Chapter 2
88-Through the Well-88
Kagome gingerly approached the young man pinned to the tree, almost as if she were afraid he would jump out at her. He didn't. She even tried yelling at him, thinking of the various curses she wished upon her little brother at the moment. Not a single reaction. Not even a snore.
Increasingly confident in the unconsciousness of the hanyou, Kagome did what she'd been itching to do ever since she'd seen the picture of the hanyou in the storybook. She carefully climbed the vines that encircled the large tree trunk and reached up to gently rub the furry white ears upon the young man's head. Given her position, she was close enough to feel his chest rise and fall with every breath but she failed to notice him open and blink his eyes the moment her fingers touched his ears.
His voice shocked her so much she fell to the ground.
"If I weren't pinned to this tree, you would never dare do that, wench."
The young woman with black hair before him reminded him immediately of someone, and it felt like a knife thrust into his heart. It wasn't her, though, it couldn't be. The clothes and eyes were different, not to mention that this one's scent was…
"Wh- who are you? How did you wake up?" The girl was flabbergasted, still awkwardly sitting on the ground looking up at him.
"It was your stench that woke me up, human. It smells so bad that it would wake the dead, let alone the cursed. Keh."
Naturally, Kagome brought her sleeve up to her nose. Not smelling anything, she retorted, "I don't smell! You're lying! Who do you think you are anyway?"
"Why would I tell a stupid wench like you?" He could tell she wasn't stupid though. Far from it. There was something about her… Something off… He couldn't put his finger on it and it annoyed him greatly.
"Because I can rub your ears and tickle and annoy you and you can't to a thing about it…" With that, the girl got a dark and mischievous look in her eyes as she began to climb the vines again.
"No way, don't you DARE wench!"
"What are you going to do? Breathe at me?"
"I can bite you!"
"Tell me who you are and I won't touch you."
"Keh." He made a point to turn up his nose and look away from her.
A small hand ventured nearer and nearer to his left ear.
"Fine! Fine! My name is Inuyasha, I'm a fucking hanyou, and I'm the fucking king's half-brother. Happy? Now get the hell away from me!"
As promised, Kagome moved away from the hanyou, but not before accidentally brushing against his left shoulder. At her movement, the arrow pinning Inuyasha to the tree glowed pink. That's when it all clicked in Inuyasha's mind. The scent, the aura, the power…
'She's a miko! A fucking miko! And she has the stone! How the hell is that possible?'
"Don't you want to know what my name is?"
"No."
"My name is Kagome."
"Ugly name for an ugly human. Keh."
"You're so mean!"
But Inuyasha wasn't listening to her. He was too busy trying to figure out what offensive scent was approaching; overwhelming this Kagome-girl's wonderful-
"Scent! What wonderful scent! Only a delightful scent like this could come from a beautiful woman such as yourself …"
Kagome whirled around to find a tall man with black hair drawn up into a ponytail and piercing blue eyes. 'What strange clothes,' she thought as she took into consideration the various patches of furs and leather that covered his torso and parts of his limbs.
"My lady, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kouga, prince and leader of the mountain wolves' clan in the West lands. I got a whiff of your delicious scent as I was passing by and couldn't help but stop and meet you." He gently took both of Kagome's hands in his own. "You are lucky that I was passing this way, so that I could save you from this useless piece of dog-crap. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me back to my tribe? We are known for our hospitality, especially to beautiful young ladies like yourself."
'Wait a second. He's a demon. He can see she has the jewel too. That's all he wants. Damn if he'll get the jewel!'
"Wench, don't listen to him! He's lying through his teeth! He just wants the -!"
"Shut up, dogface. Well, mylady?"
"I'm very flattered, Kouga-san, but I just want to go ho-…"
"Alright then, we should leave soon so that the dog stench does not rub off on ours."
With that, the wolf demon gently but quickly picked Kagome up into his arms and turned to leave. At that moment, Kagome realized, to the full extent of the situation, what was happening and began to squirm violently. After several swings, her foot somehow contacted with a particularly sensitive area of the wolf demon's anatomy and he dropped her to the ground. She scrambled to her feet and moved back from the doubled-over Kouga, shuffling toward Inuyasha's tree.
"That hurt, woman! What was that for?"
"Keh. It means she'd rather die than go off with a sniffling wolf like you, that's what it was for. Get lost! Your stench is making me nauseous."
"I wouldn't say much, dog-crap. You're pinned to a tree. You can't do anything! Useless puppy!"
"Come closer and say that to me again, shithead! You're gonna regret it!"
"What are you going to do? Breathe at me?"
"WHY IS EVERYONE SAYING THAT TODAY!"
As the men yelled at each other, Kagome slowly climbed up the vines on the other side of Inuyasha's tree, out of sight, out of mind. Well, or a moment or two, at least.
"Wench, take the arrow out and set me free." Inuyasha had noticed the girl slip around the tree and muttered his order to her from the side of his mouth.
"Why would I want to do that? You're mean! And I have a name, you know. Ka-Go-Me. Not very hard. Besides, I can't take it out; I don't have any magical powers to break the spell…"
"Fine, let that wolf demon carry you off and have his way with you. Have fun as he rips open your stomach to see if you really have the – …"
Kagome pushed his words out of her mind for a moment, blocking that train of thought, not knowing what the hell he was talking about.
"Or he may just have his way with you and impregnate you with dozens of wimpy wolf cubs…"
Kagome snapped back to reality. Now she new exactly what Inuyasha was talking about…
"Enough! Fine! Don't blame me when it doesn't work, though." Kagome slid back around the trunk beside the hanyou and placed a tentative hand on the imprisoning arrow.
Immediately, and to Kagome's immense surprise, a pink glow surrounded Inuyasha and Kagome. Within a second, the arrow was reduced to dust within the girl's fingers and the hanyou had burst free from the vines' constraints.
As soon as Inuyasha was set free, the two men began to fight in a whirlwind of sky-high jumps and head-spinning fast attacks. Kagome was amazed and suddenly very afraid at the same time.
How had she removed the arrow? What exactly had happened? Why the hell was she sitting there when two demons were battling it out and she should be running for her life toward the well?
So she did. Run for her life towards the well, that is. As soon as she reached it, she jumped in, fully expecting to be returned back to her well-house, in her own time or dimension. Instead, she landed on firm, packed soil and fell into darkness.
Inuyasha had managed to tear up Kouga's face pretty badly before he noticed that the girl was gone. He knew where she went, of course, since her scent had left a strong trail. Becoming tired of his little battle with the wolf demon, he gave his opponent one last powerful swipe, one which struck home.
"I'll let you go this time, dog-shit, but I'll be back." Kouga was off in a whirlwind, back toward the mountains from whence he came.
"Won't miss ya. Bye." Inuyasha then directed his efforts into finding the girl. He was still puzzled as to why she would have the jewel. How could she? Wasn't it Kikyou who had it? This girl, even though she did look an awful lot like the traitorous Kikyou, definitely was not her. So how could it be…?
The girl's scent ended at the well, and sure enough, when Inuyasha looked down, there she was at the bottom, unconscious. He retrieved her none-too-gently and dropped her unceremoniously on the ground before grabbing her shoulders and beginning to shake her strongly.
"Where is it? Where are you hiding it? I know you have it!"
Slowly, Kagome was waking from her comatose state. "Wha---what?"
"The jewel! I can sense it! Where the hell is it?"
Kagome attempted to stand, but was grabbed from behind at the waist by the hanyou. She yelled as his claws dug into her flesh.
"WHERE IS IT?"
As soon as he spoke those words, a pink, glowing object slowly moved out of Kagome's side, moving through the wound Inuyasha had made with one of his claws. It plopped onto the ground, rolling gently in the grass for a few seconds before coming at a complete stop near a pair of feet in bamboo sandals. Inuyasha looked up in shock and dropped the girl, who had again fainted this time from pain.
"Inuyasha, I see you have finally awoken. Pick up the girl and come with me."
The old woman had bent over to pick up the jewel and was now walking away, motioning for the hanyou to come with her. Inuyasha grudgingly picked up the girl again, flinging her over his shoulder, and followed the wizened old woman.
'It's just for the jewel,' he thought. 'Only for the jewel…'
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The old woman led them to a sturdy-looking hut with a small garden to the side, enclosed by a log fence. She moved aside the doorflap and motioned for the hanyou to set the girl down on the bedroll near the fire in the centre of the room. None-too-gently, he did so and retreated to the other side of the fire.
"What do you want from me, old crone?" He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her his most imposing stare.
The old woman seemed unphased as she tended to Kagome's rather deep wounds.
"I know who you are, Inuyasha. Finally, after fifty years under my sister's sleeping spell, you and the rest of the kingdom have been awoken. Instead of trying to kill this girl, you should thank her for breaking the curse."
Inuyasha was startled and his arms fell to his side.
"Wait, you – you're Kikyou's sister? That bitch's brat sister? How come you weren't asleep?"
This time, the old woman's back straightened and she turned to the hanyou sharply and gave him a look that would have burned a hole through him if it could.
"Yes. I am Kaede, the miko Kikyou's little sister. I was in the Eastern Lands when the curse was activated, so I was spared. Take care of how you refer to her; she is not the 'bitch' you believe she is. She has done nothing to you which she could not justify."
Inuyasha exploded, jumping to his feet and pointing a long, clawed finger at the woman.
"What are you talking about, you old crone? SHE FUCKING PINNED ME TO A TREE FOR FIFTY YEARS!"
"But Inuyasha, she thought you had betrayed her…"
Kaede calmly accounted to the fuming half-demon the whole story behind what had happened, recalling in detail Naraku's curse and the way that Kikyou had in fact saved him.
Finally hit with the full weight of the truth behind his curse, Inuyasha fell to the floor again and was silent. It was three days before the girl awoke, opening her eyes to a blurry and wrinkled, but kind, face with one eye covered with a black patch.
"How are you feeling, girl? What is your name?"
"K-kagome. Ow, my sides hurt. Where am I?" Kagome sat up slowly, still very sore from her wounds.
"Rest, now, child. You're safe in my hut."
"What was that thing that popped out of my stomach? Why does Inuyasha want it? Is he gone?" The girl was working herself up into a panic, now. Inuyasha vaguely heard his name but ignored it for the moment. He was still sitting on the opposite side of the fire, hidden to Kagome's eyes.
"Hush, child. I can tell from your clothing that you are not of this time. Do you know of the legend of the hanyou and the Shikon Jewel?"
Kagome nodded shakily, accepting the white-and-red kimono that was being offered to her.
"Good. When my sister, the guardian of the Shikon Jewel, died, the Jewel was burned with her body." Kaede produced a necklace from the folds of her kimono and placed the aforementioned gem into a small glass contained attached to the necklace. She showed it to Kagome before tying it around the younger woman's neck. "It, however, was attached to her soul, which was reincarnated in you. You, therefore, are the reincarnation of Kikyou and are thus the new protector of the Shikon Jewel and will do so will your miko powers, also inherited from my sister's soul."
The black-haired girl laughed as heartily as her wounds would let her.
"Very funny. Alright, you can all stop and let me go home now. I don't know who put you all up to this, but I hope they paid you well…"
"I'm afraid, dear, that until the jewel is purified from its current contaminated state, you will not be able to pass through the well."
Kagome spluttered. "Can't go home?"
Kaede shook her head sympathetically. "Why do you think you landed at the bottom of the well instead of back to your own time?"
A few moments passed with only the sound of the crackling fire that separated all of them.
"Okay… So if I get this thing purified, I can go home. That shouldn't be so hard, right?"
The old woman's gaze became sad and dark. "Child, to purify the jewel, you must kill the demon or half-demon that contaminated it."
"So I can kill Inuyasha?"
"WHAT? What do you want to kill me for? You couldn't kill me even if you tried, useless, pathetic human." Inuyasha was on his feet and alert again, knocked out of his silent contemplation after hearing his name and the word 'kill' in the same sentence. "Waita second… Is that what I think it is around your nec-"
Kaede smoothly ignored the hanyou's outburst. "No, child. Inuyasha is not the one who contaminated the jewel. The one you must seek to destroy is Naraku, the half-demon lord of the south who started this whole mess in the beginning."
"NARAKU! That bastard! I'm gonna kill him!"
"Good, then. Kagome, Inuyasha will help you on your quest."
"WHAT? NO WAY!" Both Inuyasha's and Kagome's voices boomed out toward Kaede.
"He'll kill me and take the jewel all for himself!" Kagome wailed, pointing at the half demon.
"Damn right I will; and I'll finally be able to change into a full demon and get revenge on my fucking half brother!"
"Children! Calm down! My dear, you need not fear for your life." The old woman snapped her fingers and immediately around Inuyasha's neck appeared a string of beads. As soon as they appeared around his neck, the hanyou began to tug at them and attempt to pull them off, all in vain. "Girl, what is the first command you would yell at him if you could subdue him with only a word?"
'Subdue? Oh no, this is not good news.' Inuyasha gulped.
Kagome considered the little furry white dog ears perched up on Inuyasha's head. Dog. Sit. It was a no-brainer, really.
"OSUWARI!"
BAM! Inuyasha's face flew into the ground, pulled down by the necklace. Kaede grinned.
"Good. If he makes any move to try to take the jewel, you know what to do, child." She turned to Inuyasha, face-down on the floor, and told him, "It's no use to take the jewel from her anyway. It needs to be purified before it can be used. Kagome is the only one who can purify it, so it is in your best interests to keep her alive."
Inuyasha was barely picking himself off the ground when he began to protest violently. He was quieted by a single smirk from Kagome.
The girl could have sworn she heard him mutter something about a 'stupid wench.'
"I can imagine that since the curse has been broken, Naraku will now wish to seize your family's kingdom, Inuyasha. When Kikyou modified the curse, he was unable to step foot in the kingdom due to some magical restraint. It is gone now and you must go warn your brother, the king, immediately, Inuyasha. It should be your first priority. I suggest that you both head to the castle; if you leave now, you'll arrive by nightfall."
"Why the hell would I want to help my fucking brother?"
"Because he holds the key to the only way to destroy Naraku." Kaede turned to Kagome and handed the girl a yellow cloth bag filled to the brim with food and emergency supplies. "Here, this should help you on your journey. Make sure to carefully tend to those wounds until they have completely healed." To the young woman she also handed a light bow and a quiver filled with long, sharp arrows. "These were my sister's. If you are truly her reincarnation, you should have no trouble using these. Use them well and don't hesitate to come back here if you need my help."
At the word 'wounds', Inuyasha had looked over at Kagome and found the sides of her kimono to be damp with blood already. The smell of her blood was sharp and bit at his nose uncomfortably. He was immediately filled with regret at hurting the girl and turned his eyes away.
They bid farewell to the old woman. Well, Kagome did. Inuyasha sort of grunted an acknowledgement. Setting off on the path through the forest to the castle, Kagome found herself often far behind the much faster hanyou, who was actually travelling slowly on his relative terms.
"Damnit, woman, you're too slow!"
"Oh, I am SO sorry! I can't run as fast as you or for as long. Cut me a bit of slack, will you?" Kagome plumped down on a fallen-over tree trunk and took deep breaths, trying to diminish the throbbing pain in her sides and the burning in her legs. Inuyasha stomped over to her.
"What, and now you're STOPPING?"
"Shut up, Inuyasha. I'm just trying to breathe." Kagome pressed her hand gently to her side only to find her hand covered in blood. "And I have to replace my bandages too."
On that point, Inuyasha's guilt got the best of him and he looked at the ground. Of course. She was in pain and bleeding heavily because of him. She was human and didn't heal as fast as him, nor could she travel as fast…
"Fine. There's a river over there. Go clean up. Your blood stinks."
To his surprise, Kagome did not respond. At the moment, she was using her entire energy walking down to the stream. Several minutes later, she emerged from the riverbank feeling much cleaner and a bit refreshed. The cool waters had soothed a bit of her aching sides, but had done nothing for her fatigue. After putting on the thin white under-kimono, she looked up in the direction of the road to find herself face to face with an unusually large black bird. Before she could react, it had snapped up the jewel from its casing on her neck and swallowed it whole as it flew away.
"Ah! Inuyasha! That bird! It took the jewel!"
The half demon, who had been perched in a nearby tree facing the other direction, turned to face the half-dressed girl. Red-faced at seeing a young woman in her undergarments, it took him a few moments to overcome his embarrassment and realise what the hell she was talking about.
During the few moments of Inuyasha's stupefaction, Kagome had already grabbed her bow and prepared to shoot the demon-bird that had stolen the only key to her way home. Damned if she was going to let it get away. With a burst of energy, she let the arrow go. It zipped through the air, reaching its target with panic-infused power. Upon contact, the bird flew up, and the jewel with it.
The jewel split up in four pieces, shooting off in four directions: north, south, east, and west, each shard making a bright pink trail across the sky in its trajectory.
"Yoooouuuuu BITCH! What have you done now?" Inuyasha had hopped down from his perch in the tree, now oblivious to Kagome's state of undress.
"I'm sorry! I didn't expect that to happen! What was I supposed to do, let it fly away with the jewel?"
"I could have blasted that thing apart with my claws, if you had just let me!"
"But you didn't, did you?" Kagome stopped when Inuyasha blushed. She didn't know if it was in embarrassment or rage… or maybe both.
"Shut up, bitch. There's nothing we can do now. We have to go see my fucking brother first, and then we'll set off to find the jewel shards."
It wasn't until that moment that the full extent of the situation grabbed hold on Kagome.
"NO WAY! We're gonna go find those jewel shards first! They're my only way home! I just wanna go home!"
"Will you just shut up? Don't you think I want to get the jewel back together too? We'll get the shards, all right. But if we don't warn my brother first, like the old crone said, the whole kingdom could be in jeopardy."
"NO!" The thought of never seeing her mother, her brother, her grandfather, her friends…it tore at Kagome's heart. What if something happened to the shards while they were at the castle? What if she could never get back home?
"Would you just TRUST ME?"
"Why should I? You've tried to kill me before! You've hurt me, and you're always mean!"
Kagome's words struck home somewhere deep in Inuyasha's heart, stinging him, making his stomach churn. He looked down and away from her, handing her the over-kimono Kaede had given the girl.
"I know. But you're alive now, right? I promise that you'll stay that way until you get home."
Kagome was surprised when a pair of (very) strong arms scooped her up. "Inuyasha? What are you doing? Put me down!"
"It's faster this way. You're too slow. Shut up and hang on."
"What do you mean hang o...N? AHHH!" Kagome gripped Inuyasha's bright-red haori when he suddenly accelerated up and away, bouncing smoothly from treetop to treetop with very little jarring. It was amazingly… comfortable. It took little time for Kagome to become accustomed to it.
The reached the castle walls in no time, passing through the city was a breeze: despite the guards' sneers, they allowed the odd couple through, knowing that Inuyasha was the crown prince.
Inuyasha finally put Kagome down at the entrance of the throne room, motioning that she follow after him. He pushed open the doors and stormed in.
Kagome allowed her eyes to wander the room, taking in the red velvet carpet, the polished white stone walls and floor, the great, intricately-carved and gilded throne and the majestic man sitting in it. He, like Inuyasha, had long silver hair, but sans the furry white ears on top. His eyes were the same golden color as the hanyou's, but without the warmth and fire found in Inuyasha's eyes. His cheeks were striped with two bands of purple dashes and his mouth was a thin, firm line. He looked from Inuyasha to Kagome with an amused look, or was it? His face was so deadpan Kagome had trouble reading his expression.
Inuyasha broke the thick silence.
"Hello again, fucking brother of mine. I have a message for you."
END OF CHAPTER TWO
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