Dance with the Devil
Summary: When Kagome finds a little boy marred with bruises and clothes stained with blood, she carries him back to camp. He seems nice enough, but is what she sees before her the truth...or is there something darker, hidden behind those chocolate mocha eyes?
Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Shaman King
Pairing: Kagome/Hao (In much, much, much later chapters.)
Genre: Romance/Adventure/Angst
Rated: M for Mature
A/N: Unlike Playing with Fire: Chained, this won't go through the tournament. Sorry folks! But, I hope you like it all the same! Take's place mostly in his past, but the last six or seven chapters will be in the future, with the occasional, Kagome returns home for some good, R&R and restocking supplies. Also, it won't follow the timeline of Shaman King much.)
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Chapter Two
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Night had fallen nearly four hours ago, and Inuyasha was still awake, with Miroku at his side. Neither could get any sleep; neither wanted to get any sleep. It was as if they were afraid to close their eyes. Both of them turned their gaze to the child boy lying next to Kagome. He looked absolutely normal, innocent...the two men would even go as far as to say adorable...but the aura and energy, the air around him...was darkness.
"Will you two not sleep?"
Miroku and Inuyasha jumped in surprise. The boy sat up carefully and turned a smile to them.
"If it is in your intention to stay awake and protect the group from danger, how effective do you think you'll be if you're sleepy?"
Inuyasha scoffed, "When the danger is a mousy little pest like you, I hardly think it'll be much of a problem."
"Then why are you both so scared to sleep?"
Inuyasha moved to pull out his sword when Miroku placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Being weary of ones newest company doesn't make us scared, it makes us cautious."
"I see...yes...it's best to be cautious, than fully capable in battle." He laughed innocently, truly humored by the thought. Rolling over, Hao curled back up to Kagome's side and returned to his own blissful sleep.
Inuyasha settled himself back down with an irritated huff, "Go to sleep Miroku, the rats right. It won't do any of us any good if none of us are able to fight..."
"...right."
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Kagome and Sango woke with a spring to their step, walking just ahead of Miroku and Inuyasha while Shippou sat perched on Sango's shoulder and Hao walked holding Kagome's hand. The men of the group hadn't said much since they awoke, and had dragged their feet the entire morning, but Sango and Kagome hadn't been paying much attention, if any at all. Both were too enamored by Hao. Shippou on the other hand, though, he was perched on Sango's shoulder, he was facing the back and watching Miroku and Inuyasha haul themselves through the forest.
"Mama..."
"Yes Shippou?" Kagome glanced to her adoptive fox child curiously. Not noticing the unnerving look given by Hao.
"Why are Miroku and Inuyasha so slow today?"
"That's a good question. I haven't really been paying much attention, but we've been walking slower than normal and no one's pitched a fit yet." She said this of course while looking directly at Inuyasha. He didn't even seem to hear her, which really took her by surprise. "Inuyasha, Miroku...are you both okay? Do we need to rest?"
"Keh, shut up! Don't think just because I decided to take my time that I need to stop every few minutes and rest like you weaklings."
"Well sorry for asking, no need to be such a jerk!"
"No need to be such a bitch!"
"SIT!"
~BAM~
Shippou sighed, "here we go."
"Is this normal?" Hao questioned curiously as he listened to the singular command be shouted out continuously by Kagome at Inuyasha; watching the half-breed dog demon slam over and over into the ground, deeper into the earth's soil each time.
"Yeah, everyday almost. Inuyasha says something stupid, and Kagome makes him eat dirt. It's almost a routine." Shippou shook his head, "Inuyasha will never learn."
"...Interesting...does it work if anyone says it?"
Sango laughed at that, "No...I tried it once before...only Kagome can use the subduing beads."
"...beads? The ones he's wearing around his neck?"
Sango nodded, "They were made by an old Miko, but Kagome placed them around his neck, and then placed the subduing charm over them. So when she says 'sit' the beads are pulled to the ground and force Inuyasha into submission."
"..."
"SIT! I'm going home, Inuyasha!"
"NO YOUR NOT!" Inuyasha yelled from where he laid sunken into the ground.
"...like you can stop me."
"Morning Sun...are you leaving?"
"..." Kagome stopped in her trek back down the road they had been walking down since morning. Her eyes widened in realization, as if she just remembered something. She couldn't leave...she'd made a promise to protect the newest addition to her group. The child with the unlit innocence...she could not leave him. Something else hit her suddenly, looking to Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango...and then finally...Shippou, she realized...none of them could be trusted to do what she'd promised she would. She was Morning Sun...not any of them...it was her. They couldn't protect him, not from the evil which threatened to hurt him. "Hao...lets go for a walk, maybe I'll cool off with some distance."
In a display that took the whole group by surprise, those staying behind watched as Hao had quickly and effortlessly altered her decision to leave, and had persuaded her to stay with him. Not them, him...
"...mama?" Shippou called curiously, but his voice went unheard.
"Don't worry Shippou, she just needs some time to recover her energy. She exhausted herself out with all that yelling...give her some time."
Shippou nodded, but his eyes weren't necessarily on Kagome, just her hand...the hand holding Hao's.
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Me: Here is chapter two of Dance with the Devil. I hope you all enjoy! I'm off to my next update, which, since I don't know what it is yet, I can't tell you what is next, lol. Review and tell me what you think, nyan~!