopy of his tree glancing occasionally from the old well to the three notches in the wood. It had been three days already and his plan was ready to go. The other humans and the hanyou were away at another village about a days walk from here on a rumor he had started about a shard.
A flash of blue light caught his attention. Turning towards its direction the wind shifted and brought the scent of a flower he had found while travelling across China. His eyes closed as he tried to remember what its name was. 'What did they call it… Zhizi.'
Whatever they called it, it didn't matter. She was here! His tail swayed in excitement of the oncoming steal.
A hideously yellow backpack was thrown over the lip of the well. His ear twitched as he heard her muttered curse floated across the wind. She'd been hanging around that filthy mutt for far too long.
His eyes shot open and darted once again to the center of the clearing to the cloth covered arm and the long pale leg that appeared as the miko hauled herself over the well. Sitting on its edge she tucked a piece of hair behind an ear and adjusted a sock.
This was his chance. Manipulating his spirit energy the yoko commanded the vines creeping around the dry well to bind his young target. An ear piercing shriek ensued, his sensitive ears pulled down to the back of his head trying to block out the high pitched noise. As an afterthought the fox ordered the foliage to bind her mouth as well.
Jumping down to the ground he watched in open amusement as the wenches struggles increased once she saw him walking towards her. "Struggling won't help you any." To reiterate his point the youkai constricted the vines even more, making it difficult to breathe. "Now are you going to scream again or can I release that gag."
The struggle in her face was evident but she nodded her head up and down, hating every minute of it.
"Good girl." He mocked her. Releasing the plant he allowed his captive to speak.
"Just who are you and what do you want?" Kagome demanded and shot her fiercest glare.
"Who I am does not concern you mikoSama." He sneered and leveled a condescending glare down upon her. "If my purpose here isn't obvious enough then I have severely overestimated your intelligence."
"You're crazy if you think I'd willingly hand the shikon shards over to you youkaiSama." Two could play at that game.
"So you're not as stupid as you look." He feigned in mock surprise. "But you are still below average intelligence if you honestly thought I would ask for the sacred shards."
Kagome's eyes widened and the sharp scent of fear entered her sweet scent. The kitsune gave a sadistic chuckle and reached out with one claw tipped to the exposed vial of purple slivers that had escaped the confines of the miko's clothes in her struggles.
As soon as he had started to grip the little glass bottle he was forced to pull back with a snarl. The little bottle was glowing with purification, slowly fizzling and fading away as he watched.
"Don't play games with me foolish ningen."
"It wasn't me. These things have a mind of their own." Kagome's struggles began anew as the kitsune in front of her grew angrier.
"Really, so these jewels are bound to you?" His tone became neutral. It was more terrifying than when his tone was laced with the venom of anger.
"Yes. So as you can see since you're not going to be able to get the jewel shards you should let me go before I'm forced to purify you." The teen leveled her best glare upon the spirit fox.
A sinister laugh spilled forth from the youkai open mouth as he let lose a full throated laugh to the sky. "You, hurt me?" He leveled a disdain filled glare upon her. "I've been watching you and your friends for over a week now and I have no idea how you people are still alive. Bumbling around the country like a bunch of vagabonds. You're not even trained in simple spirit manipulation."
"Yea well this group of vagabonds have defeated more youkai than I can count-"
"Not surprising." He interrupted.
"Saving an uncountable amount of villagers, making friends and allies along the way." She huffed at him, irritated at having been interrupted. "And we make it out alive and stronger each time."
"Then it will be a pleasure for me to break that streak of yours." He raised a lethal hand and made as to stab her heart. The jewel could not remain bound to a human corpse.
"Inuyasha!" The miko screamed, finally remembering her friend as the hand descended.
The bottle around her neck began to shake and released a flash of white light. Kurama was thrown back into a large tree. Growling he got up and stalked over to the panicking girl, ignoring her shrill cries for the mutt.
"So it would appear that the jewel has taken a liking to you. I'm curious does the jewel keep people from touching you or simply harming you?" He reached up a hand and gently ran his knuckles down one pale cheek, resting his fingers across her delicate neck. He could feel the rapid humming bird pulse beneath the soft flesh and smirked. "It would appear not. That solves that then; you're just going to have to come with me."
"What ! No!" Her protests were cut off as she fell into a dead faint. Kurama Slowly pulled his hand away from her pressure point and released his control over the plants. Catching the comatose girl as she slumped forward he tossed her over his shoulder and disappeared. The only evidence left in small clearing was a sprawled yellow bag.
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"Here you go Kaede baa chan." Shippo handed the old lady some herbs from the garden out back.
"Thank ye master Shippo, this old lady appreciates it." She patted the young kit on the head and sat down, preparing some herbs for drying and others for mixing.
"No problem. It's not like I have anything better to do around here. Stupid Inuyasha left me here and none of the other kids want to play." The kit pouted.
"Well you're welcome to stay in here if you want." The old miko absently replied.
"Arigato." Shippo shuffled over to a corner of the small hut and slumped down against the wall. After watching Kaede mix herbs for a few minutes the young kit started to make popping sounds with a digit and his mouth.
The miko winced as the small kit continued to make the irritating sound. "Maybe you should go wait for Kagome sama by the well."
"I forgot Kagome's coming back today!" The young kit cheered. "See you later Kaede baa chan." Shippo scampered off towards the woods on all fours.
The elderly woman gave a small sigh of relief and continued her medicine making in piece. Maybe she could get some work done with the troublesome little kit waiting for his friend.
Shippo sprinted to the well, visions of pocki dancing in his head. Pausing he hid in the bushes before the clearing. There was a sent in the air that made his skin call and had his instincts screaming at him to run and hide. 'Purification.'
The young kit shivered in fear but peaked his head out any way. Kagome would have never used her powers unless she had to. What he saw took his breath away and made him whimper pitifully. There, lying abandoned on the ground was Kagome's big yellow back pack.
"Mama…" He took a delicate sniff, the little hackles rising on the back of his neck. He could smell another fox. "Don't worry mama I'm coming." He ran off following the scent.
Hey guys I updated, sorry for the long wait. I'll try to make the chapters a bit longer from now on 'cause I do see the appeal in longer chapters. I'll try to update again soon, thank you to everyone who reviewed or put this in favorites/ story alerts. Ja ne ^_^