What's this?! I'm back, and it hasn't been 3-4 years this time? Someone pinch me!
Welcome back to another chapter, everyone! Thanks so much for the warm welcome with the last update. It was so lovely to see that so many of you returned to read it. I'm pretty sure I responded to all of the reviews, but I want to say again that it warmed my heart to receive all your praise. Your encouragement was a big part of why I was able to stay motivated to post again.
I wanted to make a quick note about Kagome's hairstyle here as well. In the first chapter, it's mentioned that she has a ribbon in it (very briefly). This is the same white ribbon as all the main girls wear in the series. However, I want to clarify that while Kagome's outfit is identical to the priestess attire we see in the anime, her hairstyle is NOT the same as Kikyo's. While she does tie hers in a low ponytail as well, it is lower than Kikyo's. I would say it's tied midway between Kikyo's and Sango's (not her demon slayer high ponytail). She doesn't have the hair loops on her shoulders like Kikyo does either, but she still has her signature bangs, and her hair is tied in a way that allows it to fan out a little bit and show how wavy it is. It's also longer than it is in the show, but not as long as Kikyo's and definitely shorter than Inuyasha's. It's around Sango's length, perhaps a couple of inches longer. There are also rare occasions where Kagome will opt to leave her hair down as she (and occasionally Kikyo) did in the anime.
Hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the last one!
"Are ye practicing your archery today, child?" Kaede asked as Kagome polished her arrows in the shrine.
"I am, baa-chan," Kagome said brightly. "I was doing it by the well yesterday. Then some of the children saw, and asked if I'd show them some more in the morning. I promised I would."
She'd also been wrapping up just as Sota showed up. She wished she could have stayed out longer so that she could spend more time with him, but he assured her he'd come back the next day. So she was especially eager to get there on time now.
"Aye, it would be nice for them to learn a bit about what a miko does to protect her village," Kaede said approvingly.
"Least they're learning that from somewhere, ain't that right," Inuyasha called lazily from up on the roof.
Both Kaede and Kagome sighed, exasperated.
"Careful, Inuyasha, lest I bring ye crashing down from that height," Kaede said airily.
"Keh. You're gonna have to get here first. By the time you string a bow I'd have lapped the whole village twice over."
"Maybe ye ought to do just that, impudent child." But Kagome grinned, because she could sense more of a playfulness in Kaede's tone. She'd come to learn that since Inuyasha's first appearance, him and Kaede were slowly settling into a mutually combative dynamic, but one which had less and less hostility to it as the days went by. Just the fact that Inuyasha let her last retort go and didn't respond said as much.
"Kagome dear, help me bring in the wood from outside. The men chopped it last night but left it by the stairs. I suppose they're too frightened to come too near the shrine now, after the last attack. I need to carve out arrows for us."
"Oh," said Kagome, distracted as she looked up towards the well. A group of children had already gathered there, and she could just make out Sota's distinctive hair jutting out among them. It would take a while to bring up all those heavy logs. She couldn't expect Kaede to do it alone. The children had to go back to school before too long. Disappointment welled up in her chest. "Okay, then."
As she rose, she heard a thudding noise. Inuyasha had leapt down from the roof.
"Trust ya needing help to bring in some wood, ya old hag," he scoffed. "Watch me do it in no time."
"Oh? I wonder why it would make ye get up off your lazy hide. Since when does this have anything to do with ye keeping other demons from the Jewel?"
"Well, you said you need the wood for arrows, don't you? I'm pretty sure you can't fight off demons without them. So consider this me protecting my interests."
"Remarkably, his brain is functioning today," Kaede said in mock wonder.
"And I can't imagine how painful it's gonna be to watch you struggle to lift a little twig, ya heifer!"
"Well, since you two are getting along famously," Kagome laughed, glad that she could seize this chance to slip away, "I'm going to head over to practice. Inuyasha, make sure that-"
"Yeah, yeah. I can't come into the shrine."
Kagome smiled. At least he remembered that he couldn't be near the Jewel, and had accepted it without protest. She and Kaede had determined that his youki would corrupt it.
She ducked out of the shrine as Inuyasha and Kaede continued squabbling. She tried not to laugh again. Despite abiding by the rules and not causing any trouble thus far, it was remarkable how rude, crass and obnoxious he was.
Tsuya was nothing like that.
"Nee-chan!" Sota shouted as he led the group of children running towards her. He reached her outstretched arms and tumbled into them. "You came!"
"I sure did," Kagome laughed excitedly. "A promise is a promise."
He gave her a squeeze around the middle, then turned on his heel towards the rest of the kids with his chest puffed out. "This miko-sama is my sister, Kagome!" he said proudly. His brown eyes, identical to Kagome's and his mother's, were shining. "She's going to show us how to shoot arrows. She's been doing it since I was a kid!"
Kagome giggled. Sota was forgetting that some of the other kids had already watched her practice her archery the day before. She was grateful that they were kind enough not to bring it up, letting him brag.
"That's right," she said brightly. "Now, everyone, line up behind me, and make sure not to stand too close!"
She shot a few arrows into the tree trunks, and the children all clapped eagerly. She shot down some low-hanging fruit, taking care to sever them at the stems so that their flesh was undamaged. It was a narrow point of entry, but she was pleased to see that the arrow tips were sharp enough to cut through. The children gushed in awe, scrambling all over the floor to gather the fruit up, or rushing to where they fell so that they could catch them before they hit the ground.
"Can we take these home, Miko nee-sama?" they asked.
"Of course!" she said. "That's why I shot them down."
"You guys look like you're having fun."
Kagome turned to see Inuyasha standing a few yards away, arms folded into his sleeves. He'd approached so silently, she'd had no idea he was there.
"Are you already done with the logs, then?"
He scoffed. "Would've been done ages ago if the old crone wasn't so stubborn and let me do it all."
Kagome rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Well, your rudeness notwithstanding, I'm sure she appreciated the help."
A silence had descended among the group as they surveyed him with wide eyes. One of the smaller ones, a little girl named Sayo, tugged at her sleeve timidly.
"Kagome-sama, isn't that the demon?" she whispered. "My mommy told me he's here."
"His name is Inuyasha, Sayo," Kagome said gently. "And yes. He's going to be helping me and Kaede-sama keep the Jewel safe." Her eyes flickered towards Inuyasha to see if he was irritated by how the girl referred to him. No doubt he'd clearly heard Sayo's whisper. But he carried on just looking at them stonily. Still, there seemed to be a spark in his eye that hadn't been there before Kagome corrected her.
"He looks like a doggy-man," Sayo said, looking up at him. "Can I touch his ears?"
"Ah, Sayo, that's bad manners," Kagome said hastily. Although I've been wanting to touch them myself, of course, she mused. She quickly checked to see Inuyasha's expression. To her surprise, he looked amused. He was looking down at the girl as though impressed that she'd voiced such a wish.
"Wouldn't really bother me," he shrugged nonchalantly.
Kagome blinked. "Really?" Sayo turned to look at her with excitement on her face. Inuyasha offered no protest. "Well, all right," she said cautiously.
She bent down and picked Sayo up, approaching Inuyasha with the child. She felt a strange twinge in her chest as she drew nearer to him. What was that? Was she feeling slighted because Sayo was going to get to touch his ears, and she wasn't? Snap out of it, Kagome, she chided herself. You're not about to get jealous of a little girl.
They were just inches away from him, Sayo's arms outstretched, when they were interrupted before it could happen.
"I don't see why he has to be here," an older boy named Chiaki said in an affronted tone. He was a tow-haired boy about Sota's age, and glaring up at Inuyasha with clenched fists. "This is a human village. We don't need demons around to help us for anything!"
"Puh!" Sota said suddenly, before Kagome had the chance to respond. Moving forward, he jostled him. "Shut up, Chiaki. If my nee-chan says he has to be here, then he does. Do you think you know more than a Priestess?"
"How do we know we can trust him, then?" Chiaki shot back, but his tone was warier now. Sota was popular with the other kids, and he knew better than to get on his bad side. "What if he does something to hurt us?"
"In case you forgot, he saved my sister's life," Sota snapped. "I don't care what you think. Kagome would never let anyone near us if she thought they'd hurt us!"
"Boys, enough," Kagome said, hurriedly setting Sayo down and stepping in between them even as her heart was bursting from Sota's defense of her. She had been spending less and less time with him as the years went by and always worried that they were growing distant because of it. If they hadn't seen each other today, she'd never have known that he still harbored such fierce love for her. She had to fight to keep the smile off her face. "Chiaki, I'm sure that you have good reason to be afraid. Have your parents been worrying about this since the yokai attack?"
"Yeah, they have," he said, still smarting from Sota's retort. "I don't want anything to happen to them, all right!" He looked away, blinking rapidly, his cheeks red and his arms akimbo.
Sympathetic, Kagome knelt down and patted him on the head. "I swear that I won't let anything happen to any of you, Chiaki," she said kindly. "That's why I'm here. Lady Kaede and I have made the decision that we think is best. Does my opinion still matter to you, Chiaki?"
The boy nodded, still refusing to look at her. Kagome smiled.
"Then let me tell you honestly. Out of all the things we have to fear, now that our village is sheltering the Jewel, I don't believe that Inuyasha is anywhere near the top of that list."
The other children tittered among themselves, looking reassured. Finally, Chiaki tore his eyes away from the ground and met her eyes. She could see the gratitude in them. Although it looked like it took a lot of effort, he gave another nod.
A collective sigh of relief swept over the group.
"Well," Inuyasha said, breaking the silence. "I was gonna see what all the fuss was about, but I'll head out now. Holler if you need me."
"Wait!" Sota called suddenly. "I... I didn't finish what I was saying. Even though I agree with nee-chan, I just want you to know... If... If you ever do hurt her, you'll be sorry!"
Half of the children burst into laughter while the other half looked awed and impressed by his bravery.
"Aw, Sota!" Kagome burst out, unable to stay placid anymore. "Come here, you little cutie pie!" She swooped down on him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Nee-chan, cut it out!" he laughed, pretending to fight her off. The children laughed harder than ever.
Looking up, Kagome saw that Inuyasha was grinning from ear to ear.
"That's what I like to hear," he said. "Keep stickin' up for your family, kid."
Sota turned a little red behind his ears, but didn't say anything.
"Actually, why don't I give you more of a challenge?" Inuyasha said suddenly. Kagome was confused, then realized he was speaking to her again. "It's easy to shoot at things that just sit there. What if you had a moving target?"
"Well, I sure won't shoot any of the animals in the forest if that's what you mean, especially not when the kids are watching," Kagome said indignantly.
"I wasn't talkin' about those," he said, walking through the crowd and towards the Sacred Tree. He turned and faced her when he reached the trunk. "I was talking about me," he finished.
Kagome blinked. "You?"
"Why not?"
Kagome made no answer. She didn't know how to word it. Looking at her face, he seemed to pick up on her thoughts.
"You already know I'm built differently than most demons," he said matter-of-factly. "Human-made arrows can't hurt me unless there's spiritual energy in 'em. If you just shot me without any reiki, they'd bounce or break right off. And you'd show everyone what a good shot you are."
The children made exclamations at this, nudging each other in anticipation. They clearly liked the idea. Kagome considered him, silently. Was he suggesting this only because of what the kids had said? Was he giving her a chance to dispel their doubts?
"Sure, I could do that," she said at last. The kids murmured excitedly again. "Are you going to try and dodge it, then?"
"I'll jump," he grinned. "But make sure you don't miss."
Kagome reached into her quiver, and the kids huddled around her, their voices dying down as they waited with bated breath. Inuyasha stood quite still as he watched her. She aimed her bow. "Ready?" she said softly.
"As I'll ever be."
A few seconds passed, in which the chirping of birds could be heard. Then, Kagome let it fly. In a flash, Inuyasha's feet took off of the ground. But he didn't get far, not even more than a foot in the air. Because the moment after, both his sleeves were pinned fast to the tree, two arrows piercing each of them. He landed back on the ground, stuck in place as he was unable to continue his ascent.
"Well," he said, looking impressed. "You were quick, I'll give you that."
The children whooped, clapped and cheered, gazing up at her in admiration.
"I don't know what else you were expecting," Kagome said calmly, as she set down her bow and pulled her quiver off her shoulder.
"Maybe a little more precision," he said, grinning. "You got my sleeves, but not me. I told you to make sure you didn't miss."
She walked up to him with her quiver in hand. He was still grinning as she pulled the arrows out of the tree bark, freeing him. She took care to put all four of them back into the quiver before speaking again. Straightening up, she fixed him with her gaze.
"I didn't miss."
It was time for her rounds soon after the children ran off to school. Sota promised that he would come back if she was around at this time again, so Kagome hoped that would be sooner rather than later. She tried to increase her pace as she walked, since she already had a bit of a late start.
"So, why weren't you trying to hit me?"
She shut her eyes for a moment. She was hoping Inuyasha wouldn't ask that, ever since he said that he'd tag along again.
"I don't know. It just doesn't feel right to shoot someone on purpose if they're not a threat."
"But I told you it wouldn't hurt me without your powers," he said.
"I know," she said. "Still. I can't bring myself to do that to anyone. It's irresponsible and mean. It's not what a priestess does." She knew she would never have used any of the villagers as target practice, whether she knew them or not.
"Even though I'm a demon, huh? You think of me as the same as the others?"
Kagome gritted her teeth. Was he offended that she might be comparing him to humans, or mocking her for not being able to tell the difference? But no, that wasn't true. If it had been any of the villagers, Kagome wouldn't even have agreed to aim her bow at them. She knew she'd had to demonstrate her prowess to the children in that moment, so that there would be no doubt among them that she could protect them from anything. But then why not just shoot him directly? It was all confusing.
"I don't know what you expect me to say, Inuyasha," she said at last.
"Nothin'. I'm just trying to understand. Everyone else has enough expectations of you as it is."
She sighed.
"I did tell everyone, that first day they saw you, that I'd take you down myself if you caused trouble. To be honest, I don't even know that I could. But I still had to reassure them somehow. So, thanks to what you did earlier, the kids probably have more faith in me now."
"I better hope I never cause trouble then. I think you underestimate your own strength."
Kagome smiled a little, grateful he couldn't see her face.
"You're walking faster than usual," Inuyasha said presently. "You late for something?"
"Yes, I lost track of time with the kids earlier," she said, panting slightly. "I have to hurry and get back to the shrine."
"How's about I carry you?"
Abruptly, Kagome stopped in her tracks and turned to him, looking incredulous. To her surprise, Inuyasha looked almost as stunned that he'd said it as she was.
"What did you say?" she said slowly.
He looked away swiftly, his expression inscrutable. The area around his nose looked darker: was that a blush on his face, or just the lighting? "Um, I just meant, that I could give you a ride," he mumbled. "I can run fast. You could get on my back, and..."
She swallowed. This certainly wasn't appropriate, and there was no doubt that villagers would disapprove. But she couldn't help but look up at the sun. It was already higher than it should be. She had to get back to purify the Jewel, or her powers would wear off and it could start attracting yokai.
"I won't even touch you," Inuyasha said softly. He was looking at her with a steady gaze now. "You'd just have to get on and I'd get you back to the shrine in time."
Kagome took a deep, shuddering breath. As she considered his frame, the height and the strength, a little tingle went through her body. She looked about for a moment. There didn't seem to be anyone nearby. She couldn't deny that there was some logic to what he was offering.
"Just for today, then," she said finally. "Thank you."
He stepped forward and crouched down in front of her. His hand was on his knee, and she could see how his claws glinted in the sunlight. They were so sharp and pointy. She appreciated that he was keeping his hands in sight and away from her, in case she was worried that they would hurt her.
Taking a deep breath, she gingerly climbed atop his back. She was surprised by how steady he was, how his body didn't budge even in the slightest with her weight. The next thing she noticed was his warmth. Did demon's bodies run at a higher temperature than humans'? But maybe it was just because it warm outside anyway. She didn't know what to do with her hands, so she awkwardly placed them on the back of his shoulders.
"Ready?" he said
"Yes, I think so."
"Stay low."
Remaining crouched, his arms back, he took off running.
The wind rushed into her hair, and she gasped in surprise at his speed. It wasn't too fast that she couldn't still see what was going on in the village, but it was definitely much faster than it would have been even if she'd run at her top speed. She got the sense that he was slowing down considerably for her benefit. His hair was flowing back as well. It was silvery-white and glossy, even brighter in the sun. As it flew near her face, she caught a whiff of his scent. She couldn't really place it, but it smelled... nice. She couldn't explain why, but it was reminiscent of the feeling she got from reliving happy memories. Her heartbeat sped up a little.
"You okay back there?"
"Yeah," she said. His back remained flat enough so that there was plenty of room for her to rest on him. Her feet never touched the ground. "You didn't have to do this."
She could feel him shrug. "No harm done."
"Are your arrows holding on fine?"
"Yes, I've got them."
"What about that beni?"
Kagome blinked. "What about it?" she said hesitantly.
"Just making sure it's safe. It seemed important to you."
She swallowed again. She hadn't banked on him remembering that. "I don't have it with me. I only wear it when I know there's going to be a fight." It was too important for her to bring out every day. She didn't want it to get lost or damaged.
"I get the sense that someone gave it to you. That's kinda how you made it sound, the first time we met."
Kagome shut her eyes and cursed inwardly. Why on earth had she gone and said something like that to a complete stranger! For some reason, being in his presence after he'd just saved her life, seeing him there like that, standing like some otherworldly figure, it had brought it out of her.
"I got it after a fight," she said at last. "It was the test I told you about, the one which determined whether I'd be the Shikon Miko. It was soon after I'd purified all of those demons. It wasn't like it was a reward, or anything. But... it kind of felt like it. The person who gave it to me was... very special."
"I see," he said quietly. He seemed to sense that she didn't want to say any more about it. But, it also seemed like he was satisfied just with what he'd heard, too.
A few hours later, Kagome emerged from the shrine quarters in which the Jewel was held. Keeping the Jewel pure wasn't a difficult task for her, but it was still time-consuming and required a fair bit of patience and energy. Kagome also liked to be meticulous in her duties, so that added some time as well. She was very satisfied with the state of the Jewel so far.
As she left the room, Kaede came into the shrine with a basket of washed robes.
"How does the Shikon no Tama fare?" she asked.
"Very well," Kagome said smiling. "It always responds to my purification powers."
"With abilities of your caliber, I would expect no less," Kaede said, smiling back. "Has the demon departed, child?"
"I think so," Kagome answered. "I don't detect his youki, at least."
"I thought as much," Kaede nodded. "But I wanted to ask ye to make sure of it before I said this." She set down her basket. "Be wary, child. There is some talk among the villagefolk about his presence here."
"I know," Kagome said gravely. "The children were saying things this morning, too. Some of them don't trust him."
"And with good reason. But that isn't all, Kagome." Kaede looked grim now. "A few villagers spotted the two of ye while making your rounds today. They say he had ye on his back."
Kagome swallowed hard. She supposed that this was inevitable. She tried not to berate herself too hard for agreeing to his suggestion. "It was only so that I wouldn't be late to purify the Jewel," she said. "It didn't mean anything else, baa-chan."
"Of course, I know it didn't," Kaede assured her. "But not all of villagefolk know ye as well as I. They see a priestess engaging in closeness with a demon, and grow concerned. You mustn't let any doubt of your intentions enter their hearts, Kagome. Remember, a priestess puts her duties above all else."
Her words crushed her. Kagome wished she could find a way to prove that Kaede and the villagers had nothing to worry about. But how could she, after what they'd seen?
"I understand. I know what my duties are, Kaede baa-chan," she said, trying not to let her voice quiver. "I've dedicated my life to this village. I will never let anything get in the way of that. Ever. I'm the Shikon Miko first and foremost."
Kaede nodded again, seemingly satisfied. "And bear in mind, I know ye don't have much of a choice for now," she added. "Due to the circumstances, we've had to find a way to work with him. He's too powerful for us to fight off without significant casualties. And so long as he does not try to challenge us for the Jewel, it should not be too concerning to allow him to help us protect it. So your decision that day was a fine one for the time being. But, it cannot be a permanent one, Kagome. I hope ye are aware of this, child."
"Yes, I know," she mumbled. She felt a bit uncomfortable discussing Inuyasha so much when he wasn't even around.
"And the villagers shan't tolerate his presence indefinitely, even with us keeping an eye on him. They will worry about him being able to come and go as he pleases. What if he ever tries to go against us? That can not be permitted. So in the meantime, I've thought of a way to protect from that."
"Protect?" Kagome said, her spirits lifting. "How, baa-chan?"
Kaede sat down beside the basket and began folding the robes. "Beads of Subjugation," she answered. "You've learned how to enchant them. I trust that ye could fashion them into a necklace or bracelet of sorts for Inuyasha. Once he puts them on, he will be far easier to control. Should he ever disagree with any of our rulings, ye have only to invoke a word, and he'll have no choice but to obey."
"Oh," Kagome said, wondering why she hadn't already guessed that this was what Kaede would bring up. It seemed like quite an obvious suggestion now. "It's not a bad idea," she said slowly, as she thought it over. "But as far as I know him, I can't see Inuyasha agreeing to something like that."
"Ye needn't tell him, child." The old woman's voice was calm, as though it didn't surprise her that Kagome wouldn't catch on to this immediately.
Kagome's breath caught. "You mean... we do this without his knowledge?" she whispered.
"'Tis for the greater good, Kagome. So long as he does not go against us, it won't hurt him. Why, he may never even have to find out what it's really for."
Kagome swallowed. "Still, it... it seems wrong to do this without his permission. We'd pretty much be tricking him. Or using incantations to force them on. He hasn't given us a reason to... to..."
"And do ye wish to wait until he does?" Kaede demanded, turning to her with an eyebrow raised. "There is no predicting what he may do."
"But up until now, he's been nothing but helpful," Kagome protested. "And, even you acknowledged the other day that he's been making things easier! I thought you were starting to get along. He helped you with the wood today." And he was the only reason I was able to spend any time with Sota, she thought dejectedly, but knew better than to say it.
"It is not about what he does for me, Kagome," Kaede said sternly. "As a priestess, I do not base my decisions on what I feel for him personally. However easier he makes things on us, it can not take precedence over what is best for the village."
Kagome opened her mouth, then closed it. She knew Kaede's words were meant not just for herself, but for Kagome as well. And, though it was unspoken, she knew what else Kaede was implying: that on top of the village, Kagome had the Jewel to prioritize as well.
"You're right," she said at last. "Could I... think about this, please, baa-chan? I just don't want to do anything hasty."
Kaede nodded. "Choose wisely."
Several days later, Kagome was gathering herbs at the Bone-Eater's Well again. Since school was over for the day, some of the children had spotted her, and came over to help. Kagome was happy. The children were so sweet, and it certainly helped that Sota was around again. Inuyasha hadn't been around since the time she'd practiced her archery with them all, and she didn't mind this. Things had been pretty quiet and manageable, and it gave her a chance to think some more about what she ought to do next.
"Lady Kagome, how come you're so pretty?" little Sayo asked, looking up at her in wonder. "I hope I look just like you when I grow up."
Kagone giggled, blushing. "You're pretty just the way you are, Sayo," she reassured her. "When you grow up, you'll be as pretty as anyone." Sayo tittered as well, hiding her face in Kagome's sleeve.
"Nee-chan, do you think you could come home later today?" Sota piped up. "You could see my turtle I told you about. And Mom was saying she wanted to see you, too."
"Well," Kagome said, hopefully, "I don't know about today, Sota. I have to purify the Jewel again, and Kaede-sama needs help at the shrine, too. Then I have to do my evening rounds. But I'll find a way soon, Sota, I'm sure I will." His face fell, but he nodded, looking resigned. Touched, Kagome reached over and patted him on the head. Though it seemed to take some effort, he grinned at her.
"Greetings, Miko-san," came an unfamiliar voice. Kagome looked up to see four men approaching.
"Good afternoon," she said cheerfully, straightening up with the basket. The children, ever mindful of their manners, chirped their greetings as well. "How may I help you?"
"We are travelers," the man furthest in the front said, and she realized he'd been the one who first spoke as well. "We've been set back a bit on our journey, so we thought we would rest here for the night. Do you have any lodgings for us?"
"Yes, of course," Kagome answered. "The shrine always has room for travelers like you. I am the priestess Kagome. If you'll just follow me, I can have you set up for the night."
"Is that so?" said the first man, still smiling pleasantly, but Kagome could have sworn that a fleeting, knowing look passed between him and the other men. "We'd heard word of how the Shikon no Tama was under the protection of one priestess Kagome. Would you happen to be the same miko? It's an honor to be in your presence."
"I wouldn't put it that way," she said politely. "It's an honor to have been chosen for this responsibility." She wasn't too worried that they knew this. When it had first been decided that she would be the one to guard the Shikon Jewel, the monks ruled that they keep it a secret. But they had also added that as time went by, this would be more difficult to conceal. Now that so many months had passed and demons had been coming after the Jewel for a while, it was only to be expected that word would spread. Kagome's only concern was that the village's safety may be compromised soon.
"Still, it must be a daunting task indeed," the man went on. "Perhaps far too great for a single priestess."
"I can assure you, I don't have any concerns or qualms about my ability to do the job," she said measuredly.
"Even so. We're on our way to a very sacred monastery. Why not give us the Jewel? We'll take it off your hands and deliver it to a place where it would be much safer."
"No, I don't think so," Kagome said stiffly, her tone cold now. The children began inching closer to her, murmuring warily. "That's out of the question. In fact, I think it's best that you all be on your way now."
"Come now, priestess," the man said, a hard edge to his voice as he stepped forward. His eyes were steely, and the other men began closing in around them as well. "You can hand it over without making things difficult, or you could do it with some more... pressure. The choice is yours."
"Miko nee-sama," the children whimpered, huddling even closer, clutching onto her clothes.
"Don't worry, kids," Kagome said calmly, even as sweat beaded on her forehead. She set down the basket and picked up her bow. She was already wearing her quiver. But even as she straightened up with it, she felt strange. She'd brought her weapons as protection from demons. It was what priestesses were meant to do. Not a single demon was present here. And yet... she felt the necessity to fight? That was how these men were making her feel.
"You don't want to turn your bow on us," the man said, grinning with his teeth bared. "Trust me. If you hit any one of us, we'd have no shortage of avenues for revenge." And his glittering eyes turned on the children. Kagome swallowed, clenching her bow tighter.
"Back off!" Sota suddenly shouted. He raced to the front of the group so that he was at Kagome's side. "You don't scare us."
"Sota, get back!" Kagome said sharply. She reached out to pull him back by the shoulder, and then gasped when the man snatched her wrist and held it in place.
"That's right, Priestess," he leered. "You don't want any of them to get hurt, do you? Now, be a good girl and take us to the Jewel."
Kagome tried to free her wrist, but his grip was too strong. Her eyes darting, she caught sight of a knife in in the waistband of one of the other men, and her heart sank. They'd come armed. Even if she could find a way to shake off the man who'd seized her, they were prepared to harm even children if it came to it. There was nothing else for it: she needed to scream loud enough for Kaede to know to flee with the Jewel somewhere and hide, at least long enough for Kagome to figure out what to do next. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air.
She was distracted by the sound of rustling. It sounded like something was leaping from branch to branch in the trees. Before anyone knew it, with an almighty thump, Inuyasha had landed in between Kagome and the man. A second later, he'd grasped ahold of the man's forearm.
"Argh!" he yelled, releasing Kagome at once.
"Who're you supposed to be?" Inuyasha growled. "You've got a lotta nerve, comin' in here and threatening a priestess."
"Inuyasha," Kagome gasped, rubbing her wrist. "It's all right. These gentlemen were just leaving." She glared at them from behind his shoulder, willing them to get the message and take off.
"Not so fast," Inuyasha said coolly. He hadn't let go of the man's arm. "What business do you even have here? I heard you talking about the Jewel. No one's stupid enough to buy your story about taking it to a safe place. So what's really going on? Struck up a deal with a demon to get some buck for it, did ya?"
"I don't need to justify myself to a demon," he snarled. "I didn't realize that the so-called Shikon Miko enlisted the aid of such foul creatures," he added, sneering at Kagome. "Not exactly the picture of purity after all, are you, Priestess?"
"Watch your mouth," Kagome said, flushing. She could hear one or two of the children give a sob. They were getting frightened. "Inuyasha, let go of him. They know better than to keep causing trouble now."
"Keh." Inuyasha was still glowering at the man. But, he dropped his arm. Immediately, the attacker turned to his companion.
"Now, Taro!" he barked.
The man behind him leapt in front, brandishing the same knife Kagome had seen in his belt. He must have drawn it when everyone was focused on his leader! Before Kagome could react, he raised the knife above Inuyasha's head and brought it down in an arc as though to stab him. Kagome and the children screamed.
Inuyasha held up his fist. The knife made contact, and instead of breaking his skin, it broke into two pieces, the hilt remaining in the man's hand. The man and the children all made exclamations of shock and awe.
The man staggered backwards, mouth gasping like a fish and eyes bulging out of his sockets in fear. In a flash, Kagome darted in front of Inuyasha.
"How dare you?" she cried, bristling with indignation. "How dare you try to hurt him right in front of-" she swallowed, trying to compose herself before she said anything eyebrow-raising. "In front of children!" she finished. "You didn't even think about how they'd feel to see someone killed?" She didn't even care that Inuyasha wasn't hurt. How could any human attack someone, demon or not, who'd already shown them mercy and let them go? It was unconscionable to her.
"Leave," she said, her voice shaking. "You're not welcome here, and never will be. And don't ever let me catch you back in this village again."
"Nee-chan, it's okay." Sota had reappeared at her side, clinging to her sleeve, his face dazed. "We're fine." He glanced at Inuyasha for a moment, and there was no mistaking the newfound admiration in his eyes.
The man with the broken knife was already on the ground. Their leader yanked him to his feet by the arm. As they prepared to run off, he threw a scathing look back at them all.
Inuyasha stood behind Kagome and in front of the children with his arms folded, staring them down with a withering look. Kagome's hands were balled into fists, her expression blazing. Sota was still tugging on her sleeve.
"Let's go, Nee-chan," he said, glaring at the men. "C'mon. Let's get this basket back to the shrine."
The man's eyes lingered at the scene. over all the people's faces. An ugly smirk crossing his features, he and his companions fled.
Kagome watched after them, her face white. Only when they were out of sight, she knelt down and carefully picked up the piece of the knife that had broken off. It was split cleanly in two. She wrapped it up in part of her sleeve, straightening up to look at the rest of them behind her.
"Inuyasha, are you all right?" she asked.
"I was never in trouble to begin with." He was watching her intently. Strangely, he didn't seem at all fazed by what had just transpired. His only expression was that of concern. "What about you? Your hand-"
She shrugged. "It doesn't even hurt." The real issue was that she was shaken up. Of all the things she'd been instructed to protect the village from, instructed to keep the Jewel safe from, this hadn't been among them.
"You haven't said much since we set off."
They were doing the rounds again, and it was the first time he'd accompanied her since the time he'd given her a ride on his back. It was evening, and the sun had almost set. The sky was painted coral, darkening into violet as the minutes went by.
Kagome sighed. "I'm just thinking about what happened. I can't get it out of my mind."
"Don't blame ya. It was a close call."
She swallowed. "It was. Thanks for showing up when you did. I'm sorry it came to that."
"What're you apologizing for?"
But Kagome couldn't answer this. Try as she might, she couldn't help but feel aggravated by the fact that she'd needed Inuyasha's intervention at all. What if he hadn't been there? Would the children have been hurt? Would the men have actually succeeded in stealing the Jewel? She was the one who was there to make sure none of that had happened. So why hadn't she...?
"Oh, nothing," she said at last, trying to remain cheerful. "The children were just really glad you came to help. I think even Chiaki was grateful. My brother thanked you, too."
"Only because you told him to," Inuyasha snickered. "Kid idolizes you."
Even as pride rushed to her heart, Kagome laughed a little forlornly. "I don't think I'm the only one he idolizes anymore. I'm sure you saw his face after what you did today. He couldn't stop staring at how cool you were. He's got a new hero for sure."
"You think I was cool?"
Kagome turned to look at him quizzically. His expression, looking initially hopeful, immediately changed to contrite.
"Uh, I mean, it was no biggie," he said casually. "Don't worry about it."
Kagome continued walking. After the incident, she'd reported everything to Kaede in detail. They agreed to inform the village elders and headmen about it, so that the men's descriptions could be circulated. Everyone was in agreement that they could not be allowed back into the village. Kagome only hoped that they'd never have to deal with such an incident with anyone else again.
"Hey," Inuyasha's voice jolted her from her thoughts. "Been thinkin.' Those guys came here for a reason. If they really want the Jewel as bad as I think they do, they'll probably be back."
Kagome sighed. "I know, I've been thinking about that too. But at least this time we'll know to drive them out."
Humans couldn't use the Jewel the way demons could. They didn't have any supernatural abilities for it amplify. Inuyasha had theorized that the men had intended to steal and sell it for a large sum of money, potentially to demons that they were in cahoots with.
Which is another thing that makes no sense to me, Kagome thought despairingly. Humans, teaming up with demons to do something that would harm their own kind? In that case, was there anything the Jewel was safe from at this point?
"That's what I wanted to talk about," he said in a measured voice. "What if we skip doing that? What if we made it so that they wouldn't come back at all?"
"What do you mean?"
"They couldn't have gone too far just yet. In fact, their scent is still strong enough that I can pick it up and find wherever they're hiding. What do ya say I track 'em down and do some persuading?"
Kagome stopped short, and turned to stare at him incredulously.
"What are you talking about? Why would I want you to do that?" she asked.
"They're dangerous. They attacked you. And you saw how they didn't care if the kids were watchin'. They can't be allowed to do it again."
"Even if that's true, that doesn't mean I'm going to approve of you killing them!" Kagome said, her voice still incredulous.
"Who said anything about that? I don't have to kill them. I just meant I'd rough 'em up a bit."
"No way!" Kagome said indignantly. "They've already left. They're people. There's no way I'd ever sanction anything like this."
"Why not?" said Inuyasha, sounding amazed now himself.
"Because it's not what a priestess does!" she burst out, now angry that he'd even suggested such a thing, like he'd expected her to just go along with it. "We are guardians. We help people. And protect them. We don't just go around being vengeful and attacking them-"
"After what they did, though?" he said, his golden eyes flashing. "Do they even really deserve mercy? They're clearly a threat."
"Even so, I've already done what I had to do," she said firmly. "I've given them fair warning, and if they come back again, we'll be ready for them. I'm not going to allow anyone to punish them before they've even done anything to deserve it."
"Before they've done anything to-what about that punk who grabbed you?" Inuyasha snapped, pointing to her wrist. "If I hadn't come, what d'you think woulda happened?" He was starting to look angry now too. She could see that his fangs were bared as he frowned at her.
Kagome bristled. "Whether you showed up or not, I'd have found a solution in the end," she said resolutely. "It was your choice to step in. I'm grateful for your help, but you don't call the shots here, remember?"
"Oh, c'mon!" he said, sounding frustrated. "Just because you're a miko doesn't mean you need to bend over backwards for people who are just gonna use you or hurt you! You don't have to be so cowardly."
He had touched a nerve.
"What'd you say?" she said shrilly. "I'll have you know, I've been protecting this village from attacks and purifying the Jewel for over half a year now. Nothing you've done changes any of that! I'm more than capable of what I've been tasked to do. And there's no way I'm just going to let a demon come in here and go against me and my authority, just so he can hurt people!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Kagome regretted them. Her hand flew to her mouth involuntarily. She saw the flash of shock, then hurt, then grim resignation that crossed Inuyasha's face in rapid succession.
"Demon, huh?" he said quietly. His eyes roved over her face, as though letting this sink in. He gave a humorless laugh. "Know what's funny? If it was a bunch of demons who'd shown up and done exactly what those men did, you wouldn't have hesitated to kill them. I'll bet you'd even have hunted them down and ended them by now."
She looked away. How could she make him understand? "It's not the same thing," she said softly. "My duties... that's what's required of me. I can't..." Her voice trailed off as Inuyasha carried on looking at her stoically.
Minutes passed, and there was only silence between them.
"Well," he said at last, "since you don't need a foul demon like myself tellin' you what to do around here, I'm sure you won't need one's help, either."
Kagome felt a pang of guilt at his words. With one last look of disappointment, Inuyasha turned and sped away, turning into a disappearing red flash in the distance within seconds.
Don't be mad at me! It was bound to happen sooner or later :) Here's hoping I can update fast enough that they won't be at odds for long :P
Also, this may be obvious already, but I want to note that while I envision Inuyasha and Kagome's personalities to be very much in line with the canon, they behave a bit differently because they are both older. Kagome is 18 (closer to 19 now) while Inuyasha is roughly in his early 20s or the hanyo equivalent (~22-24 is the range I'm thinking of). This is how I believe Inuyasha would have acted from the beginning in the series had he not been the equivalent of a teenager. Though he's much more mature, assertive and straightforward (though he's always been straightforward tbh), he's still Inuyasha and is going to have moments of weakness and even sweetness/softness. He also isn't blunt to the point of being cutting and rude lol. I hope this comes through!
As before, reviews are most welcome, and I'm happy to answer any questions as long as they aren't spoilers. See you all with the next update, hopefully soon!