1st book of Alpha Pack Mates
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.
Summary: It matters not if you are youkai or ningen, if you're male or female, young or old, weak or strong, no it matters not in the end. All that matters is who is Alpha and who isn't. Brothers fighting for dominance, mikos fighting for control, who will end on top, who will have to submit? What's an Inu pack to do when there are far too many Alphas?
Pairings: Inuyasha/Kikyou, Sango/Miroku, slight Sesshoumaru/Kagome.
Follows: The Anime and movies.
"spoken" 'thought' (translations)
Winners for round two are Nami James for fan fiction and Catherine for a single spark with the answer of Fruit Basket. Gratz you two and this chapter is dedicated to you :)
Next round: Obit This one should be a bit harder, good luck all.
AN: This is an extra chapter that I didn't originally plan on writing but decided I wanted to add a little Halloween fun :) Yes I realize it is a bit late, but I wasn't able to finish it in time.
Edited 2/14/08
"Onee-san?" Souta began as he sat down next to me while I was starting breakfast early the next morning. I glanced up at him with a smile, letting him know to continue. "What are we going to do about Halloween? It's coming up in a couple of weeks and you always take me trick-or-treating."
Truthfully I had completely forgotten the holiday was even coming up, hard to keep with the passing months here, especially with everything that's been going on lately. "Well I can't take you back for that, even with a costume it's too dangerous and I won't put you in any danger." I told him and wanted to cry when I saw his down cast look.
Racking my brain I quickly came up with a nice alternative. "But if I can get Inuyasha to agree to it, we can have a party here. I think it would be great for the other kids as well." I decided and had to smile at him when he grinned up at me. "Let me talk to Inuyasha okay?"
With his nod, I turned back to working on the meal which was almost finished. "Breakfast!" I called to everyone once it was done and started passing out plates. "Anija-chan after breakfast can I talk to you?" I inquired looking up at him with my best smile.
"Sure imouto-chan." he replied with a shrug in between bites of food. I turned my attention back to my plate and quickly finished it off knowing Inuyasha would eat quickly. Once we were finished, I gave Souta dish duty and began leading Inuyasha out of the camp. "So what's up?" he questioned as I turned back to him when we were far enough away.
"Okay let me finish before you answer okay?" I began and waited for his nod before continuing. "In a couple of weeks it's Halloween, a holiday from back in my time. Normally I would take Souta trick-or-treating, in other words we would go door to door and he would get lots of candy. Well this obviously would not work now, but I was thinking of bringing Halloween here to us. But instead of going around for candy, we can have a party. I think it would be great for the kids and would give the adults a break too."
"What would you need to do?" he inquired when I took a pause to breath. Well good news was he didn't say no right away.
"You and I would have to go back, we should only be on the other side for a few hours. We can get everything we need in one trip. And we can have the others wait outside the village for us."
"We wait for Sango and Miroku to get back." Inuyasha decided after a moment.
"Of course, I'm not about to leave Souta and Shippo without anyone they know and trust to guard them. Thank you anija-chan." I told him with a huge smile as I pulled him into a hug.
"Yeah, yeah now enough of the sappy stuff." he replied but didn't bother to pull back from the hug. Shaking my head with a smile, I gave him one last squeeze before letting go and stepping back. With a nod, he turned and started back toward camp with me following.
When had almost reached the camp when my senses started to tingle. "Incoming shard Inuyasha!" I called out to him and I began running toward camp, as that was the direction the shard was coming from. When I reached the camp site, I ignored the looks everyone was giving me and ran to grab my bow and arrows off of the ground. "Kids get behind me!" I called out and they quickly moved to do as I bid.
Just as Inuyasha came into sight, with his sword out and transformed, the youkai crashed through the tree line right in front of Sesshoumaru. As he prepared himself for the attack, Inuyasha jumped and landed in front of him, blocking the attack from the youkai.
As I notched my first arrow, I gave the youkai a once over to find where he was hiding the jewel shard. Judging by the fact that he didn't look like an animal but instead as if he was made out of fire, I would have to say he was a elemental youkai.
"Where is it?" Inuyasha called over his shoulder to me.
"Give me a sec, the flames are making it hard to see." I informed him as I looked over the youkai again. "Forehead Inuyasha!" I called out once I finally spotted the tainted glow of the shard. Oddly the youkai was paying more attention to Sesshoumaru than he was me, and I had the shards. I began to wonder if this was one of Sesshoumaru's enemies we were worried about attacking.
"How pathetic the great Lord Sesshoumaru needs a filthy hanyou to protect him." the youkai mocked as his entire body shook with laughter.
"He doesn't need me to protect him, you're just not worth his time." Inuyasha shot back with a smirk as he swung at the youkai.
I watched as Sesshoumaru kept trying to move around Inuyasha so he could attack the youkai as well, but every time he moved Inuyasha moved so he remained in front of him. Had we not been in the middle of a fight, I would have laughed at the scene they were making.
"Move out of the way hanyou, I will be the one to kill the great Lord and become feared by all for my strength!" the youkai insisted, sounding very much like his own cheer leader. I rolled my eyes at him, not that he could see, and turned to make sure the kids behind me were okay.
Glancing over to Kikyou, I noticed that not only did she have a arrow ready, but she was moving around the youkai, so if she shot, she wouldn't hit the brothers in the process.
Giving her a nod and smile, I turned back to the inus in front of me. Their little dance was still going on as the youkai continued to taunt them. That was of course his mistake, as it gave Kikyou enough time to move into position.
"Hey ugly!" I called out just as Kikyou was ready and watched as the unsuspecting youkai turned toward me to growl. I merely grinned at him as I watched Kikyou pull back her arrow and let it fly. It struck him in the gut and quickly purified him. Walking over, I reached down and grabbed the shard after shouldering my bow and placing the arrow back in my quiver.
"This Sesshoumaru does not need you to defend me." Sesshoumaru told Inuyasha coldly catching our attention.
"Who said ya did?" Inuyasha shot back looking over at him. "It had nothing to do with you needing my help or not. I don't like assholes who think they can wait until someone is weaker to attack them. Besides you didn't do that great of a job last time without a sword."
Sesshoumaru's response was to growl at him. He really should stop doing that, it sounds more funny than threatening while he's human. "Look anija. It's my job to protect the group, which you happen to be a part of right now, whether you needed it or not I was just doing my job." Inuyasha insisted with a sigh.
Kikyou watched as the others interacted after the battle. Inuyasha moved to sit beside her after she had sat down resting against a tree. Kagome got out some kind of writing toys for the children and sat down next to the fire to watch them. Soon after she was joined by Sesshoumaru.
'He's my biggest problem.' Kikyou decided as she watched the two start up a conversation, too softly for her to hear their words. She knew she had Inuyasha wrapped around her finger, no matter how much he tried to deny it and she could handle the others easily enough. But if the one time taiyoukai regained his demon blood, she knew he would cause a problem.
'I have to get him out of the group before that happens if I want Inuyasha to remain with me. I should be leading, not that pathetic excuse for a copy.' Kikyou thought bitterly to herself tuning out whatever Inuyasha was trying to tell her.
"Kikyou you in there?" Inuyasha wondered waving his hand in front of her face to try and get her attention since she had missed him calling her name three times.
"What Inuyasha?" Kikyou inquired as she turned to glance at him.
"Why are you staring at Kagome and Sesshoumaru?" he wondered.
"I don't trust him." Kikyou replied before standing and heading out of camp.
"Everything okay Inuyasha?" Kagome wondered when she noticed the undead miko leaving camp.
"No idea." Inuyasha replied with a shrug as he stood and made his way over to them. "So what are you two talking about?"
"I was explaining to Lord Sesshoumaru how crayons were made." Kagome told him with a smile and at his confused look, began explaining the process again, thankful she had been taken on a crayon factor tour back in grade school.
"Shippo want to gather some more firewood with me?" I inquired with a smile when I noticed that our pile was starting to dwindle down. After his nod, he jumped on my shoulder and I turned toward Souta, who was still busy playing with Rin and Kohaku. "We'll be back in a few minutes."
He waved his hand in a 'yeah, yeah' gesture and with a laugh I turned and started out of camp. As I reached the tree line, I passed Kikyou coming back and gave her a nod of greeting. She of course ignored me.
I shrugged it off and began gathering sticks and small logs as I headed farther into the forest surrounding the camp. "You should not trust her." a voice called out from behind me a few minutes later, causing me to jump.
"Stop doing that Lord Sesshoumaru." I hissed over my shoulder as I tried to calm down my rapidly beating heart. "And I don't, she's only getting a chance for Inuyasha's sake." I told him as I turned around to him with a smile.
"Why?" he wondered after a few moments of silence, and by the look of his face, I could tell he was really confused and not just mocking me.
"Because Lord Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha has done far more for me and the group, than we can ever repay him for. Countless time he has saved our lives, rescued us when we have been kidnapped, taken hits for us that would kill a lesser man and truthfully this is the first thing he has ever really asked for. How could we not?" I questioned rhetorically as I turned and started back toward camp now that we had enough wood to last for a while.
Kikyou waited until Kagome and the others were out of sight before turning toward Inuyasha. "I still don't understand why my stupid copy is the leader when it should be me." she complained ignoring the gasps from the kids that were still in camp.
Before Inuyasha had a chance to answer, however, Jaken spoke up. "Keep quiet stupid wench. No one cares for the option of the undead." Jaken spat at her with a huff. Ah-Un nodded their heads in silent agreement before turning back to the patch of grass they had been eating a moment before.
"Shut up you ugly toad." Kikyou hissed as she turned to glare at him. His legs began to shake a little under the weight of her gaze, but he held his ground.
"No you shut up undead wench. Miko-san is far better a leader than you could ever hope to be. I may not understand why she is giving someone as unworthy as you a chance, but it just goes to show how much better of a person than you she is." he insisted gaining nods this time from the children.
Kikyou ignored them and turned back to Inuyasha. "Oh yeah great leader." Kikyou mocked with a dark laugh. "What great leader brings a dangerous enemy into the camp, endangering not only herself but children as well?"
"Kikyou don't start this up again." Inuyasha pleaded shaking his head at the seething miko.
"Yes Kikyou don't start this up again." I agreed as I walked back into the camp, having heard a good deal of the conversation on the way. "Whether you like it or not, this is my pack and I would die before I knowingly endangered a single one of them. Lord Sesshoumaru is not a danger, but you are quickly becoming one. End this game of trying to turn Inuyasha against me, or you will be gone. Don't make me tell you again." I warned and moved past as I walked over to the fire and set the wood we had collected down on top of the others. 'Boy did I just sound like my mother.' I complained to myself with a sigh.
"Don't give me that look Kikyou. I already told you I wasn't going to side with you on this. I do what is best for the pack and that's Kagome." I heard Inuyasha behind me telling her. Turning, I watched as she stomped off into the forest.
Glancing over at Inuyasha, I saw him turn down cast before turning to gaze after her retreating back. "Don't worry anija-chan, I'm sure she'll come around." I assured him with a smile, even though I truly believe the chances of that were slim to none. But for his sake, I hoped I was wrong.
"Why don't I make some ramen for lunch today?" I suggested hoping the thought of his favorite food might cheer him up a bit. He gave me a slight smirk and nodded his head as he turned back to me.
"Wow that was quick." I greeted with a smile as Sango and Miroku arrived back at camp much sooner than we were expecting them. In fact I had just started making dinner. Kikyou had rejoined us just a few minutes before and had not spoken to anyone, including Inuyasha.
"I had one already started so only had to finish it." Sango explained with a smile as she demounted and walked over to Sesshoumaru. "Here you go Lord Sesshoumaru." she said with a smile as she held out a cloth covered sword to him. He gave her a slight nod of thanks. "You're welcome." she told him, not letting his small response bother her and walked over to sit down next to me.
"You two run into any problems?" Inuyasha inquired as he joined us, sitting next to me as Miroku sat next to Sango.
"One youkai showed up, but he was easy enough to deal with." Sango told us, a slight blush to her cheeks. 'Odd why would she blush because of a youkai?' I wondered until I noticed her shy glance to Miroku. 'Ah it wasn't the youkai but the houshi that caused it.' I realized with a smile. I would have to ask her about that later.
"Okay everyone, if you could be one thing, that you aren't already, what would you be? Shippo you first." I decided looking over at him with a smile.
"A warrior." Shippo replied with a grin after thinking for a moment.
"Warrior for Shippo got it." I said with a smile as I got out a notepad from my bag and wrote it down. "Rin?"
"A fairy." she replied with a toothy grin.
"Souta?"
"Cowboy." he replied with a smirk. I could tell he at least knew what I was doing.
"Kohaku?"
"A houshi." Kohaku replied after thinking for a moment.
"Sango?" I inquired glancing up at my 'sister'.
"A miko." she replied smiling at me. 'Well that one will be easy.' I thought with a smirk as I wrote it down.
"Miroku?"
"I would have to agree with Shippo, I would like to be a warrior. But what is this all about Lady Kagome?"
"All in good time." I promised as I smiled at him before turning toward Kikyou. "Kikyou?"
For a moment she looked like she was ignoring me, but she must have been thinking since she finally spoke up. "An empress."
Giving her a quick nod and a smile I wrote her answer down and turned toward Inuyasha. "Inuyasha?" I thought about it for a moment and continued, "And don't say full demon please." He shot me a dirty look as a few of the others chuckled behind their hands.
"I don't know." he replied with a shrug after a moment.
"Okay well you can figure it out while helping me." I assured him with a smile as I turned toward Jaken. "What about you Jaken?"
"I would like to be a cat miko-san." he replied after thinking for a moment.
'A cat?' I wondered to myself, thinking it was a bit odd since cats and dogs don't get along. "A cat it is." I answered after a moment. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"
He sent me a look as if I was crazy for just asking, and I smiled at him in reply. "This Sesshoumaru does not know." he replied after a moment when he realized I wasn't going to drop it.
"That's okay I have an idea for you." I told him with a smirk.
"An-Un wants to be a butterfly." Rin told me, sounding quite sure of this. I glanced over to the two headed dragon, which seemed to be ignoring the rest of us, and wondered if the dragon was even female.
Deciding it didn't matter, I turned back to Rin and gave her a smile as I wrote it down. "Guess you might as well put mouse down for Kirara." Sango decided after a moment.
"Mouse huh? Okay." I replied with a laugh as I wrote that down as well. "Okay now does anyone have any money? I need just one of the smallest coins you have." I told them as I looked up from my notepad.
"I have some Lady Kagome." Miroku told me as he pulled some out of a hidden pocket in his robe and handed it to me.
"You don't really expect to buy all of this with that little amount do you?" Kikyou inquired, looking at me like I just said that people would be able to one day fly without wings.
"Yes I do." I replied with a secretive smile.
"You're not going to do what I think you are, are you?" Souta wondered drawing my attention to him.
"Probably. How do you think mom paid for all the supplies, not to mention ramen that we go through." I answered with a laugh.
"Are you going to tell us what this is all about miko-san?" Jaken wondered after a moment.
"Nope it is a surprise." I told him with a wink as I put my notepad back into my backpack and began dishing up dinner, now that it was ready. "We're going to head back toward Inuyasha's forest so I can head home for a little bit. With all the shards that we have found, and everything that's come up, we haven't made it too far away anyways. With the pace we are going, and any problems that might arise on the way, we should make it back just in time for my surprise." I told them with a smile.
As the sun rose the next morning our group was making breakfast and soon heading out back towards the well. Inuyasha and Kikyou were leading our group and were having a heated discussion about something, but whatever the topic was I remained unaware as I could not hear what they were saying.
Behind them were Miroku and Sesshoumaru, who both seemed to want to avoid conversation with each other and those around them. Sesshoumaru I could understand, but wasn't sure why Miroku wasn't talking to anyone, unless it was simply because with Inuyasha busy and his walking partner being who it was, he may just not have had anyone to talk to.
At breakfast when I told Sesshoumaru he was well enough to walk, he had given me a look that was a cross behind wanting to kill me for telling him what he could and could not do and relief of being able to get part way back to normal. Like always, I choose to ignore the look.
Next in line was Souta and Kohaku, carrying Shippo and Kirara respectfully, and from the small bits of conversation I could catch, the seemed to be talking about different sports. Souta was explaining soccer while Kohaku told him about another game played with a ball. By the sounds of it, it was probably some kind of older version of soccer.
Dragging along behind them was Jaken pulling Ah-Un's reigns. I kind of felt sorry for the little toad, the two headed dragon did not seem to want to listen to him and more than once, he found himself on his butt when the dragon decided to out right stop.
Sango and I pulled up the rear with Rin, who had decided when we set off that she wanted to walk with the girls. Can't blame her really, every girl needs a bit of girl time now and then. The quiet was really starting to get to me and I decided it was time to find out what the blush had been about the night before.
"So Sango-chan, what really happened on that trip?" I inquired quietly so Inuyasha wouldn't be able to hear. Rin turned toward Sango too, seems she wanted to know the answer as well, or at least was happy to have a conversation going. The one thing I've noticed about the girl more than anything, was she was like me, couldn't stand the quiet.
"I don't know what you mean Kagome-chan." Sango replied looking anywhere but at me. She really needed to learn she was about as good a liar as I was, which wasn't very good.
"So you normally blush when you talk about a demon attack?" I questioned giving her a look that clearly stated I didn't buy it.
She seemed to glance around trying to find an exit and when she found none, she turned back to me and sighed. "He kissed me." Sango whispered back to me so only me and Rin could hear her.
"Please tell me you're talking about a certain houshi and not the youkai." I replied with a chuckle.
"Of course the houshi. Had it been the youkai, my cheeks would have been red for an entirely different reason." Sango hissed back at me, any venom meant to come out in her words was ineffective by the large smile on her face.
"Okay so give me all the juicy details." I pleaded with a puppy dog expression, knowing she would not be able to say no to it.
"Not really much to tell. The youkai attacked and just as Hiraikotsu was about to come back and kill him, he sent a cart flying toward us and Miroku pushed me out of the way. Well Hiraikotsu finished off the youkai and Miroku landed on top of me and before he stood up he kissed me." Sango recounted with a far off look in her eyes and a goofy grin on her face.
"Well what kind of kiss? Long and passionate? Slow and sweet? What?"
"It was just a peck Kagome-chan." Sango insisted blushing clear up to her roots. After that we lapsed back into silence for a few minutes before it started to get to me again.
"Who wants to play a game?" I suggested loud enough for the whole group to hear me.
"How about I spy?" Souta suggested turning back to me with a smile.
"Perfect." I agreed. "Here's how you play. Who's ever turn it is finds something around us and tells us what color it is and the rest have to guess. Souta since you picked the game why don't you go first."
"Okay. I spy with my little eye something the color red." Souta decided after thinking for a moment.
"Inuyasha's fire rat armor?" I guessed since it was the reddest thing around.
"Nope." Souta replied shaking his head.
"The red part of Lord Sesshoumaru's haori?" Rin suggested with a toothy grin.
"Correct. Your turn Rin." Souta told her glancing back at her with a smile.
"I spy with my eye something green!" Rin cheered after a moment. 'Not bad she only missed a few words on her first try.'
"The trees?" Shippo suggested and received a shake of her head as an answer.
"The grass?" Kohaku guessed he too received a head shake.
"Jaken?" I deducted seeing as there weren't too many green things left around us.
"Yep it's Master Jaken!" Rin cheered with a large grin, ignoring the look the toad shot back at her.
"I spy with my little eye something the color..." I began as I looked around to find something a little harder than a part of our group. Before I had the chance to find something, however, I felt the presence of a shard. "Shard!" I called out to make sure Inuyasha could hear me.
"Shard is not a color wench!" he shot back without thinking. I wasn't sure if I wanted to hit him for calling me wench or roll on the ground laughing at him.
"No Inuyasha incoming shard!" I yelled back at him and pointed in the direction it was coming from when he stopped and turned back to me. Without having to tell them, the kids moved behind me, boxing Rin in the middle of us as the others readied their weapons for the fight.
Since we were pretty much in a clear field at the moment, we could see the youkai a while before it got to us. Glancing it over, I couldn't for the life of me figure out what kind of youkai it was supposed to be. It looked like it belonged in a B rated horror flick. Something along the lines of swamp monster or maybe tar monster would better describe it than a youkai.
It was huge, standing at least ten feet tall and covered in what looked, and smelled, like swamp moss. And instead of walking on legs, it seemed more to glide along the ground. Well whatever the thing was, I was happy that I didn't have to be as close to it as the others, if it was this bad from back here, well I really felt sorry for Inuyasha.
I gave Jaken a nod when he came to stand next to me with his Nintojo (staff of two heads) ready to go and notched an arrow back in my bow. It seemed this youkai was one of the ones after the shards rather than Sesshoumaru as he kept trying to move around the others and get to me.
"Shards I want shards!" he hissed at us. Yeah this just kept getting more and more like a B rated movie. Just change what he said to 'brains I want brains!' and there you go.
This was about the time I realized I still hadn't told Inuyasha where the shard was. I really need to start paying more attention. Glancing over the 'youkai' again, I quickly spotted it in his stomach. "In his stomach Inuyasha!" I called out to him and a slight grunt was his only reply.
Really, he could sit there and taunt a youkai he was fighting until the cows came home, but couldn't be bothered with saying thank you? Shaking my head at ungrateful hanyou, I glanced around the battle field to see how the others were doing.
Miroku and Sango were off to one side, ready to fight, but unable to attack since they would probably hit one of inu brothers if they did. Kikyou seemed to be in the same spot, on the other side of the youkai, waiting with an arrow notched.
The battle seemed to be just going back and forth between the two brothers. Inuyasha would swing and then Sesshoumaru would. The youkai attacked one inu and then the other. Rinse and repeat as many times as needed...um yeah sorry about that. Whatever happened to the exciting battles that had us all working our butts off to win? I know we have gotten better but why is it only the weak youkai seem to be coming after the shards this time around?
Did perhaps us and 'him' get rid of all the power hungry powerful youkai last time around? And why didn't that sound like a good thing? Probably because one of things I hate is boredom. And I think it's safe to say you're bored when you start thinking things you read on shampoo bottles in the middle of a battle.
After the battle had lasted for over five minutes, and I could tell Inuyasha was just toying with the thing, I decided I had, had enough. Making sure no one was in the path of my shot, I pulled my bow string taunt and let the arrow fly, purifying the youkai as soon as it made contact with it's stomach.
"Oi (hey) what was that for wench?!" Inuyasha demanded as he sheathed his sword and turned back to me as I was shouldering my bow and walking over to collect the tainted shard.
"You were just playing with the youkai and the smell was really getting to me." I informed him as I reached down and plucked the shard from what was left of the youkai.
"You could have hit me." he complained with a pout as he hid his hands inside his haori sleeves.
"My arrow came no where near close to hitting you so stop whining Inuyasha." I chastised as I turned and moved back to where the kids where while adding the newest shard to the others. "Besides aren't you always the one complaining when we take too long, and I know you could have defeated that youkai in about two seconds." I shot back as I turned to glance at him over my shoulder.
He decided a huff was in order before walking out to the front of the group as everyone took up their previous positions and started out of the clearing. "It's still you're turn Kagome-chan." Rin reminded me with a toothy grin a moment later.
"That's right it is. Alright. I spy with my little eye something the color purple." I told them, figuring it would take everyone a while to guess Miroku's eyes. However, Sango proved me wrong.
"Houshi-sama's eyes?" she guessed with a slight blush.
"Correct, your turn Sango-chan." I replied with a smile as I saw Miroku turn back to grin at her and her blush deepen.
"Hey Lord Sesshoumaru?" I began after we had been walking for a few hours, and the plenty of quiet time had given me a chance to think on my theory some more, since well I had nothing else to do really.
He glanced back over his shoulder, catching my chocolate eyes with his own violet, but made no other reply. Seriously the guy needed to learn how to answer verbally rather than just facially.
"I was wondering something about my theory." I started again and quickly realized I had everyone's attention as well. "Well if it is your beast form that is in control, how come when you transform your eyes bleed red?" During my thinking time I had thought back on our conversation the other day and realized I had left one string untied.
"When this Sesshoumaru's eyes bleed red it is partly due to anger, since that is normally the reason for transforming, and the energy required to transform." Once again he explained as little as he could. Maybe he had something against talking.
"Can you explain a little more Lord Sesshoumaru?" I inquired with a bright smile. 'Hey it normally worked on Inuyasha, might as well try it on the normally taiyoukai right?'
"Why it does not take much energy to be in either form, the transformation itself requires a great deal. Normally the transformation is fueled by anger and so this Sesshoumaru's body expels large amounts of both energy and anger to began and complete the transformation. This causes the eyes to bleed red as well as just when I am angry." he explained as he continued to look ahead.
"Okay so the bleeding eyes have nothing really to do with the transformation, just that anger is the spark as well as when you get pissed off in a battle." I concluded gaining a slight nod from him.
"Hai, it, however, has nothing to do with this Sesshoumaru's male or beast side, as you like to call them."
"Interesting." I decided as I allowed my mind to go back to thinking about my theory and once again ignored the passing trees and landscape around me.
The next week and a half or so passed without any interruptions. No shards came within my sensing range, no rogue demons tried to attack Sesshoumaru or me for the shards, not even a fight with Kikyou. But that was probably because she was barely even talking to Inuyasha and was gone most of the time we were camping.
The air began to grow colder even earlier in the day than the last few weeks had and I knew soon we would need to get out our winter jackets. Thankfully we were almost to the village since we had stored them in Kaede's hut.
Glancing around at all of the leaves that had already made their way to the ground, and the few remaining on the trees, it looked like it was going to be an early first snow this year. And I couldn't wait! Okay so hiking around in three feet of snow for hours on end isn't fun, but I think it's worth it to see the miles and miles of white coated trees and fields. Icicles hanging down from the bare branches, sparkling in the rays of the sun.
Cuddling up around the campfire with cups of steaming hot chocolate, brought back from the future of course, and really being able to talk to the rest of the members in the group. Reliving past memories, exploring the differences between now and the future and just talking.
Some of the best conversations with Inuyasha were found sitting there, wrapped up in blankets, steaming mugs in our hands and trying to stay warm via each other's body heat. I've always found, that like his human night, Inuyasha is far more open to talk in the dead of night when everyone is asleep and we are surrounded in white.
Now I knew it wouldn't be quite the same as it had been before since Inuyasha would most likely be curling up with Kikyou, but on the other hand, we added quite a few more members to our band of merry men and who knows, maybe the snow would open up Sesshoumaru as well.
I wasn't expecting miracles or anything, maybe just a story or two from his child hood, what he wanted out of life or maybe just a tell of his adventures in the last few years. Something, anything just to make him seem more...no human isn't the word...real. That's it, to make him seem more real.
Out of everyone I have met here in the past, he is the only one that's always seemed like he was part of a painting I was looking at rather than part of the real world. Even when we were battling with him, he always remained surreal.
Glancing up I noticed we had made it to the clearing by the Bone Eater's Well. 'Finally.' My feet were killing me. Dropping my bag onto the ground, I quickly dug out the paper I had written what they wanted done on and grabbed one of my hooded sweaters.
"Alright go ahead and set up camp here. We should be back by night fall." I told the others as I looked up with a smile. Sango and Miroku headed off in search of fire wood as the kids sat down and started taking out their coloring books.
"Be careful onee-chan." Souta pleaded as he looked over at me with a worried face.
"I will, don't worry." I promised as I walked over and gave him a quick hug before turning and giving Shippo and Rin one as well as they were standing there in silent asking for one.
"Perhaps you should leave the shards here." Kikyou suggested, talking to me for the first time in over a week.
"I need them, besides no sense in giving demons more reason to attack when two of our fighters are away." I explained to her with a smile, trying to let her know that it wasn't her that was the reason for me not leaving them. If the look she was giving me was any indication, she didn't believe me.
"Let's go." Inuyasha insisted as he turned and started toward the well. Giving everyone one last smile, I jogged to catch up with him and within moments we had jumped into the old well, its blue power surrounding us and transporting us 500 years into the future.
"Where did they go?" Sesshoumaru demanded after the light faded, taking with it his half-brother and the miko.
"About 500 years into the future." Souta informed him off hand as he turned and headed over to the others kids to join them in coloring.
Sesshoumaru raised an elegant eyebrow at him, wishing he had been a demon at that moment so he could tell if the boy way lying. He didn't seem to be and truthfully had no reason to, but a time portal in an old dry well? Sesshoumaru had no plans of buying that one.
Deciding he would question them about it when they returned, Sesshoumaru headed over to sit at the base of a near by tree where he could keep an eye on Rin. Glancing up, he spotted the houshi and taijiya heading back into the clearing with arms full of wood. Turning his gaze toward the sky, he decided to watch the passing clouds as they would be more entertaining to watch than the ningen, at least in his option.
Spotting a movement off to the side, he glanced over to find the undead miko making her way out of the clearing toward the village nearby. Not caring where she was heading, he turned his attention back to the sky.
"Master Jaken want to color?" Rin inquired with a toothy grin as she held up a few crayons to him. He gave her a glare that clearly stated his answer and moved to tend to Ah-Un who was grazing nearby. Shrugging, Rin turned back toward the other kids as Souta pulled out some lollipops and began passing them out.
"Give me one sec." I told Inuyasha as I moved to pull the sweater over my head and made sure the hood was covering me. "Okay ready."
He sniffed the air a few times and seemed to find the coast was clear as he wrapped his arms around me and leaped out of the well. Pushing me behind him, he slowly opened the door to the well house and sniffed the air again.
"Climb on." he commanded as he leaned down and complying, I climbed onto his back and wrapped my legs around his waist and arms around his neck. Wrapping his arms under my legs, he gave me a slight squeeze.
"Hold on." he told me a moment before he leaped into the air again and landed on a branch of the God Tree, leaping to the next tree not a moment after he had touched down.
"Okay Inuyasha, head north." I told him pointing in the right direction. He gave me a quick nod and began heading the way I had indicated. We had one stop to make before we could start buying the costumes and I decided it would be best to go to the man's home rather than shop, since he worked here in town and I would be more likely to be spotted here.
"Onee-sama." Kaede greeted without bothering to glance up when she felt her sister's presence entering the small hut. The 'older' miko refrained from speaking as she made her way into the hut to sit against the wall across from her.
"You have sided with my copy as well, haven't you?" Kikyou spat at her sister as she continued to tend the fire as though her undead sibling wasn't sitting across from her and hissing about some imagined betrayal.
"I have sided with neither she nor ye onee-sama. And it will remain thus. Leave it be onee-sama, ye should not try to upset the balance and rather embrace it." the 'younger' miko insisted as she finally raised her eyes from the fire to gaze at her sister.
"What in the name of Kami is so special about that copy?!" Kikyou demanded, not bothering to raise her voice, but instead turning it cold.
"Only that which was special about ye, onee-sama." Kaede replied turning her gaze from her sister to start brewing some tea.
"And you believe it has changed?" Kikyou wondered after a few moments of letting Kaede's words sink in.
"Ye are not what ye were 50 years ago." Kaede replied and watched as her sister stood and exited the hut without looking back.
"That's his home right there." I informed Inuyasha an held on tight as he dropped to the ground.
"So who's this guy anyways?" Inuyasha wondered as I climbed off of his back.
"He's a coin dealer. Okaa-san used him for years. Every time I came back I would give her a coin from the past and she would sell it to him so she could pay for all of the supplies we went through. She told him she had a large collection and would just sale a coin when the bills got too bad." I explained as I raised my hand to knock on the door.
I hated to bug him at home, but his shop was just too close to where Souta would play after school. I had gone to pick him up too many times to chance someone recognizing me.
Glancing over at Inuyasha, I caught him giving me a strange look. "What? Did you think all that ramen grew on trees?" I joked as the door opened up.
"Kagome-chan?" the man questioned in shock as he reached out to hug me, but stopped at Inuyasha's slight growl. I had only met him a few times before when I would go with my okaa-san to sell the coins, but I knew he could be trusted.
"It's okay anija-chan." I assured, whispering the last part so only Inuyasha could hear. "I have one of my okaa-san's coins to sell to you." I explained with a smiled as I turned back to him holding the coin up. He smiled back and gestured for us to enter.
"Where to next?" Inuyasha wondered after placing the money in his haori for safe keeping.
"The mall. It's down that way." I told him pointing before climbing onto his back. Once his hands had secured me in place, he began leaping from tree to tree towards the direction I had pointed to.
"That's the large place that smells and has all of those store things right?" he wondered and I really couldn't blame him for seeing it like that. That many humans packed into one place probably annoyed his sense of smell. Heck that was probably why he stayed so close to me whenever we went to the mall, many demons have told me I smell better than most humans, I guess that counts the ones in this time as well.
Drawing my attention back to our surroundings, I noticed we had arrived and Inuyasha was bending down so I could climb off his back.
Grabbing his hand, I began leading him to the nearest store that sold Halloween costumes. Pulling out my list, I started looking for the ones I needed and once I found them in the right size, I handed them to Inuyasha.
"Kagome-chan?" a voice called out behind me a while later when we had finished and were heading toward the front to pay.
Turning around, I spotted Ayumi standing there with a smile and quickly pulled her behind the nearest costume rack. "Ayumi-chan, how have you been? How's Buyo? What are you doing here?" I whispered quietly to her as I noticed Inuyasha glancing around to make sure no one had heard my name.
"I'm good. I have an internship set up at a nearby animal shelter for this summer. Buyo's doing great, just took him in for a check up and he got updated shots. And I'm here helping my cousin pick out a costume. My Aunt had to go to a conference so I am watching him for a few days. What are you doing here?"
"Getting costumes as well. Can't take Souta trick-or-treating this year so we decided to have a small party instead."
"Ah, hey Kagome-chan, have you heard the news yet?" Ayumi wondered after a moment. I shook my head, kind of hard to hear present day news when you are traveling around 500 years in the past.
"Oh well 'he' got arrested last night. It was in this morning's paper. I have it here somewhere." she told me reaching into her purse. I didn't have to ask to know who 'he' was. "Ah here it is." She handed me the paper looking back up at me with a smile.
"Ayumi-chan!" a young voice called out from somewhere in the store.
"I gotta go Kagome-chan. I'll see you later." she told me with a smile before embracing me in a warm hug.
"Well let's pay for these and get out of here." I decided as I turned back to Inuyasha with a smile after she left and began making my way to the front.
"Let's head to the candy shop next." I decided as we left the store and I began heading deeper into the mall.
"Are you going to tell him imouto-chan?" Inuyasha wondered as we entered the store and I began gathering candies I knew the kids would like.
"Yeah but I think I'll wait until after the holiday. No sense in bringing it up and ruining the mood before hand." I replied sending him a smile as I walked up to the counter with a basket full of goodies.
Back in the Feudal era Rin smiled sheepishly after spotting Souta when she walked back into camp with an arm full of multi-colored flowers. Walking up behind him quietly, she reached one of her small hands up and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
Souta turned and smiled when he saw who it was and was about to ask what she needed when she handed him one of the flower she was hold. "Thank you." he told her with a grin and leaned down to smell the flower to cover his light blush.
Before she lost her nerve, Rin stood on her tippy toes and leaned up to give him a quick peck on the cheek before running off giggling to hide behind Sesshoumaru.
Souta reached up to touch his cheek with his finger tips as his blush grew, but a squawk from behind him startled and caused him to jump.
"You keep your hands off of Rin ningen!" Jaken demanded as he raised the Nintojo (Staff of two heads) above his head and began chasing after him.
Souta, seeing the incoming toad, took off running around the camp in the other direction.
"You sure you wanna go in there?" Inuyasha questioned when we got back to the shrine and I told him I wanted to look for okaa-san's old box of Halloween decorations.
"Yes I'm sure anija-chan. Can't decorate the clearing with out any decorations." I replied with a smile as I let myself in the front door. "Okaa-san kept them in the hall closest, shouldn't take too long to find." I assured him as I closed the door behind us and started making my way to the closet. I figured as long as I didn't look around, I wouldn't be reminded of what had happened here.
Okaa-san always switched them around after each holiday so the next one coming up's box would be on top and easier for jii-chan to find when she sent him after it. This of course made things easier for me as I just had to grab the top box and we were on our way.
"I'm gonna leave the box in the well house that way all I have to do I pop back over and I can get it." I told him as we walked into the well house and I set the box down in one of the dark corners so if anyone looked in here they wouldn't see it.
"Why not just bring it to the other side imouto-chan?" Inuyasha wondered as he wrapped his arm around my waist and jumped into the well with me.
"Just easier than trying to explain it to some stranger if they see it." I explained when we had reached the past and he jumped out of the well still holding onto me.
"Kagome you're back!" Shippo cheered as we walked back into the clearing and soon he was latched into my chest as I smiled down at him.
"Onee-san save me!" Souta yelled laughing as he ran and hid behind me as Jaken stopped to try and catch his breath. I glanced from Souta to Jaken and raised my eyebrows in question.
"That ningen had his filthy hands all over Rin!" Jaken complained, looking very much like a toddler that was throwing a temper tantrum.
"Souta?" I questioned as I turned back toward him. I figured Jaken was exaggerating since I knew Souta better than to believe he would assault Rin.
"I did not. Rin kissed me." Souta replied hotly before blushing when he realized what he had said.
"Rin kissed you?" I questioned with a smile.
"It was just on the cheek onee-san." he mumbled softly and I almost missed it.
"And what happened after Rin kissed him Jaken?"
"What do you mean miko-san? I started chasing him." Jaken replied confused as he finally stopped glaring at Souta to look at me.
"So in other words, Rin kissed Souta and he did nothing? Tell me again why he was in trouble?" I questioned with a smirk when I heard Jaken mumbled something under his breath. "Now Jaken I realize you want to protect Rin, but that doesn't mean you can attack my brother when he hasn't done anything wrong."
"Hai miko-san." Jaken mumbled as he turned and headed toward the other side of the camp where Rin was giggling from behind Sesshoumaru, who continued to look bored with the whole show unless you looked into his eyes. They held mirth within their violet depths.
"What do you say I start dinner?" I questioned as I glanced around at everyone with a smile before heading toward the fire and began getting out everything I would need. "By the way, everyone is going to stay at the village tomorrow so I can get the surprise set up."
Early the next morning, as soon as breakfast was finished I sent everyone besides Inuyasha, Kikyou and myself back to the village, and would have sent her as well but figured Inuyasha would want to spend some time with her. Once everyone was out of range, he jumped into the well and came back a minute later with the Halloween box.
We spent the next few hours hanging streamers, balloons and other decorations that fit along with the Halloween theme. By lunch time we were mostly finished and headed into the village to take a short break, most of which was spent with me refusing to tell the others what the surprise was.
The time between lunch and dinner was spent in the same way and by the time the evening meal rolled around we had finished. I couldn't help but notice that the clearing looked very much like our house did this time of year for as long as I can remember.
After dinner Inuyasha and Kikyou decided to stay in the clearing to make sure no one peeked, well rather he decided to stay and she of course stayed with him, and I crawled into my sleeping bag for some much needed sleep. It, however, didn't last as long as I would have wished and a few hours before the sun had even risen, I was already awake and heading back toward the clearing.
"Imouto-chan what are you doing here?" Inuyasha wondered as he dropped down to the ground next to me and rubbed his eyes.
"Couldn't sleep any longer so gonna stack up some wood for the bonfire." I explained with a smile as I nodded toward the half full pile already in my arms. He gave me a slight nod, before returning to the tree he had no doubt left Kikyou in.
By the time I had finished gathering the wood, I could already see the first rays of the sun appearing on the horizon and decided to head back to the village before they came looking for me. Calling up to Inuyasha, he and Kikyou joined me heading to the village. Walking into the hut I found Sango making tea as four kids rushed toward me.
"Can we see the surprise now?" "What's the surprise?" "Is it time yet?" "Can we, can we, can we?" they asked in unison.
"Just have to have to get dressed and then it will be time." I told them with a smile as I walked over to the bags we had brought back with us and started getting out the costumes. "Okay so warriors for Shippo and Miroku, fairy and butterfly for Rin and Ah-Un, cowboy for Souta, houshi for Kohaku, miko for Sango, empress for Kikyou, sailor for Inuyasha, cat and mouse for Jaken and Kirara and a police officer for Lord Sesshoumaru." I called out as I handed out the costumes to everyone.
Grabbing my own and Kaede's I stood up and turned toward the others. "Girls in the back room, guys out here." I instructed before heading toward the back room. "Here's your's Kaede, hope you don't mind but I picked out a fairy godmother for you."
With a smile from Kaede, we headed into the back and began changing into our costumes. Once I had finished, I got out my makeup kit and started working on Kikyou's and Rin's before doing Jaken's black face paint once the guys were done changing.
'Okay so having two really yummy looking guys in uniforms may not have been my brightest idea.' Boy did those two look well yummy. Shaking myself from these pointless thoughts, I headed outside and added Ah-Un's butterfly wings to his, her?, saddle.
With a smile I lead the others back out into the clearing, quickly noticing Inuyasha had hunted and Kikyou was cooking the meat over an open flame. "Welcome to our Halloween party." I cheered with a grin as I turned back to the others. Walking over to my nearby CD player, I started the Halloween song CD I brought back with me and Monster Mash came on.
With a smile, I lead the others around the clearing, pointing out each game I had set up and how to play it. Sesshoumaru seemed to be the only one disinterested, which I took as a good sign. Hours went by before I had even realized it. The entire time the clearing was filled with children's laughter and squeals of delight.
Around dinner time, the meat that Kikyou had been slowly cooking all day was finished and we all took a place around the bonfire as she and Sango passed out plates to everyone. Once everyone had begun eating, I turned toward Kaede with a smile. "Alright Lady Kaede it is time. Who do you pick for best costume?" I inquired as I pulled the blue ribbon out of my pocket.
It had been a family tradition and I decided to keep it alive, even in the past. "That would be Rin." Kaede replied after a moment smiling at the little girl, who was now grinning from ear to ear. Setting my plate down, I walked over to Rin and pinned the ribbon to her costume with a smile.
Overall it had been a pretty decent Halloween, in fact one of the best we have had in years. Sure we had different players this year, but still we were surrounded by family and that is what counts right?
Later that night, after we had all changed back into our normal clothes and put the children to bed, the adults once again sat around the dimming bonfire, drinking freshly brewed tea.
"So what's your next holiday imouto-chan?" Inuyasha inquired breaking the silence that had settled over the group.
"Next is Christmas. We decorate a large tree and give out presents on Christmas morning." I explained glancing over at him with a smile before a thought popped into my mind.
"I have a great idea. We can do Secret Santa this year." Judging by the looks they were giving me, they wanted me to elaborate. "It's a kind of game. What we do is put everyone's named into a hat or something and each person draws one and whoever they get, they get a gift for that person rather than everyone trying to find gifts for the whole group."
"How long do we have to wait for that?" questioned a sleepy Shippo from behind me.
"Two months. Now go back to sleep." I told him glancing over at him with a smile.
Please R&R, good and bad reviews are welcome, however, I will ignore flames.