Author's Notes: Sorry for the LOA. Busy as always, but I am still inclined to write when I can. Happy reading.
As always, I appreciate any reviews you deign to leave me.
Chapter Eight: Just Fine
Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Shippo put a hand to his head in a thoughtful gesture, "That doesn't sound like that bad of an idea. Coming from Mr. Talkative." Inuyasha growled his annoyance at the kitsune and raised a fist until he saw Kagome looking at him with questioning eyes. He quickly put his fist down, hoping not to offend her. Kagome did find Inuyasha's behavior curious. He was not the same from when she had departed, and he seemed to be coming out of his shell, though he was a little rougher around the edges than she would have hoped.
"Inuyasha does have a point, Hoshi," Kaede said. All turned to the woman as she settled into a sitting position. "The Shikon Jewel being present in this age is unfavorable, but with Kagome here to act as the purifier and Inuyasha to protect her, I grant that Inuyasha's suggestion - that evil will flock here - may likely come to pass."
Miroku placed a hand to his chin, "It would make more sense for the Jewel to stay in the same place. Lure Naraku here and then end him."
"I agree. Staying put places us in the most advantageous position. If we leave, then we will be on anyone else's terms but our own. Not knowing exactly what this Naraku is capable of is our key issue," Kagome said.
"Shape-shifting is naturally one of his capabilities. He is cautious and will not risk himself for something he does not deem a sure thing," Miroku supplied.
"Then let's make sure this is a sure thing," Inuyasha said.
The rest of the evening was spent planning and strategizing. The plan was simple on its face: stay put and let Naraku come to them. Miroku had decided to resume his travels to spread the rumor with the hopes of drawing Naraku out sooner. Shippo, though reluctant, felt he should embark with the monk to assist in his journey and hasten the rumors. Kagome was uncertain about that part of the plan, as neither she nor Inuyasha had any idea of what the demon Naraku looked like nor what to expect. However, Miroku was adamant that his departure was necessary.
"Naraku is cruel and calculating. He will likely use whatever he contrives as your weakness to beguile and entreat you, and finally, once your defenses are down, he will strike where you are most vulnerable." Miroku advised as he shouldered a small pack and knelt to retrieve his staff.
Kagome grimaced, looking over to Inuyasha, whose eyes were on her. She felt warmth creep into her cheeks under his intense gaze and shifted her own back to Miroku. "I...I wish you'd both stay, but I understand why you feel it is best to go. Though I am uncertain how you plan to return in an instant if Naraku is successfully lured here."
"Lady, I am confident in your abilities and also in the fact that while Naraku is power-hungry, he is also vengeful. He will want me to witness his triumph and my demise." Miroku gripped his staff tightly.
Shippo jumped to his shoulder, always looking to offer a moment of levity, "Don't worry, I'll keep the lecher in line, and we'll be back lickity split if we get a whiff of Naraku." Miroku sighed and brought the top of his staff back to knock the kitsune in the head. Shippo grimaced and rubbed at the spot on his head, "Hey!"
Kagome brought a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Shippo, I almost hope you don't know what a lecher is, but I appreciate the gesture."
Still rubbing at a lump forming on his head, he looked at Miroku through the slits of his eyes, "Well, you guys say that about him enough."
Miroku sighed and pushed Shippo off from his perch with his free hand. "We shall return in a fortnight. Good luck, Lady Kagome….and you, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha nodded, his arms crossed. He seemed quite stoic today, but given the circumstances, Kagome could understand why. He had been quiet the night before as well.
The pair left rather unceremoniously, waved off by Kaede, Kagome, Inuyasha, and some of the villagers. Once their figures had receded into the distance, the departing entourage left to go about their ways. Kagome turned to Inuyasha and placed a hand on his shoulder, tentatively, "I suppose we should carry one as usual?" and offered a small smile.
Just as she had suggested, life did carry on as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary happened for the first few weeks. Miroku and Shippo had returned and departed again, all as planned. A couple of minor demons had shown up, drawn to the Shikon Jewel's power, but Inuyasha had dealt with them promptly before even Kagome had the opportunity to sense their presence. Kagome was astounded by his ability to deal with every threat so efficiently. At first, it was disconcerting to witness his cold, almost animalistic approach. However, Kagome realized that not all demons were like the few she met in the Feudal Era. These minor demons were driven by a single-minded desire to possess the power that the jewel contained. They slew and devoured anything in their path to attain it.
The second time a yokai broached the outer edge of the village, Kagome had been conversing with Kaede on an ailment that had befallen one of the village children with Inuyasha leaned against the side of a house and pretending not to hear every word shared. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome saw Inuyasha's ears swivel on his head, and his arms drop to his side. She broke off the conversation, nearly feeling the tension emanating from Inuyasha. Turning her head, she saw his eyes focused off in the distance, and in an instant, he jumped up, vaulting high and over many houses at a time. That's when Kagome felt it, the faint dark aura of yokai. It was different than the aura that Inuyasha gave off. His yoki was wholesome and light, whereas the other yokai, outside of Shippo, had seemed tainted and sickly.
Kagome had rushed off to follow after Inuyasha. She wasn't quite sure why, it was not as if he needed her help, but she felt compelled to at least be present and assist if she could. It was her responsibility now to protect the village. After several minutes, she arrived outside of the town on the perimeter of the forest line, and she could see the red of Inuyasha's haori flash by as he ran to continue his assault on the threat. Once he'd settled for a moment, Kagome caught a look of his face. It seemed emotionless and distant.
The yokai had come together in a mass of writhing bodies, scales, disproportionate limbs, disembodied heads, and amorphous figures. There was already a trail of bodies that Inuyasha had slain lying in fleshy heaps from where he had reaved through them in a blast of yoki focused in his clawed hands. Kagome came to a halt, having gotten close enough to smell the stink from the lumps of flesh lying at her feet. She took a step back, not realizing how close she had come to stepping in the goo. 'Gross,' she thought to herself before looking up to see a gaping maw with jagged teeth careening towards her. With a gasp, Kagome reached to her back for her bow only to find herself grasping at air. The blood drained from her face, realizing that she had forgotten to grab it and headed towards danger with nothing to protect herself.
The yokai made a gurgling sound as it broke away from the rest of the mass of yokai, "SHIKKKKONNN." Kagome gasped and tried to think quick, "STOP!" she yelled, stretching her hands out in front of her. 'It worked once before with the centipede yokai…' her thoughts trailed off.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha called in alarm. Kagome's head snapped up and over. Inuyasha's eyes had widened with concern, and he rushed towards the yokai, claws extended. With a savage snarl, he ripped through the creature, rending flesh from bone and sending bits and pieces flying. Kagome gasped again, this time in surprise as fleshy bits and dark blood had been sprayed on her. She looked down at her haori to assess the damage, bringing her hands up to wipe away what she could. "Disgusting!" she yelled, angry and embarrassed. Inuyasha smirked at her. He brought a clawed hand to her face and gently flicked a glob of flesh from her nose. When she flinched, he gave a low chuckle.
Bemused, Kagome crossed her arms, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Inuyasha let his smirk drop, and they both turned to regard the swarm of yokai that lingered several yards away. Clearly, the mass of yokai hesitated to attack, and Kagome was sure a couple had already fled after the initial onslaught. Inuyasha did not wait for their hesitation to diminish before he lunged towards the group of yokai and continued to make short work of the remainder.
It was short work indeed, it had only taken moments. Once he'd finished, Inuyasha expertly flicked his blood-soaked claws and looked to Kagome, his face stoic again. Kagome still felt her cheeks flaming red with shame over her earlier mess up. It had nothing to do with Inuyasha looking at her or how close he had been. She couldn't figure out if he were cold and unfeeling or if he just had been so abused that he did not know how to act. His concern when she was in danger was intriguing, to say the least. Without realizing that she was staring at him, he flashed a small smile at her. Quickly, she turned on her heel and stalked off, leaving him to wonder what had happened.
"Kagome," Inuyasha called to her. He ran to catch up with her. "Where are you going? The village is in the other direction?"
Without stopping, her cheeks still red, she huffed, "I'm not going back there with all of this gunk all over me." She gestured to her hair and clothes, though nothing would wash the dark matter from her clothing. "There's a stream not far from here where I can clean off a bit. Follow me if you'd like, but once I go in, you'd better not peep!"
Inuyasha's step faltered, "Peep?" he asked, almost too innocently.
Kagome looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Yeah, you know...look at me while I'm not dressed. It's indecent," she said matter-of-factly. He did not respond but followed her in silence until she reached the stream. She looked left, then right, ensuring that the area she had chosen was isolated and nothing or no one was around. She wasn't sure why anyone would be around out here - outside of the village - but old habits die hard. Growing up in a metropolis teeming with people, even in a vaguely remote area of that metropolis where her family's shrine was seldom visited by outsiders, prompted her to always have a subconscious feeling that someone was nearby. Here, in the Feudal Era, it was much more open and quiet.
The area she had stopped at offered a shallow opening to the bed of the stream. Secluded by trees and other flora on either side, the spot was deemed optimal for her bathing. The current was pushing along lazily here, and Kagome walked up to the edge, daring to kneel and test the temperature of the water. She gasped, 'Cold!' Why that would surprise her, she did not know and shook the thought from her mind. Scanning the area some more, she spotted a nice
"Okay, I'm going to go in. You can wait over there behind those bushes and stay there," Kagome instructed, pointing to a thicket of bushes further down the stream bed. Inuyasha nodded his understanding and walked the several yards until he'd reached the area and a safe distance away. Satisfied that he could not easily see her once she disrobed, Kagome removed the soiled, smelling clothes. She turned her head to check that Inuyasha's back was turned, but he had disappeared into the bushes and trees. With a slight grimace, she took a tentative step into the water. The cold shocked her senses, sending gooseflesh running up and down her arms, legs, and spine. 'All at once then!' she decided, taking several steps back and hurrying into the water.
In the middle of the stream, where the water came up to her waist, she stopped and began washing. The water was cold and, on its own, did little to remove the gore from her hair and skin, but she did the best she could. Once she felt clean enough, she moved to exit the stream, but pulled up short, nearly forgetting that Inuyasha was out there. She looked down to where she had instructed him to wait but saw no sign of him. Hesitant to leave the obscurity of the water, she strained to catch sight of his red suikan, but to no avail.
"Inu...yasha?" she called, almost too softly. He seemed to have a heightened sense of hearing, but she doubted he would have heard her nearly inaudible call over the sound of the running water. "Inuyasha?" she called louder this time. Still nothing, no response, no sounds of him moving through the bushes, no sight of him. "Inuyasha!" she yelled, panic filling her. Why wasn't he answering her? It was unlike him to disappear and leave her untended like this. Had another yokai come upon him and caught him unaware?
"Inuyasha!" she nearly screamed, stepping out of the water towards the edge of the stream.
With a crash and a splash, Inuyasha appeared jumping into the water in a battle stance. He had that cold, determined look on his face while he scanned the area for any threats. Kagome gaped at him, startled by his dramatic entrance. His gaze turned to her after he found nothing amiss. For a moment he stared, his mouth open a little, his ears turned towards her. It was within that moment that she remembered and screamed, attempting to cover herself with her hands. "INUYASHA!" she yelled in a rage. "I told you not to look!"
Confusion swept over his features, his brows coming together. "But," he started before Kagome continued. "Turn around dammit!" she yelled, her cheeks once again flaming red. Once he turned, still in the water, Kagome darted to grab her clothes only now to find them completely soaked. Inuyasha's arrival causing a wave of water to drench them. She cursed herself for leaving them so close to the water's edge. With a groan, she turned and found Inuyasha's back still turned towards her. "Inuyasha…"
He began to turn towards her voice. "Don't turn around!" she said speedily before the motion was complete. He stopped moving, hands slack at his sides. "Can I...borrow your suikan?" she hesitated before adding, "my own clothes are soaked."
Without a response, he quickly removed his outer jacket, holding the red suikan in an outstretched hand. Kagome trudged through the water and grabbed the proffered garment with a grumble of thanks before slipping it on and tying the excess around her waist. Thankfully the garment extended past her thighs resting as modestly as possible mid-thigh. Once she felt decent, she began her verbal assault.
"I told you not to look!" she yelled, nearly furious with her hand clenched at her sides. Inuyasha still stood with his back facing her and standing knee-deep in the water. "Turn around when I'm yelling at you!"
He turned, as she commanded, the confusion wiped from his face, replaced by a nearly blank expression. Kagome felt taken aback. He looked withdrawn...distant...and shamed. She gulped down her fury. Instead, she tried a different direction, "Why didn't you answer when I called out for you?"
"You told me to stay," he answered matter-of-factly. She groaned, "Yes, but only so you wouldn't see me naked, Inuyasha! You still could have answered."
"I didn't know I was supposed to. And when you screamed, I thought something had happened and came." He finally strode to the bank and out of the water. "I don't understand why it upsets you to be naked around others," he stated. He faced her fully, looking down at her with his amber eyes. "You look fine without clothes," he told her.
Kagome felt her jaw go slack, and the flame that had been in her cheeks spread out. First, in anger, which moved to embarrassment, and finally turned into something else that she couldn't put her finger on. Rather than berate him more for something he clearly did not understand, she sighed. "I...You...It's not proper for a man to see a woman without clothing. At least not until they are married," she explained.
Inuyasha seemed to be working it out, and Kagome turned on her heel, kneeling to grab her clothes. "Let's just get back." Wordlessly, he followed.
After that day, Kagome tried to avoid Inuyasha but was never successful. She was angry at him for many reasons, but none that she could voice aloud and some that she didn't quite understand herself. His child-like understanding of things, as annoying as it could be at times, was not his fault after all. Whatever had happened to him before he'd become pinned to the Goshinboku tree had prevented him from learning integral things about the world. Humans had many intricacies that even fully capable individuals had a difficult time grasping. Kagome only wished that Inuyasha would open up about his past, but he was very tight-lipped, usually ignoring the question or giving her a blank stare. If only Inuyasha would not stare at her so much. "Stop it," she said out loud one day.
"Stop what?" he asked, his ears swiveling towards her slightly. He was crouched down - nearly on all fours - a few feet from where she worked in a small garden, doing her best to recall which of the green tendrils were weeds and which were the shoots from the plant she was cultivating. With a frustrated sigh, she threw down the gardening tool in her hand. "Nothing," she grumbled. Kagome could not admit that she worried he might be thinking about seeing her unclothed, bare to his probing eyes... and all that he had said was that she looked fine!
As if reading her thoughts, he turned his gaze out towards the village, away from her. "Are you still angry about the river?" he asked unabashedly. Turning away from him, she grabbed up the small spade and began stabbing the soil, murdering the weeds. She hoped they were weeds. "Yes!" she blurted out, then changed her mind, "No." Her mind was reeling over something as stupid as a man seeing her naked, and it had not fazed him in the slightest. "I'm fine. Just fine."
She stabbed at the burgeoning green tendrils some more for good measure, focusing on the task at hand. She heard a small chuckle from behind her and whipped around, spade in hand, perhaps to throw it at his head even though she doubted it would do any good.
"You don't seem fine," Inuyasha replied. He stood and took a few steps over towards her and peered down at the small garden. "You stabbed the shoot, a lot. I don't know much about growing things, but killing them doesn't seem correct," he observed.
Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm fine," she assured him, lowering the spade but gripping it tightly. He looked prone to say more but was cut off by the toll of a bell in the distance. They both became alert at the sound, signaling a warning, and Kagome quickly rose to her feet. Bells had been installed around the village perimeter, at the suggestion of Kaede, so that if anyone unusual - or anything unusual - appeared, Inuyasha and Kagome could be quickly notified and deal with the issue. The bell tolled in the northwest, the opposite end of where they were positioned now. Kagome knew that Inuyasha could reach the signal in moments, if not seconds, with his speed, but it would take her much longer to get there. Their eyes met, and Inuyasha knelt, "Get on my back. I can get us both there quicker." He gestured to her with a clawed hand.
She'd never rode on anyone's back, not to mention a hanyo's who could leap incredible distances, making it seem as though he could fly. She hesitated for a moment and then grabbed up her bow and quiver of arrows and rushed over to climb on his back. Inuyasha tucked his arms under her knees while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Kagome was not sure she was ready for this and dipped her head into the corner of Inuyasha's neck. His silver cropped hair had grown longer over the past months, now beginning to brush his shoulders. With her head buried in the crook of his neck, she could feel the soft warmth emanating from his body. She inhaled deeply, preparing herself for flight but instead found Inuyasha's scent to be pleasant. Many earthy scents, wood, grass, and even the slightest bit of mint spiraled through her senses. And before she could fully register, she felt the stomach-dropping sensation of gravity pushing against them once Inuyasha vaulted into the air, followed by the feeling of wind blowing through her hair. The only way she could describe it would be like riding some crazy rollercoaster, except on a roller coaster there was always the added feeling of security knowing you were strapped down. As they glided through the air, Kagome risked a peek. Looking down, she could see the tiny doll-sized village houses beneath them. It was nearly as exhilarating as riding a roller coaster, she thought to herself. She looked ahead and could see the bell stand, and next to it, a villager waiting as he spotted the pair soaring through the sky.
Within a moment, the flight was over, and Inuyasha knelt to allow Kagome off from his back. It had only been a moment, but her knees still wobbled. Inuyasha pointed to the wood line, bringing Kagome back to reality. She followed to where he pointed and saw a man kneeling among the grass, watching...waiting. Upon closer examination, Kagome could see that the man did not look like a man but a baboon.
The villager who had sounded the alarm ran up to them. The man panted, though he had only run a few paces towards them. "Thank goodness you've come. I...it's over there," he told them with a shaky voice, pointing with an equally trembling hand towards the creature Inuyasha had already pointed out. Kagome looked to see the figure still perched beyond the boundary of the village. Inuyasha had not taken his eyes off of the figure, and Kagome could have sworn that he was emitting a low, rumbling growl. "What happened?" Kagome asked the villager. The man shook his head, "Well, nothing. That thing has been sighted at different sections of the village all morning, never moving any closer. No one sees it move, so it has to be an angry spirit!"
Inuyasha stood, saying nothing, and Kagome looked up to him before soothing the villager. "Okay, thank you for sounding the alarm. We will take care of it if there is a threat. Go back to your home and protect your family," she told him. The villager ran a hand through sweaty hair and trotted back towards the sanctity of the village where he was met by a gathering crowd of onlookers, some armed with rudimentary weapons, ready to fight off a threat should there be one. Kaede's village had still not grown used to having a powerful protector such as Inuyasha. However, they had no reason to call to arms as heavily as they had since Kagome had brought the Shikon no Tama back into existence.
Kagome made to move forward towards the man, but Inuyasha put a hand out to stop her. When she looked up at him in confusion, he merely shook his head and gestured for her to stay behind him. He approached the ominous figure slowly, feeling out the situation with caution. Kagome followed close behind, not yet drawing her bow. She did not want to appear threatening to this individual without knowing the reason he or she lingered. They stopped several feet away, and Kagome moved to stand beside Inuyasha, this time, he did not attempt to stop her. Kaede was usually the one to lead these types of discussions, but she had not arrived yet. "Who are you? And why have you come?" Kagome asked.
The figure did not move save for the head, which turned in her direction. The man, or spirit, or whatever it may be, was wearing a baboon skin draped over his body. The stillness, despite the intentional head turn, was eerie and sent shivers down Kagome's spine. The creature did not answer.
"Is there something we can help you with?" Kagome tried.
"Yes," a quiet voice said from beneath the fur.
"What can we help you with?" she asked, feeling annoyed at the pretentious behavior. Inuyasha still said nothing and remained poised to jump should that become necessary.
"Inu," the man said with finality. His head that of the robed creature turned towards Inuyasha. "Inu…" he said quietly.
Kagome looked up to see if there was a spark of recognition or anything from Inuyasha beside her. His face remained unmoved though she could feel him tense next to her.
The creature stood and took a few tentative steps forward. Inuyasha's claws were prone and ready. Human hands reached out from under the fur to move to the hood, pulling it away to reveal his face. The man the stood before them, garbed in a robe of baboon skin, was old, grizzled, and wore a smirk on his face. "Inu," the man said again.
Inuyasha's eyes widened, the breath stolen from him. "Who is that, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "He seems to know you."
"Know me he does, girl," the old man said in a condescending tone. "Come to me, Inu. Boss beckons ye."