Chapter Five: The Fox and the Hōshi

Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

The miko business was tough stuff, Kagome often thought to herself. It was grueling, selfless work that demanded her time and wherewithal to focus on. Kaede told her that being a priestess could not be learned overnight or in a handful of days or even months. She said that she and her sister had started their training as children and that if Kagome were to even become half the miko that Kikyo had been, she would have to pour all of her determination into it.

Kagome began to detest the comparison of herself to Kikyo. However, it was difficult to hate someone who seemed to have such a pure heart and ultimately ended up giving her life protecting others. Still, it wasn't necessarily the best motivation tactic for her, but she could not bring herself to tell Kaede.

Village life in itself was challenging. It was early to rise, and many, many chores needed to be completed. Kagome never realized all the amenities she had taken for granted back home. Electricity, running water, transportation, indoor plumbing! To top it all off, she had to fit into her training regimen. Her days were packed full, and she often fell asleep before her head hit the proverbial pillow, seeing as how those had not been invented yet. Yet, she could not find cause to complain. As much as she missed home and its luxuries, something was fulfilling about being here and dedicating her life to protecting the Shikon no Tama.

Her days were never dull. Kagome often had to learn on the fly. Kikyo had the luxury of being tasked with protecting the Jewel well after she had begun her priestess training. Kagome had the mantle thrust upon her, and it was sink or swim. She chose to swim.

Within her first week of official miko training, a lesser yokai began wreaking havoc on the village and the surrounding area. Despite being classified as "lesser," the yokai was cunning. It had lied in wait, biding its time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Thankfully, it was a little too ambitious and had an intellect rivaled only by garden tools. The cunning patience only got the yokai as far as the end of Kagome's spiritual arrow. It wasn't an impressive shot, noted Kaede, but it got the job done. After that day, Kaede doubled Kagome's training in archery.

The villagers were a blessing. After Kagome had vanquished the evil yokai, they began to bring her offerings. She was thankful for this since she often felt a burden to the village. They assured her it was not the case while keeping a respectful distance. However, Kagome did not feel reassured. She had come to the village with nothing and could offer nothing besides protection from an affliction she was responsible for bringing upon them in the first place. In addition, Kagome was diligent in learning healing techniques from Kaede to augment her priestess position. Coupled with the knowledge she had brought back from her time, she finally began to feel she could contribute something more to the village she now resided in.

Weeks passed, and Kagome missed home terribly. Once, she tried to sneak out to the well to see if she could slip through and let her family know she was okay. She planned to wait until night had fallen and the village had finally quieted into slumber. She successfully slipped out of Kaede's house, where she now resided, unnoticed, and made her way towards the well. When Kagome got close, she began to hear a rustle from the trees. She stopped and assessed her surroundings, listening and feeling for anything amiss. A gentle wind blew a cool night breeze through her hair, and she tried to listen closely, blocking out the sounds of nature. The frequent attacks for the Shikon Jewel were enough to keep her on edge, and now she was alone at night, away from the safety the village afforded her.

She heard the rustle again and quickly drew her bow, nocking an arrow and pointing it in the direction of the sound. "Show yourself or I will shoot!" Kagome called.

She saw a flash of white, and Kagome instantly recalled the strange man from the Goshinboku tree. Occasionally, she wondered what had become of him. Besides what Kagome had already been told, Kaede did not know much of him aside from a story about a dog and its master.

The tree rustled once more, bringing Kagome back to the present, and a small figure, trotting forward tentatively, appeared. "A child?" Kagome questioned aloud, voicing her confusion. "Where did you come from?"

It dawned on Kagome that the child was no ordinary human. He sported a bushy tail, pointed ears, and tiny padded feet. Aside from his obvious attributes, Kagome was hesitant to point her weapon in the direction of this small and painfully cute mononoke child. As he drew closer, he had a look of lost terror in his slanted, green eyes.

"Please help me, miko-sama," the young boy called to her with a wavering voice. He stopped just outside of her reach and pouted.

"What's the matter, little guy? Are you hurt? Are you lost?" Kagome asked, shouldering her weapon. She did not feel any threat coming from this young yokai, and all the others she had met so far had a distinct evil that seemed to radiate from them like a black aura.

"I-I-I dunno," he blubbered on the edge of tears. His lower lip was extended and quivering almost exaggeratedly.

Kagome felt her heart swell for this little guy. This was the Feudal Era, after all. There was always news coming to the village of war, pillaging, and other atrocities occurring all over the provinces. She stepped closer to the little yokai and knelt down in front of him.

"Hey there, it's okay now," Kagome said in a reassuring tone.

The boy's head was lowered, and he raised his hand towards her as if he was expecting her to take him into her arms. She tried to duck her head to look at the boy's face and noticed his tears were fake, and he did not have a pout but a mischievous grin on his little face. Kagome's brow knit in confusion, and as realization dawned on her, it was too late. The child reached out and snatched the Shikon Jewel, yanking it from the throng around her neck, and took off into the woods.

Kagome felt a surge of anger at having been duped by such an obvious trick, "Get back here you little #! &*$," she yelled and bounded off in hot pursuit of the small thief.

She darted into the woods, hot on the trail of the young yokai thief. Thankfully, the bright moon provided her enough light to keep on his trail. He was quick, but she was determined. Kagome followed him for a few yards, and when it became apparent that he wasn't losing her, he stopped and turned to face her. Even in the darkness, His green eyes flashed, and a smirk formed.

"Stupid girl," he shouted at her. Then he held up the Shikon Jewel in a taunting manner between his thumb and forefinger.

Kagome grimaced and quickly scanned the area. He seemed misguided but relatively innocent, despite his actions. She didn't want to shoot him...yet. She spied a loose stone, reached down, and snagged it up, trying to formulate a plan.

"It wasn't too hard to trick ya," the boy taunted. "Or maybe you're just dumb for a human."

Kagome menacingly raised her hand, "Give it back, or so help me!"

The boy flashed a smile, "We've been watching you. You're soft and I knew you wouldn't be hard to trick," he repeated with childlike sincerity.

"We?" Kagome questioned. "What kind of yokai are you supposed to be kid? A little shit demon?"

The boy frowned, "I'm a Kistune!" he yelled defensively.

"That explains a lot." She kept her hand raised and watched the kitsune's every move. She recalled from stories that kitsune were mischievous by nature.

He brought both of his little hands down onto clenched fists by his sides, "No, it doesn't!" in a flash of white smoke, another identical kitsune appeared several feet away, and then another, and another, until there were nearly a dozen kitsune crowding around her, trying to disorient her.

"What do you think you are doing kid?" she demanded.

"Hehehe," the Kistune cackled in unison.

Kagome sighed and looked around at all of the kitsune surrounding her. Which was the original, she wondered. The clones began to dance around her oddly, in some ploy to keep her from discovering the true kitsune. Focusing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She prayed her training held true. Finally, her eyes popped open, and she threw the stone toward one of the kitsune. It lobbed him in the head, and he cried out and clutched at his head in pain.

"Owiee!"

He had been trying to distract her and run off with the jewel she rationed out. Once the stone had connected with his skull, the other illusions disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Serves you right, stealing from people. Especially us dumb humans," Kagome chided him while she grabbed the Shikon Jewel that the kitsune had dropped. She deftly tucked the small orb into a hidden pocket sewn inside her kosode.

The kitsune rubbed at his head and looked up at her, unsure what to make of this situation.

"What's your name?" Kagome asked. She rubbed at his small head in a soothing gesture.

The small child looked around in confused panic, "Uh...uh, Ship-po?"

"Shippo, huh? Well, Shippo, didn't your parents teach you it's not right to steal?" Kagome looked around to see what the kitsune was searching for. He had said 'we,' so she deduced he wasn't alone, or rather there was an accomplice, just not around. But why would they send this kid out alone at night? They must have underestimated her, or perhaps they overestimated their plan.

Shippo puffed up, instantly forgetting his pain, "My parents are dead, okay?!"

"Oh," Kagome said sadly. "I'm sorry Shippo. I didn't know. What happened? Is that why you're out here alone?"

"Mama died when I was little and my papa was killed by a big, evil yokai." he really did have tears in his eyes now; Kagome was sure of it. He deflated like a balloon and fell back to looking uncertain.

"That's horrible! Is that why you were trying to steal the Shikon Jewel?"

Shippo looked at Kagome as if she had said the dumbest thing ever, "Well, yeah. It's supposed to make me stronger so I can have my revenge!"

Kagome took to soothing his head again, "Awe, little guy, it doesn't work like that."

Shippo looked up at her with a perplexed expression, "Huh? Whadya mean? It's supposed to make you stronger; that's what he told me…"

"Who is this 'he'? Is he the one who told you to steal the Shikon Jewel?" Kagome asked. "Are you alone?" she took another quick look around and, seeing no one, returned her attention to the kitsune.

Shippo hesitated, and Kagome could see the wheels turning. So he wasn't alone.

"Uhm…" he dithered. "Well... I…" he looked away, almost ashamed.

Kagome's eyes nearly bulged from her head, and she gasped once she felt a hand lightly caress and grip her bottom. Before she could spin around to confront the molester, she felt warm breathing on her neck. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she was still shocked.

"He's with me, beautiful lady," a male voice whispered from behind into her ear, the owner of the roaming hand.

Kagome could feel a little shriek erupt from her throat, and she whipped around and connected her closed fist with the deviant's unsuspecting face. The force of her blow caught the man off guard and hit him square in the jaw, sending him staggering backward.

"What the hell?" the man complained, nursing a sore cheek. He looked genuinely offended she had struck him.

"You! You perverted bastard! Who are you?!" Kagome demanded, pointing a shaky finger.

"You hit me," the man said, rubbing his cheek.

The moon had risen to its highest point in the sky and splashed a silvery glow to illuminate the man's face. He was taller than she and had his dark hair tied into a ponytail. His dark eyes looked kind but confused, though how he had any right to be confused was beyond her. Overall, he was rather handsome, but Kagome couldn't help but feel repulsed by his groping.

"You're damn right I hit you!" she retorted. "You're lucky I don't shoot you!" She quickly pulled free her weapon and nocked an arrow for emphasis.

The man took a step back slowly and raised his hands defensively, "Woah, whoa. No, need for that miko-sama."

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't? If you are here to steal the Shikon Jewel…" she pulled the string taut and aimed at his chest. She quickly noticed he had a rosary covering his right hand, taking note of its unique positioning.

"I mean you no harm, Miss. I, too, am but a humble priest who seeks to rid the world of the Jewel of Four Souls," he articulated.

Kagome scoffed, "You? A monk? And you're trying to 'rid the world of the Jewel' by what? Stealing it?"

The monk lowered his hands and turned his back on her, clearly feeling comfortable enough to walk away and retrieve an object which was stashed against a nearby tree. After he had retrieved it, he turned back towards her. So, he had been waiting here for her, she thought.

"No, lady, I merely wanted to liberate you from the daunting task at hand. I realize how burdensome it is for a beauty like yourself to waste away, protecting an object that puts you and your village in danger," the monk told her fluidly.

Kagome's eyelids lowered, and she lowered the bow to aim at his feet without breaking her deadpan gaze from him. She released an arrow at his feet, causing him to jump in surprise. "Really?!"

"Oops. It slipped," Kagome said monotonic, Casually drawing another arrow.

"My name is Miroku, and as I said, I am a humble monk. I had heard there was an inept miko protecting the newly reappeared Shikon Jewel. I took it upon myself to come and offer my assistance."

Kagome lowered her bow, watching the monk stiffen in anticipation of her shooting at him again. "Inept, huh? Is that why you enlisted that innocent child to do your dirty work?"

"Inept apologize for the deceit, miss. I felt it would be easier to slip the Jewel off of your person when you were alone rather any other means," he explained.

Kagome sighed and began her walk back to the village, her plans to return home temporarily suspended. "Come on Shippo," she called over her shoulder.

The young kitsune bounded over to her without hesitation, "Me?"

Kagome smiled down at him, "You're better off coming with me."

"Okay," he said happily.

Miroku scratched at his head, confused at the turn of events. Had he just been brushed off? And his young tag-a-long removed? As he watched the pair walk away towards the village they had staked out, he vaguely heard young Shippo ask Kagome, "What's a pervert?"

The monk arrived in the village the next day. He'd been well-received by the villagers due to his charm. Kagome had heard his reason for making an appearance and had a slight chuckle to herself, "Help the miko guard the Shikon Jewel," he had said. So, he had been welcomed with open arms, a room cleared out for him as long as he planned on staying to help protect the strange new miko.

Shippo had told Kagome that Miroku was a pretty nice guy. He had found Shippo hiding after his father had been killed by other yokai. Miroku had come to the area hoping to expel the mononoke who inflicted the locals with their sadistic idea of fun. Like Shippo's father, many passers-by had fallen prey to their games and lost their lives. The yokai had grown tired of playing and moved on before the monk's arrival, which was probably for the best, seeing as how the yokai was rumored to be quite strong and dangerous. So, Miroku did what he was good at and claimed to have vanquished the yokai menace - using Shippo as the scapegoat - and taking the wealthy lords of the area for all they were worth.

After hearing this story, Kagome could feel her eyes narrowing in disbelief. Still, Shippo vouched for the monk, telling her that Miroku had sold those goods and given the profits to those in need, only keeping a small amount for himself as "payment ."Rather than exterminating Shippo, Miroku had the youngster accompany him on his travels, often using the kitsune in his dealings when a village or estate called upon his services to appease ghosts or demons that were actually nothing but the made-up fancies of those whose greed had gotten the best of them, leaving them paranoid and seeing things that weren't truly there.

All in all, Miroku seemed alright. Well, on second thought, he had his good moments. Other times he seemed to spend too much time eyeing and fawning over the comely village girls. When he wasn't flirting, the monk often volunteered his time to help Kagome practice some of her spiritual training exercises. He was himself skilled and had immense spiritual power, though Kagome could feel it suppressed by some means. To her, it felt like there was a vast reservoir of power, but his access to it was limited to a small trickle that bottlenecked due to unknown reasons. Kagome had asked Miroku about it, but he would casually change the subject.

"Why do you avoid telling me the truth Miroku?" Kagome asked.

He nearly always had his staff, this day was no different, and a gentle wind blew, causing the rings linked onto it to chime softly as they clinked against one another. He would not meet her gaze but stared off into the distance. "I don't want to burden you with any more trouble."

"Really? You don't want to burden me with more trouble? You've already brought me a kitsune child, and I constantly have to run young girls off on top of my own duties," Kagome said with a chuckle. She noticed that he had glanced down at his right hand. She caught him doing that and pondered at what was underneath the rosary that pained him, but she would rather him tell her in his own time.

"He seems to have taken quite a liking to you," Miroku told her, nodding towards Shippo, who assisted Kaede with some task. "When I continue my journey, he will probably be best suited to stay here."

Kagome watched the young kitsune pick a tool up and pass it to Kaede thoughtfully. Miroku's statement did not surprise her. She hadn't expected him to stay as long as he had. Whatever he thought would happen in the village had not come to pass. "So, you're leaving then?"

Miroku glanced at her, "Yes."

"Well, aside from our first meeting, I am happy to have met you, and I am grateful for the help you've given me," she said. Kagome smiled at her new friend, and they shared a quiet laugh. As the laughter faded, Miroku's face became more serious.

"Whatever you do, don't let the Shikon Jewel fall into the wrong hands," he told her.

"I wouldn't plan on it," she assured him. She started to ask if he was leaving tomorrow, but Shippo bounded over, buzzing with energy.

"Didya hear?" he questioned, bouncing from foot to foot.

"Hear what, Shippo?" Kagome asked.

Shippo pointed to the west at a group of villagers crowded around Kaede. "Those guys were traveling through the forest and came across somethin."

"Came across what?" Kagome asked.

Miroku's interest had been piqued, "Let's have it Shippo."

"I dunno yet, just something that freaked those guys out," he said. He ran back over to where the village men stood to listen in.

Kagome and Miroku looked at each other and headed over as well.

"I dinnae what it was," one man said.

"Had to of been a yokai, it was so strange!" said another.

"Couldn't of been no yokai, I tell you," said a third.

"Why's that?" Miroku asked.

The villager who had spoken last regarded Miroku level, "Cause it didn't attack us."

The monk thought for a moment, "Just because it does not attack doesn't mean it is not yokai. Take our young kitsune here."

The men looked at Shippo as if seeing him for the first time. Clearly, they had not thought of Shippo as a yokai. He was young, small, and had a child's innocence, a few things that the people of this area did not associate with mononoke. Shippo looked back at them with wide eyes.

"Well, this'n was a full grown man with dog ears and silver hair," the villager said.

"Yeah," chimed in another, "Soon as we saw em he took off."

As soon as Kagome heard 'dog ears,' she knew what, or rather who, they were talking about. It was someone that she had thought about often since she had arrived in the Feudal Era. Not a day went by that she didn't wonder after him. He had disappeared so suddenly, and he was shrouded in mystery. Even Kaede didn't know much about him despite being there when he was sealed to the tree. She was pretty tight-lipped about it all, only saying that he was not human and was the one who had blinded her eye. Kagome had prodded Kaede that surely she must know more, but the old woman would only shake her head.

Kagome had been able to get a name out of Kaede. "Inu ."'Odd name choice,' Kagome had thought, seeing as how it was the word for dog. She remembered him pinned against the tree and climbing up to feel his ears. She felt herself blush with mild embarrassment. And the way he looked at her once she realized he had awoken.

"I'll go check it out," Kagome told them calmly.

They all nodded their assent and murmured to themselves quietly. The miko had made a decision, and they would not question it. Even Kaede nodded in approval.

"I'll go with you!" Shippo said excitedly.

"I would rather do this alone," Kagome told him. She felt terrible once she saw him deflate but tried to perk him up. "Why don't you go help Miroku?" she gestured at the monk, who gave her a sidelong expression at the idea. Kagome knelt down to whisper in the kitsune's ear, "He says he's leaving."

Shippo snapped up, wide-eyed, at Miroku, "What?! You're leaving?!"

Miroku frowned at Kagome. He had hoped to slip away with little pomp and circumstance from the kitsune he had saved. While they bickered, Kagome took her chance to do the same; slip away. She already had her bow and arrows, so she needed no additional prep before checking on the rumor.

The village men had gone to trade with another village to the west, so Kagome retraced their path. The men would not have strayed too far from the roads where it was most safe, so that is the way she went.

She had been gone an hour and was prepared to turn around. She did not want to stray too far from the village with the Shikon Jewel lest she attract unsavory folk to the area. At times she felt she should take the Shikon Jewel as far away from innocent people as possible but rationed out that she still needed help to completely grasp her new spiritual powers. Once she felt more confident in her abilities, she could travel away from her new friends and perhaps find a way to eliminate the Jewel once and for all. She longed to return home to her family, but the responsibility bestowed upon her prevented that from happening.

Kagome stopped and looked around. It was time to turn around. She couldn't be gone too long, or they would come searching for her. She was surprised anyone let her come this far on her own. Any other time she had an escort of some kind. Everyone must be coming to trust her and her abilities.

No sign of anything unusual, Kagome was partially convinced those men had seen things. She had gotten a quarter of the way back to the village when she saw a flash of red out of the corner of her eye. She stopped and turned slowly to find nothing. Kagome sighed, annoyed at herself for seeing things that weren't there. Here she thought the villagers were being jumpy, and she was seeing things, too. She began to walk again until she heard a crack of thunder overhead. 'Damn,' she thought. 'Where did this storm come from?'

Another crack of thunder boomed, and Kagome looked up and around to see where this storm was. When she looked up, she saw an evil grin staring back down at her from an elongated, disturbingly ugly face. A yokai!