One Month for Romance by Corisu Li, chapter 10, inu yasha fanfic

This work is complete. It's one of the greatest fanfics I've found on the Web. I'm posting it here with the permission of the author. I found it at http://www.geocities.com/inuyashakarma . Enjoy. Tim Seltzer

Disclaimer: Inuyasha: *sulks in a corner*
Corisu Li: Aw, quit it, you big baby! Snap out of it and say the disclaimer already.
Inuyasha: *groans* Fine, the biggest bitch in the universe doesn't own any of us except for Ayako, so don't sue the wench.
Kagome: Osuwari!
Inuyasha: Dammit! *hits the deck*
Corisu Li: *has a vein popping out in her forehead* Well, he got it right except for the bitch and the wench parts...
Shippou: I think he needs to go to obedience school.
Everyone: *blinks twice, then smiles sinisterly, turning eyes to Inuyasha*
Inuyasha: Oh, no, hell no, no fucking WAY are you gonna send me to obedience school!
Corisu Li: Hey, who's the writer here? Next chapter's disclaimer, Inu-chan goes to puppy school!
Inuyasha: I hate you all.

Chapter 10: A Newcomer and a Random Act of Kindness

Yep. Everything was pretty much back to normal within the group. However, now that the moment of crisis had passed, they had a lot of explaining to do. Kagome turned to Mrs. Ishida, who was sitting across from her, never taking her gaze from Kagome's ears. She sighed, then realized that she'd never even introduced everybody!

"Ishida-san, we thank you for your hospitality," she began. "We haven't even bothered to introduce ourselves. I'm Kagome, the baka over there is Inuyasha, she's Sango, the comatose one is Miroku, and they're-"

"Kirara and Shippou. I know those two." A smile finally spread across her face as she petted the neko-youkai. "However, now that I know who you are, I'd like to know what you are."

Kagome drew a deep breath. "Well...Miroku's a houshi, Sango's a taijiya, and Inuyasha and I are...half-Inu-youkai."

"I see," was the woman's only answer as she continued to stroke Kirara. "And what brings you all here? I can tell that you come from quite far away."

Kagome nodded, then explained the situation to Mrs. Ishida, who remained silent throughout. When Kagome finished, the woman opened her mouth to finally talk when a partition between the two rooms burst open and Misa entered, a fist raised in front of her in a brave stance.

"I want to go with you guys!" she shouted heroically. Everyone stared with wide eyes, then sweatdropped.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha sneered. "A weak thing like you could only get in the way!"

Misa ran over and punched Inuyasha in the head, fuming. The hanyou tottered for a bit before falling to the ground. Misa flinched. "Whoops, forgot about that head wound....gomen!"

Miroku, meanwhile, had regained his wits and pulled himself to his feet. "As idiotic as Inuyasha can be, I'd have to say that he's right. You'd be putting your life in a lot of danger."

Inuyasha scoffed, having recovered. "Keh. Yeah right. What would a ningen know about an area so full of youkai?"

Mrs. Ishida spoke in a low voice. "She's not lying. For a short while, we were forced to live in Lord Inazuma's castle, as slaves. Then, several years back, Lord Inazuma was attacked and defeated. We managed to get away. It was just three years ago that we learned that he still lived, and he put up all of the boundaries around his palace. It is said that he has become a recluse, and never leaves the castle for any reason. While we lived there, most of his secrets became known to us, and when Misa was young, she was very adventurous. She knows parts of the castle that even Lord Inazuma doesn't."

"Please let me come! I'm desperate to get away from this place!" Misa took a deep breath. "Too many bad memories. Please! If you don't, I'd just follow you anyway!"

Kagome turned to Inuyasha. He still looked unconvinced, but as he met her gaze, he turned to the door and started to walk out. "Whatever. But she's not slowing me down."

Misa squealed with delight and began to dance with Shippou while silent tears coursed down her mother's face. "Misa, you know that I really wish you would stay here," she began, while her daughter's face fell. "But...if you feel that it's something that you have to do, then you have my permission."

Misa began to celebrate once more. Sango, Miroku, and Kagome watched her, slight grins on their faces. Finally, they felt like they really had a plan.

Sesshoumaru found the girl's body while flying back to his castle. He landed beside her and studied her. Her body was covered in wolf bites and scratches and her face was still contorted in terror. The youkai felt a pang when he looked into her unseeing eyes and he realized that she reminded him of Rin, who had also been killed by wolves before. He sighed, knowing that he was going to catch hell for this, then lifted her body and took off once more for his home.

When he reached his destination, he kicked Jaken out of the way, who was asking questions that he didn't really want to answer at the moment. He carried the girl to an empty room and laid her on the bed, wondering why the hell he'd brought her there. A second later, a tentative voice called from the door.

"Sesshoumaru-sama? Rin heard that Sesshoumaru-sama brought someone here. Is she going to be a playmate for Rin?"

Sesshoumaru moved quickly to shield the dead girl from view. He didn't want Rin to see something like this. As he contemplated his situation, he felt Tenseiga give a slight pulse.

Almost mechanically, he withdrew the sword from its sheath and looked at it. It gave another pulse and glowed a bluish color. He looked again at the dead girl, then made up his mind. Swiping the sword very quickly, he delivered two strokes to the girl's body and resheathed Tenseiga. Mentally cursing himself, he swept past Rin and out of the door, thinking, 'What the hell is going on? Why am I saving ningens? I refuse to believe that I'm anything like my disgusting brother or my shameful father!' Sesshoumaru kicked Jaken (who had followed him inside) once more as he ascended the stairs and entered his parlor to think.

Rin's eyes widened as the girl sat up, rubbing her forehead. "Hi! My name is Rin. What's your name?"

Rin frowned for a second, then her face brightened once more. "Rin will call you Yuriko, because Rin always wanted to have a friend named that!"

"You are in the palace of Sesshoumaru-sama, Lord of the Western Lands. Rin doesn't know exactly what that means, but Rin knows that it's important, and Sesshoumaru-sama wants Rin to say that."

Rin smiled mischievously. "Come on, Yuriko-chan! Rin knows how to bully Jaken into getting food!" Rin grabbed her hand and pulled the older girl from the bed and into the hall, calling for the poor, maltreated toad.

Sesshoumaru had removed the Tenseiga and set it on a desk, looking at it angrily. "Why do you possess me to do such things?" he hissed. "I am a great Lord, and yet you force me to save human life? Why?"

Abruptly, Sesshoumaru stood and walked toward the door, having had a calming thought. 'If I just kill the girl again and dump her where I found her, no one will be the wiser and I will maintain my reputation.' He returned to the room where he'd left her only to find it empty. Regardless, he detected her scent on the air, as well as...Rin's? An exasperated snarl escaped his lips as he hurried in the direction that he sensed that the two girls had gone. His face softened as he saw Rin and the girl sitting in the dining room, laughing about something.

Rin turned her head and her smile grew even wider as she saw the youkai standing there. "Sesshoumaru-sama! Yuriko was hungry so Rin brought her here and made Jaken give her something to eat. Rin is sorry that she didn't ask Sesshoumaru-sama first, but Rin wanted to entertain her guest. Yuriko is Rin's friend now!"

Sesshoumaru turned his eyes to the girl who sat staring at him. Her wonderfully hued eyes were widened in fear. Sesshoumaru sighed and turned to leave. He knew that there was no way that he could kill the girl if Rin had made a friend of her. He refused to cause her grief.

Once outside of the dining room, he peeled Jaken off of the wall (a/n: Rin can be very persuasive if need be...) and held him to eye level.

"Jaken. Get the castle tailors to start working on some new kimonos for this 'Yuriko'. I won't have someone who looks so dingy prancing around my castle."

Dropping the toad, who scuttled off, Sesshoumaru looked back once more at the two happy girls. 'As much as Rin likes her, she can't stay here. If word gets out about this, I may have to kill quite a few big-mouthed youkai...' He swept off again, leaving the girls to their conversation.

Misa took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Mmm! I just love fresh air, don't you guys?"

Kagome nodded, then studied the girl more closely. After learning that she was permitted to accompany them on their trip, she had changed into an outfit that resembled Sango's. However, the sleeves on her top were much shorter and her clothing was blue. On her back, two thick chains were tethered, but they didn't seem to bother her because she was walking normally.

The group had finally left the Ishida household. Inuyasha's wounds had healed up to the point where he could defend himself in a matter of hours. Now, they were trekking through the woods, bound once more for the Northern Lands.

Inuyasha was walking very quickly, presumably trying to show Misa that she was too weak and should probably turn back. He failed, however, because the girl just continued her excited chatter.

"I just love your ears, Kagome-chan. Inuyasha's are cute too, but I think black is a lot more sophisticated than white."

"Feh," muttered Inuyasha as he crossed his arms and walked even faster. He wanted to get away from the group so that he could be alone with his thoughts. 'How can I tell Kagome that she's the only thing I thought of when I was dying? How can I tell her that... that I love her?' His thoughts were abruptly cut short when Kagome cried out the last thing that Inuyasha wanted to hear...

When he hit the ground, he immediately shouted a long stream of curses, but stopped as two huge spikes flew just over his head to impale the ground. Raising his gaze, he saw a large youkai that looked like a giant blowfish with arms and legs. Its head resembled a dragon's and spines protruded from all over his body.

"Inuyasha! It has two shards!" Kagome shouted, leaping forward to stand beside him.

As they looked on, the youkai puffed itself up again and sent another spray of spikes their way. Inuyasha managed to block most of them with Tetsusaiga, but one still escaped his strike and headed toward Misa.

"Misa!" Sango gasped, but there was no need to worry. In a flash, the girl had pulled one of the chains off of her back and whipped the spike out of the way effortlessly. Everyone stared on in awe, while Misa drew the other chain off of her back.

"Come and get it, ugly!" she snarled, jumping forward. The youkai sent yet another spray of spikes her way, but she managed to dodge them as she raced forward, lashing out with her chains and making large welts in the demon's flesh. She was also helped by Miroku, who continuously used his kazaana to draw away most of the spikes. Kagome could tell that the girl was experienced, however, she could also tell that the blows were doing hardly any damage. It was only a matter of time before a spike came out of nowhere, too quickly for Misa to block it.

For the first time ever, Kagome's hand flew to the hilt of her sword. She withdrew it and leapt toward the youkai, swinging it in a solid arc that yielded a crescent of greenish light. Without stopping to see the damage that she had done, she grabbed Misa and transported her to safety. Once she was satisfied that the other girl was safe, she turned once more to face the youkai and the others. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Kagome, or rather, her sword. Raising her eyes to it, she let out a startled gasp.

The sword had appeared, at first, to be a traditional katana. Now, however, it very closely resembled the Tetsusaiga, except it was more slender and slightly shorter. 'Whoa! Freaky!' Kagome thought. She had no more time to admire her weapon, though, because the youkai swung its powerful tail into her body, pinning her to a tree and causing a pained shriek to burst from her mouth.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, snapping from the trance that held the others. He raced forward, dodging several spikes along the way, and leapt toward the youkai's tail, using Tetsusaiga to sever it completely. This gave Kagome a perfect chance to survey what she'd done to it herself.

The place where Kagome had swept her sword looked eaten away, as if her attack had contained acid. 'It probably did,' she couldn't help but think. 'Wow, that was some serious power!'

"Where are the shards, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, pulling her from her reflections.

"Oh, yeah!" She focused her gaze on the youkai and for a while, nothing happened. She'd been finding it harder and harder to sense the shards lately. Finally, she spotted a faint glimmer just under where she'd attacked. "They're in his stomach!"

Sango leapt into the air, swinging her Hiraikotsu over her head and letting fly directly at the youkai's face. When it attacked, Miroku once more drew the spikes away, leaving Inuyasha's path clear. While its head was turned toward the pair, Inuyasha darted forward and sank Tetsusaiga deep into the flesh of its abdomen. With a sharp sideways swipe, the youkai separated into two halves and the jewel shards fell to the ground with two soft pings.

Throughout this battle, Misa had been watching in astonishment. 'They all work together, like a team...or like a family.'

Kagome stepped forward and lifted the Shikon no Kakera from the ground, purifying them and slipping them into the pouch on her waist. She turned back to the group and saw a very angry hanyou approaching Misa.

"What the hell is wrong with you, bitch? Jumping in there all alone like you're going to beat it all by yourself! Yeah, right. You may know the basics of self-defense, but you're nothing but a child!" Inuyasha roared, causing Misa to flinch back and bite her lip.

Kagome opened her mouth to subdue him, but was stopped by Miroku's hand on her shoulder. "Don't, Kagome-san. As harsh as Inuyasha's teaching methods can be, this is something that she needs to hear." Kagome nodded reluctantly and lowered her eyes.

Inuyasha was still ranting. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but we brought you along to help us infiltrate the castle, not to get your stupid ass killed! Remember that, you stupid wench! As long as you're traveling with us, remember that we all look out for each other!" Having finished his speech, he stormed away from the group without looking back.

Sango and Kagome walked toward Misa, who was still trembling slightly. "Misa-chan?" Sango began. "You do understand that it was foolish to attack the youkai by yourself, ne?"

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha's retreating back and couldn't repress a knowing smile. "That's his way of showing that he was worried. Don't worry too much about it."

Misa nodded and stood, coiling the chains and lashing them to her back swiftly. "Well, let's get going! We have a deadline, after all!" She set a quick pace, following Inuyasha. The others resumed travel as well, and soon the entire incident was forgotten...at least by everyone but Misa, who was still marveling at the extreme level of friendship within the group.

Inuyasha: Didn't I already tell you that there's no way in HELL that I'm going?!?

Corisu Li: Oh, yes you are... *wiggles nose like Samantha from 'Bewitched' (don't own it, don't sue me)*

Inuyasha: *is helpless as the collar vanishes from her hands and appears around his neck* What the-

Inuyasha: I'm gonna get you, you brat!!! *launches himself at Shippou and starts punching him upside the head with even more vigor than usual*

Corisu Li: *steps over Inuyasha's prostrate body* Ok...so Inuyasha's all ready for school! Next chappie...uh...I dunno yet so you'll just have to wait!! Oh, you know what? I got this particularly brilliant flame... *sleeve catches fire, she calmly pats it out* ...about me using too much common Japanese. If anyone else feels like that, just R&R and tell me and I'll quit, I promise. *grins* Maaaaaybe.....

One Month for Romance by Corisu Li

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One Month for Romance

Chapter Ten: A Newcomer and a Random Act of Kindness

Chapter 10: A Newcomer and a Random Act of Kindness