InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Bind a Soul ❯ The Peace Before the Storm ( Chapter 24 )

Okay, I found some unexpected writing time so there was no delay in getting this chapter out. Chapter 25 is another story. Enjoy!

Chapter 24- The Peace Before the Storm

Inuyasha grumbled to himself as he made his way downstairs to the kitchen where Kagome was fixing herself a glass of water. The sun wasn't up yet so he was still in human form. Inuyasha was not having a good morning. While Souta had explained to him how to work the shower, Inuyasha did not fully understand how one moment it could be a bath and the next a waterfall. Still, it was a quick way to get clean.

"Are you ready to go yet?" Kagome asked impatiently.

"Not until the sun rises," Inuyasha replied, toweling his hair dry. It was another thing he hated about being human. He couldn't take a quick run to get his hair dry, he had to sit and wait. And the tangles! It was just awful.

Kagome sighed and decided to take pity on him. She got her brush out of her bag and took her place behind Inuyasha, working from the ends up, working the tangles out of his hair. "Hey Kagome," Inuyasha said, trying not to give into the urge to lean back against the miko.

"Hai," replied Kagome, not looking up from his hair.

"Do you think, now that you're at least partial demon, you'll also have a human night?"

Kagome paused for a second before resuming the action of pulling the brush through Inuyasha's hair. "I suppose it's a possibility," she mused. Then Kagome smiled. "You do realize that I'm more youkai than you are at the moment."

"Feh. Whatever wench. That's only because of the spell."

"Still doesn't change the facts."

Inuyasha let out a yawn and shook his head. "You didn't have to wake us up this early."

"Sure I did. I mean, it's only fair since you do it to me and everybody else when we travel."

Inuyasha snorted. "You're just upset about yesterday. It wasn't my fault we got kicked out of that skool of yours."

Kagome growled at the thought of it. "It's your fault I acted that way," she replied stiffly.

"How's that?"

"Violence is your trait, not mine. This spell is making me act more like you."

Inuyasha snorted. "You think you've got it bad? I acted all patient and nice yesterday!"

Kagome giggled at the thought of how well Inuyasha had handled the children in Souta's class. "You're a natural," she replied soothingly.

"Whatever."

Kagome smiled, patting him on the head like you would a child. That action got her a human growl, which she ignored as she got Inuyasha's breakfast out of the microwave. "Hurry up and eat, then we can go."

"Feh, stupid wench."

Kagome never lost her smile and sat down beside him, waiting impatiently.

^_^

"Yay, Kagome's back!" yelled Shippou as he raced through the village towards the well.

The villagers who were just waking up shook their heads at the baby kitsune and sent pitying looks at the tired monk and demon exterminator that followed him.

Miroku and Sango arrived at the well just as Inuyasha was pulling out Kagome's bag. Kagome was cuddling Shippou on the lip of the well, listening to everything the little kitsune was telling her. "Did you behave while I was gone?" asked Kagome when Shippou stopped talking to breathe.

"Of course," he replied.

Miroku coughed into his hand and tried to hide a smile. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. His fowl mood was beginning to pick up. He hadn't had the best wake-up call ever, but he was hanyou again and didn't have to be human for another whole month. That little fact lifted his mood more than anything else did.

"Kagome, what's that?" asked Shippou as he inspected Kagome mouth.

"Oh, my fangs," she said, remembering the others didn't know about her little transformations.

"Your fangs?" asked Sango, her eyes widening.

"Let me see!" prodded Shippou, and Kagome opened her mouth wide enough for everyone to see than her canine teeth had indeed turned to fangs.

"And you have claws, Kagome-sama," Miroku observed the young girl for a minute more. "Have you had any other alterations to your character."

"No, not really," replied Kagome, looking a little abash.

"She attacked a human boy yesterday," Inuyasha announced, smiling at the girl. Revenge worked both ways.

"You attacked someone?" Sango said, and if possible, her eyes getting a little larger.

"What caused this?" asked Miroku.

"Ah, this boy called Inuyasha something I really didn't think was appropriate."

"What did he call you?" Shippou asked Inuyasha.

"A freak of nature," Inuyasha replied, yawning again.

"And you attack him?" asked Shippou, turning back to Kagome.

"She threw him a good couple of feet and scratched up his face pretty good," Inuyasha said.

"You threw him?" Sango said in disbelief.

"It was an accident," Kagome said defensively.

"So you threw someone on accident?" asked Miroku.

"I . . . that is . . . ah," Kagome stopped her rambling when Inuyasha started to laugh. "Shut up, it isn't funny!"

"Kagome, don't take offense or anything," Sango said, drawing the miko's attention back to the topic at hand, "But I didn't think you were strong enough to pick up someone."

"She wasn't," said Inuyasha, stopping his laughing. "Kagome's gotten stronger too."

"Really?" asked Miroku, intrigued.

"Just a little bit," Kagome admitted.

Inuyasha snorted. "The way this spell is manifesting, you'll be as strong as the average hanyou by the end of next month."

Miroku nodded in agreement. "As much as I would love to discuss this some more, I believe Sango and I should collect our supplies from Kaede-sama so that we can be on our way. I am anxious to meet this `ancient youkai.'"

"Fine," Inuyasha replied. "We'll meet you under the god tree when you're done."

Miroku nodded and he and Sango left to collect their belongings. Shippou stayed with Kagome and continued to ramble on about how boring it was when she went back home.

"I'm sure you'll find some way to entertain yourself," Kagome smiled down at the little kitsune.

"Usually I just watch Miroku get beaten to a pulp by Sango, but lately he hasn't even gotten close enough to grope her, not that he hasn't tried," Shippou replied, looking distressed.

Inuyasha smirked. It sounded like Sango was getting the better of the Houshi.

"Did Myouga say how long it would take to travel to this ancient youkai?" asked Kagome, looking up from Shippou.

"Three days," replied Inuyasha.

"I'm wondering how we never heard of this youkai before if he's so close by," Shippou commented, jumping to Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Maybe he likes to keep a low profile," Kagome suggested as they reached the god tree.

Inuyasha snorted. "Probably just too old to defend himself so he hides under a mountain."

"That's not the case at all, Master Inuyasha," said Myouga from Shippou's fur.

"Myouga-jiji, how long have you been there?" Kagome asked.

Myouga ignored the question and went on to address earlier matters. "You must tread carefully when you go to meet this youkai. He is more powerful than even Naraku."

"Is it too much of a risk meeting him?" asked Kagome.

"No," replied Myouga. "It is said he never kills without reason."

Inuyasha sighed and shook his head. "It doesn't matter, we've already decided. We're going no matter what."

"And what are we discussing?" asked Miroku as he as Sango approached.

"Nothing that matters," Inuyasha replied. "Are you guys ready now?"

"Yes," replied Miroku. "We were just a little surprised to be leaving so soon. I thought that you would at least stay a day longer in Kagome's world for school."

Kagome crossed her arms and glared at Inuyasha. "We won't be going to school anymore," she said heatedly.

"What did you do, Inuyasha?" asked Sango when she noticed Kagome's glare.

"It wasn't my fault we got kicked out!" he said defensively. "It was all Kagome."

"And why were you kicked out?" asked Miroku.

"Because Kagome attacked that human," Inuyasha replied.

"He deserved it," Kagome argued. "That principal just didn't want his star players expelled before the `big game'," she said, disgusted.

"Don't worry, Kagome," Inuyasha said, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I'm sure this home-school thing your mom was talking about will be much better."

Kagome sighed as they started walking. She hoped they got to the mountain quickly, else she might strangle the smirking hanyou.

^_^

"The village elder said we could stay here for the night," Miroku informed the group as they waited outside the biggest house in the village.

They had been traveling for three days; the sacred mountain was only a few hours walk from where they were. Inuyasha had opted to staying in a nearby village inside of making the rest of the way to the mountain. He didn't know what to expect from the youkai, and if it came down to a fight, he didn't want his pack tired from a day's travel.

"I have exorcised the evil spirits from their walls and the elder wishes to repay me," Miroku continued.

Inuyasha snorted and nudged Kagome from her place on his back. The young miko hadn't been sleeping well lately, and when she had started to nod off while they were walking, Inuyasha picked her up and told her to sleep.

"Come on Kagome," Inuyasha prodded. "Miroku got us a room at the village elder's house."

"Let me guess, there was a black cloud hanging over the house," she replied, still half asleep.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her sarcastic tone. "Come on Kagome, you can sleep inside. You can even take a bath if you want."

Kagome yawned and slid off Inuyasha's back, mechanically fixing her clothing. "I just want to sleep," she replied, leaning on Inuyasha when he tried to steady her.

Inuyasha shook his head and picked Kagome up bridal style. The miko didn't protest, simply slid her arms around his neck. She was half asleep before Inuyasha took a foot into the house.

Miroku led the group to a large room in the outer walls. Once everyone was settled, Kagome asleep in Inuyasha's lap, Shippou curled up between Inuyasha and the sleeping miko, Sango polishing Hiraikotsu and Miroku sitting by the door, the elder's wife made an appearance.

"There's food in the kitchen if anyone is hungry. I already sent a maid to fetch some so you don't have to get up. If there is anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable, please let me know," the elderly woman said.

"Could you tell us about the mountain?" asked Sango.

"Is that where you are headed?" the woman visibly paled.

"Hai, it is," replied Miroku.

"Why, if you don't mind my asking, would you ever want to go there?" she asked, a bit appalled.

"The youkai that is supposed to live there is in possession of some very important information we must acquire," the monk said calmly.

The elderly woman shook her head. "May the Kamis be with you," she said, and left the room.

"Did you get the same impression I did?" Miroku asked Inuyasha.

Inuyasha dismissed the question with a shake of his head. "Let's just try to get some sleep. We'll deal with whatever's there tomorrow," he said, closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall.

Miroku looked to Sango who just shrugged and moved to her bedding, placing Hiraikotsu by her head. The same question was on everybody's mind, however. What would tomorrow bring?

^_^

Okay, I know I said the lemon would be in the next three chapters, but I don't know if I'll be able to work it in that soon. Give it to the end of the week and I should have the lemon written. Later~ fire_goddess