InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Best Friends ❯ Where is Saki? ( Chapter 2 )

[ A - All Readers ]

Amber oculars stared out onto the surface of the lake, sensing a strange aura. It was not youkai, and not quite ningen either. Hopping down from his perch, the silver-haired hanyou scurried along the shoreline of the lake. He went on all fours, in which he traveled quickest. The quarter moon's reflection rippled strangely on the glassy surface of the water, distracting him from a figure lying on the sand.

He skidded in the wet sand right before he trampled over it. He jumped a few meters away, low and cautious. His nose sniffed from a distance, and he smelled that strange aroma he smelled in his tree. When he felt more relaxed, he crept forward, and finally kneeled beside it. Brown hair fell from the person's crown, covering the face in wet, wavy tendrils.

Inuyasha pulled the strands aside to reveal a young female face. One that appeared ningen. Thinking quickly, he lowered his ear over her mouth, and felt a breath that tickled his ear, but it was labored and broken. The hanyou figured she had water in her lungs. After all, she was lying on the lower shore, wet, and cold. He placed his hands on her ribcage just below the collarbone, and pushed.

Water spurted from her mouth, and she coughed, afterwards breathing in a breath that filled her lungs. The girl sat up abruptly, her eyes wide and bright. She was trembling, and seemed, for a moment, totally oblivious to the hanyou's presence.

"Are you all right?" Inuyasha asked, leaned in front of her face, so she'd finally see him.

"Eh!?" Kaname cried out, jumping away.

"Relax. I'm not a youkai that eats people," he grunted.

"Youkai...? That's not why I screamed. I wake up and find you leaning over me. You startled me was all," she held up her hand as a sign of apology, and rested her face in her free hand.

"How did you get here?"

"Good question," she sighed, looking through her fingers at him. She just gazed at him for a moment, and finally asked, "Did you save me?"

"Hai, onee-chan," he nodded.

"Arigato," she mumbled, and hid her face again behind her fingers. After a moment, Inuyasha smelled the faint scent of tears, and distant sound of whimpers. Inuyasha sat quietly. What was he supposed to do? He could barely comfort Kagome when she shed tears. Finally, Kaname let her face appear again.

"You... you're still here?" she asked, wiping her wet cheeks.

"I can't just leave you here. You could be killed," Inuyasha snorted.

"By what?" Kaname snorted right back. "The birds?"

"Youkais, baka. Come on, you'll catch cold," Inuyasha grabbed her by the forearm and pulled her to her feet.

"Hey!" she yanked herself from his grip. "If there was going to be anything that's going to cause me harm, it'd be you!"

"Hey, I'm trying to help you. Take it, or be eaten," Inuyasha 'hmphed' and turned his head away, arms crossed.

"I'll take being eaten," she hissed as she walked past him, her arms wrapped around herself. She was still wet, and the night air wasn't helping to dry her hair or clothing.

"Nani?" Inuyasha cried, following her.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome came running up the beach, her raven hair fanning out behind her. Inuyasha stopped, and grabbed the back of Kaname's collar, forcing her to stop, too. "Oh my goodness. Are you all right?"

"Um...," Kaname looked down at her appearance. "I'm cold."

"We have to bring her with us to camp. She's going to catch a cold," Kagome said. Inuyasha threw a glance at Kaname. Kaname ignored him. Who did he think he was? She barely knew the guy, and plus, he had inu ears! What was she supposed to think?

"A-all right," she nodded, and tried to smile at Kagome. Inuyasha released her shirt, and Kaname followed these strange people to a warm fire.

~~~

"Oh! Konnichiwa, bishoja," Miroku's brow rose, and he stood, bowing before Kaname. Sango eyes burned into the back of the monk's head, but Miroku ignored the glare. "My, my. You must be freezing in these wet clothes. Perhaps we could remove--,"

Sango retrieved her hiraikotsu in a flash, and smacked it against Miroku's head. Kaname blushed when Miroku called her a bishoja.

"Uh, heh. Please pardon me, miss," Miroku backed away from Kaname, steering well around Sango and her hiraikotsu.

"Arigato gozaimasu. For letting me stay here, I mean," Kaname smiled shyly.

"Here," Kagome handed her a pair of baggy pajamas. "You can dress over there in the trees." Kaname took them, and hesitantly walked into the dark trees. When she was sure no one could see her, she undressed down to skin, and hurriedly put on the pajamas that Kagome gave her. Gathering her wet clothing in her arms, she walked back, and Kagome took her wet clothes with a smile.

"So, what's your name?" Kagome asked, offering at seat beside herself for Kaname.

"I'm Kaname," she said quietly.

"I'm Kagome," the girl introduced herself, then Miroku, Shippo, Sango, and Inuyasha. Everyone nodded or smiled.

"Where are you from, Kaname-chan?" Miroku asked.

"I'm from an orphanage in rural Japan," Kaname said, and jumped when Kagome gasped.

"Isn't all of Japan rural?" Shippo blinked.

"Have you never been to a city? I went to Tokyo once," Kaname told the young kitsune.

"I knew it!" Kagome set her hand on Kaname's shoulder. "Oh my goodness. You're from the future, aren't you?"

"The... future?" Kaname stared blankly at Kagome.

"Oh, of course you wouldn't know. Okay, Kaname. This may be quite strange to you, but this is the feudal era of Japan," Kagome said slowly.

"Feudal...? You mean, the time of youkais and constant war?" Kaname asked uncertainly.

"Hai! That's right. See? Inuyasha over there is half a youkai. Shippo, he's a fox youkai. Last, but not least, is Kirara. She a fire neko youkai," Kagome pointed to them all. Kirara purred when she was referred to.

"He's half an inu youkai, isn't he?" Kaname asked.

"Huh? How'd you guess?" Kagome blinked.

"I... I don't know. But, I got something from those inu ears," she giggled. Sango and Miroku chuckled. Inuyasha grumbled.

"You're taking this news very well. Aren't you shocked or at least a bit uncertain?" Sango asked.

"Well, the youkais here kind of tell me I'm not home anymore, but I guess I'll have to see more until I actually accept it," Kaname said.

"Won't you miss your family and friends?" Shippo asked.

"She said she was from an orphanage, baka," Inuyasha growled at Shippo.

"Doesn't mean she doesn't have any friends," Shippo glared at the hanyou. Suddenly, Kaname gasped, her eyes wide and staring into the campfire.

"Saki...," she murmured.

"Eh? Sake?" Miroku asked.

"Saki," Inuyasha corrected. "What is it? Did you remember something?" With a gulp, Kaname nodded slowly.

"What's the matter?" Kagome asked.

"When I was... transported here, I suppose I was transported, I was separated from my friend Saki. We were camping... and we were...," Kaname gulped. It was total disaster for them to be apart. She wondered how Saki was doing at this moment. Was she all right? Was she even in the same era?

"How were you transported here?" Shippo asked.

"There.... was a lake, by the place we were camping. I went to get some water, because our fire was getting out of control, and I was pulled in. Next thing I know, I wake up on a shore, my clothes wet, with him right there beside me," Kaname pointed at Inuyasha. His ear twitched at being singled out.

"The... lake pulled you in?" Kagome asked.

"Hai," Kaname nodded slowly.

"Do you know what happened to your friend?" Sango asked. Kaname thought to herself, and that image of Saki being pulled into the flames of the out of control campfire popped up in her mind.

"Hai. She... was pulled into our campfire," Kaname struggled to say without tears falling down her cheeks. "I... don't know if she's... alive or...---"

"Shh, don't say that," Kagome wrapped her arm around the girl who hunched over and began to cry.

"She got pulled into--," Inuyasha started, but when Kagome shook her head at him, he closed his mouth again.

"You must be tired. Maybe you should get some sleep," Miroku said softly.

"Hai, that's a good idea. Kirara, give Kaname some comfort," Sango called upon her neko youkai. Kirara stood, and transformed into her larger form, and slowly walked to Kaname. Kaname looked up, and looked a bit reluctant to sleep with the large neko. But Kirara lowered her head and nuzzled under Kaname's chin, sending the girl into quiet giggles. Kaname stood, setting a hand on Kirara's back, and they walked a little bit beyond the light of the campfire, and Kirara laid down. Kaname sat next to her, and laid her head on the youkai's soft belly.

"Here, Sango," Inuyasha threw her his haori.

"What's this for?" the taijiya asked.

"For her," Inuyasha pointed out to the girl. You and Kagome have blankets. She doesn't. It's going to get a bit chilly tonight. Kirara may not be good enough to keep her warm," Inuyasha explained, acting irritated to explain.

Sango blinked, but stood, and walked over to Kaname, and kneeled beside her. "This is from Inuyasha."

"Tell him I said arigato," Kaname whispered back, and curled under the red haori. Inuyasha growled. Sango didn't have to tell her that it was from him. Sango came back and sat down.

"I think I'm going to go to bed, too," she stretched her arms above her head, and yawned. Kagome once again grabbed her trusty backpack, and pulled out two sleeping bags for Sango and herself. How she fit all these things in her yellow bag was a mystery to everyone. And as everyone settled into sleep, Kaname still stared into the distant fire, her thoughts still on that of her best friend-- Saki.