Inuyasha Regashi chapter 3: issues and mischief

It was already the afternoon of the next day when our heroes set out to find the next jewel shard. Now with two new friends to accompany them, things were going to be even more interesting

"Itaru and Mei-mei, I couldn't help but notice that you have ears and claws much like Inuyasha's. Could that be that you two also are inu hanyou as well?" Sango asked.

"Umm yeah you could say that." Itaru said lightly.

"And we have tails too!" Mei-mei pointed out grabbing Itaru's black tail. Itaru instantaneously became weak and fell to the ground.

"Tails, huh? Inuyasha, where's your tail?" Shippo asked, preparing to look down Inuyasha's pants. But Inuyasha clocked him in the head just in time. "I DON'T HAVE A TAIL YOU IDIOT!" Inuyasha shouted.

"UGH! MEI-MEI! DON'T TOUCH MY TAIL! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?" Itaru yelld in a rage.

"Im sorry, Itaru! I didn't mean to pull that hard" Mei-mei apologized.

"YOU BETTER BE SORRY OR ILL MAKE YOU SORRY!" Itaru warned, rolling up his sleeves.

Mei-mei ran away and hid behind Inuyasha.

"Umm, what just happened?" Kagome asked.

*sigh* "Well, if you gotta know, our tails are really sensitive. So whenever someone pulls on it or anything, we get really weak."

Inuyasha smiled a mischievous smile. "Is that so?"

"Hmm. Okay then, Inuyasha you will not touch their tails. If you do, you will be punished with a 'sit'"

At the word 'sit' inuyasha's face met the dirt.

"Oops! That one was an accident, really!" Kagome apologized.

"OH SURE IT WAS!" Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"Here, Ill help you up!" Mei-mei said sweetly, offering her hand to the pride-wounded Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked up to the little girl. 'Her smile…why does it look so… familiar?'

"Its alright, I can get up by myself." Inuyasha grunted.

Mei-mei continued to to look up to Inuyasha with her big brown eyes. Then all of a sudden, she tackled him for a hug.

"Eh? Whats all this about? Why are you hugging me? we just met yesterday, and you're already attacking me?"

"Its because I love you, silly!" Mei-mei giggled

"L-l-love me?" Inuyasha had to pry her off of his legs so that he could move. "Look, kid, I know we saved your life and all, but that doesn't make us bosom buddies. Got that?"

"Y-y-you don't l-l-love m-m-e…?" Mei-mei said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"H-hey, calm down, kid! Its not that I don't like you, its just that…well… we just met and we need time to…y'know…get to know each other…"

This didn't stop little Mei-mei's tears from falling down her little cheeks.

"Aww now look what you did, Inuyasha! You made the poor girl cry!" Shippo scolded

"H-hey, don't cry…"

"Just you wait and see, Inuyasha…."

"huh?"

"YOU'RE GOING TO LOOOOOOVEEEEEEE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Mei-mei screamed in a murderous, psychopathic fashion

The unexpected verbal assault from the seemingly harmless child, was enough to knock Inuyasha down. "OKAY OKAY! I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!" Inuyasha said in surrender.

"yay!" Mei-mei said returning to her sweet self.

"what was that?" Miroku said nervously.

"Oh she can get like that sometimes. Hehe" Itaru explained.

The gang continued on for another three hours on the same path, until they came to a fork in the road.

"Well I say we go this way!" Inuyasha declared.

"You say? Who put you in charge?" Shippo said.

"Yes Inuyasha, I believe we should proceed in the direction we were already going." Miroku said

"No way! This is the quickest way to get where we are going! I can smell Naraku's putrid stench from here!"

"Well, I can sense a shikon shard from here!" Kagome challenged

"I agree with Inuyasha. If we can take out naraku first, we can make sure that he doesn't get it, wherever it is." Sango said.

"Sango…" Kagome said.

"well, what happens if the shikon shards fall into the hands of another youkai? What then?" Kagome argued.

"well, we beat the holy hell out of them like we always do!" inuyasha retorted.

"why go through the trouble, when you can avoid the whole situation in the firstplace?" miroku said.

"Why let Naraku follow us right to where the shikon shard is?" said Sango.

Before they knew it all four of the adults were arguing on which way to go. The kids could only watch and stare.

"LOOK, Im the leader here so we are going this way!" Inuyasha commanded.

"well, for someone who is a leader, you're doing a terrible job!"

"I know this is the right way, Miroku! We need to go this way!"

"Sango, please, when a woman is angry it is hard for her to think rationally. So please calm down and see my point of view…" miroku said

"HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME LIKE THAT, MIROKU!" Sango shouted, whacking his head with the hiraikostu."

All three of the kids sighed over the so called 'mature' adults' squabbles. 'Father said that they would fight a lot. but I didn't know this much…'

"Cant we just split up?" Shippo offered.
his answer was a loud and unified "NO!"

"WE ARE STAYING IN THE DIRECTION WE ARE GOING!" Kagome commanded

Suddenly, Shippo saw Itaru stiffen "Um, Itaru, are you okay?"

"o-o-oh y-yeah! I-I-I'm g-g-great!" he said through his teeth.

"COME ON,YOU IDIOT!" Inuyasha commanded back.

Then, mei-mei seemingly flew through the air and slammed right into Inuyasha.

"H-Hey! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" Inuyasha spat

"hehe, I saw a butterfly on your head!" Mei-mei said.

"theres no butterfly on my head!" inuyasha said.

"well there isnt one now" Mei-mei replied.

"INUYASHA, IM NOT GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN! WE ARE GOING TO STAY IN THIS DIRECTION!"

Itaru stiffened up even more. His face contorting in obvious agony.

"COME ON, LETS GO!" Inuyasha said. Mei-mei again slammed into Inuyasha.

"NOW I KNOW FOR A FACT THERE WAS NO BUTTERFLY ON MY HEAD! WHAT THE HELL?" Inuyasha yelled.

"WE ARE STAYING IN THIS DIRECTION!"

"YOU ARE COMING THIS WAY!"

Itaru stiffened even more to the point where he could only make grunting noises. And Mei-mei slammed into Inuyasha's body again. Itaru made a very loud grunting noise.

"Itaru, what is it?" Sango asked.

Itaru grunted again in the same manner.

"I think he is trying to say, 'stop'." Shippo guessed.

"Hmm I think I am noticing something. Kagome, say 'stay' again." Miroku said.

Itaru frantically grunted what seemed to resemble a 'no'.

"umm okay…stay?"

Itaru's body contorted even more and now he was completely paralyzed.

"hmmm, I see. Now, Inuyasha, you say 'come'."

"what for?" Inuyasha asked.

"Just do it." Miroku said in an exasperated tone.

"oh alright. Come!"

And again, Mei-mei was lifted into the air and slammed right into Inuyasha, butt first.

"Hmm…"miroku stood and thought for a minute. He walked over to Itaru and reached around his neck and pulled out a string of green beads. "Just as I thought. A chain of enchanted beads." He walked over to Mei-mei and reached around her neck to reveal red enchanted beads.

"so that means that Itaru and Mei-Mei have their own words of subjugation?" Sango asked.

"it appears so." Miroku concluded. "Tell me, you two… where exactly did you receive those enchanted…"

Miroku's question was cut off by a low, but menacing roll of thunder.

"wow, that was quick. I guess we were so caught up in figuring out which way to go, we didn't see it coming." Kagome.

"We really need to go this way, because I know of an inn that is this way." Miroku said.

"okay fine." Inuyasha said.

"lets hurry, too. The storm is approaching fast." Sango reminded. As if to verify the fact, there was another roll of thunder.

It took them 45 minutes for them to finally reach the inn at last. When they entered the inn, the rain began to pour.

"Why, hello friends! Come and shelter yourselves from the storm!" said an elderly lady.

"we need a lodging for seven, please." Miroku requested. "Right this way, please!" the old woman led the group down the hall of the old run down inn. "It has certainly been a while since we had guests! Ever since strange things have been happening in this area, many folk avoided this area. But that has also taken a toll on our business!"

"I am quite sorry to hear that madam." Miroku said sympathetically.

"and aren't you the lucky ones! We were just about to serve supper!" the old lady chimed. "would you like to join us?"

"no thankyou madam. We are quite tired from our journey and would like to have a rest." Miroku said.

"oh foo! Well that is a shame! My four daughters will be quite disappointed!" said the old woman.

"—on second thought, perhaps we can eat a little bit." Miroku said, suddenly having a change of heart.

"Letch." Sango said under her breath

"Alright then, right this way!" the lady said.

When they arrived into the dining room, there was a great table completely set with bowls and cups and food down the middle. "Wow! It all looks so delicious!" Itaru said drooling. "Yummy!" Mei-mei said.

Then the elderly came out of the back room followed by four young ladies.

"My friends, these are my daughters: Miko, Niiko, Shiko, and Riiko. All of the girls bowed in unison and said, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"whatever you youngsters need, just say the word!" the old lady said.

"Alright! Lets eat! Im starved!" Itaru said. The whole crew cheered and ran to take a spot at the table." But Kagome felt uneasy. 'The table was so well prepared, as if… they were expecting us…' Kagome thought. She brushed it off and decided to start eating.

"wow! This food is great! Inuyasha said with his mouth completely full. "Seconds, please!" Mei-mei requested.

"eat as much as you like!" Riiko said.

"would you like some sake?" She offered Sango.

"umm, no thankyou. I don't normally drink." Sango refused.

"and what about you, miss?" Miko said to Kagome. "Oh no thankyou." Kagome said.

"Oh, but you must try it! it is absolutely delicious! It is my husbands' own secret recipe!" the old lady insisted.

"Oh I will give it a try, if you insist." Miroku said.

"That's the spirit!" the old lady cheered. Shiko poured him a small cup of sake. Miroku took a sip of it and let out a satisfied 'ahhh'. "delicious and refreshing!" Miroku complimented.

"see? I told you!"

"what I would like is some water." Kagome requested. "Right away, miss!" Niiko said. "Me as well." Sango said.

"yeah, me too!" Inuyasha said with a stuffed mouth. They poured the glasses of all three recipients. "May we have some water as well? Mei-mei asked. "oh dear! It seems as if we have run out of water, I suppose I must go and fetch some more from the river." Niiko said.

Inuyasha, Sango and Kagome reached for their cups of water and drank deep of the cool water—but only to discover that it wasn't water at all. "HEY I thought I said no sake!" Inuyasha complained.

"ugh! I didn't see that coming" Kagome said, choking on the alcohol. "I mean, it tastes very nice, but im just not in the mood tonight." Sango said sincerely.

"Oh Niiko! That clumsy girl! Please forgive her!" the old lady pleaded. She hid her mouth in which she hid a devious smile.

"well if its all the same to everyone else, im heading off to bed." Inuyasha declared.

"me too!" shippo said.

"thank you kindly for the wonderful meal, madam." Miroku said.

"oh anytime, dear, anytime! Would any of you like to take a bath?"

"Oh I would!" Mei-mei chimed. "Itaru, please come take a bath with me!"

"oh alright!" Itaru huffed.

"excellent! I will draw your bath for you!" Miko said.

By the time everyone had gone to their rooms, the storm had passed and the clouds revealed a half moon. Inuyasha and kagome were sitting on the porch of the inn looking into the sky.

"So what do you think of Itaru and Mei-mei? I think they are really adorable."

"mei-mei maybe. But that Itaru kid really irritates me. I still cant shake off that look he gave me when we first met. It was like he knew me or something."

"maybe it was like he said, Inuyasha, maybe you remind him of someone he knew. Maybe his father, even?"

"keh! Sure! Not all of is inu youkai look alike, you know!" inuyasha said.

"I didn't say that. Inuyasha!"

"Feh!"

There was a moments silence in between them.

"kagome…"

"yeah?"

"when we complete the shikon no tama, will you want to return to your world?"

"oh! Well…um…I…uh…"

"if you do want to return, I wont care. Sango is right. You can do whatever you want. Its your life."

"inuyasha, I know you. You do care. If you didn't care, you wouldn't be asking."

"no, I was just curious!" Inuyasha defended.

"Inuyasha, you are such a terrible liar." Kagome said.

"WHAT did you say!"

Kagome gave a deep sigh.

There was another long silence. With only the crickets and frogs in the background.

"look. I told you I would stay here until the bitter end, okay? When the shikon no tama is complete, we will cross that bridge when we get there. But right now, lets plan on gathering the shards instead of planning what we are going to do afterwards!" kagome said.

Inuyasha looked at her long and hard; searching for any sort of insincerity. But as usual, her eyes were pure and deep filled with love and understanding.

Inuyasha turned around in embarrassment and frustration.

There was another silence between them. Until kagome came up with an idea.

"hey, Inuyasha! Since you said your mother taught you some astronomy, show me what you know."

"umm sure. But I think I only remember the basics…well that one of course, is the little dipper." He pointed up. And that over there, is orion…" she showed her a few more constellations and different stars.

"wow, Inuyasha, you know more than I do!"

"feh. Its enough to call yourself 'smart' in this age." inuyasha said lightly

"its absolutely beautiful, tonight." Kaome sighed.

"on nights like these, my mother would let me pick out my own star and she told me that she would tell my father to bring it down so I could have it. and I still remember which one it was."

"where is it?" kagome asked.

"over there."

"Over where?"

"over there"

"inuyasha, I still cant see!"

Inuyasha came up close behind her and grabbed her hand and used her index finger and his to point out the star. Kagome started to blush. 'Oh, he is so close right now. And he is holding my hand." Her heart started pounding.

"do you see it yet?" inuyasha said impatiently. Kagome snapped out of her thoughts.

"oh… yes! Is it the small but bright one?"

"yup"

"oh wow, what a great choice!"

"yeah, I know. My mother thought so too. She used to say that it was-ah!"

Inuyasha clutched his chest.

"inuyasha! Are you okay?"

"yeah im fine. My chest just hurts. Must have been that food that gave me heartburn."

"hold on a sec, my tongue seems to be sore too. And it feels like its swelling too. I must have eaten something that I was unknowingly allergic to." Kagome explained.

"Lets get back to bed, then."

Inuyasha offered his hand to help kagome up.

They both went to their designated rooms. When Inuyasha returned to his room, miroku was curled up in a fetal postion, sweating from pain.

"hey, inuyasha! I don't know whats wrong with Miroku. He says his body is in pain all over."

"maybe you shouldn't have drank so much sake." Inuyasha said.

"no, Inuyasha, no alcohol, no matter what the grade, none of them produces this kind of hangover!"

"well now that you mentioned it, my chest just started hurting a little bit ago. And I only took one sip! Maybe it is really potent. And kagome's tongue startet to swell up…"

"hmmm. Maybe these are temporary side effects. Perhaps If we get a good nights rest, it will pass through." Miroku thought

"good idea." Inuyasha said.

So they all retired for the evening, and blew the candles out.

~*0*~

In the meantime, the lady inn-keeper, and her four daughters were sitting down in a dark room.

"Excellent, my girls! The magic sake will completely take affect by sunrise tomorrow!"

"oh I cant wait to see the look on their faces!" the girl Niiko said.

"yes, it will be such fun!"said Riiko

"this might be our greatest trick yet!"said Shiko

"but mother, what about the brats? We ran out of magic sake for them!" miko said

"don't you fret your pretty little heads about those little brats! I will take care of them myself!

All of the women laughed an ominous laugh as the old woman drew out a butcher knife.