One Month for Romance by Corisu Li, chapter 6, 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: Sango: Huh?....Oh, yeah: Corisu Li doesn't own any of us...
Kagome: *whispers*
Sango: Eh? Oh, but Ayako is hers, so ask before you use her!
Kagome: *hisses* And...?
Sango: And....to....tell her where you're using Ayako so she can read the story!...Right?
Kagome: *nods* Right...and Sango-chan?
Sango: Mmm?
Kagome: Maybe you should let me handle the beginnings from now on...you just worry about...the...monk...*flushes angrily*
Miroku: *grope grope*
Sango: Hiraikotsu!
Miroku: Kyaaaaaaaa!!!! *flies away, over distant trees*
Corisu Li: *sighs* So now that Miroku is back to his normal self, on to the next chapter!

Chapter 6: The Introduction of Mission: Almost Impossible

The others (excepting Inuyasha, who looked bored, and Shippou, who was still knocked out) bowed their heads in shame. Kaede read the expressions on their faces and consoled them instantly. "Be ye not ashamed. I can read Kagome's aura, and it is by this that I knew that it was not a regular youkai. Anyone who knew no better would assume the worst."

At this, everyone seemed to perk up a little. Before they could vent their relief, however, Inuyasha butted in, apathetic as usual.

"Okay, are we done talking now? If so, how about you drop the idle chitchat and get to finding a cure already!"

Kaede frowned. "First, Inuyasha, it may be wise for ye to explain the circumstances." She gave him a cold, but teasing stare.

Inuyasha flushed as he realized that he had told the old woman nothing about the situation. Everyone laughed, and the tension within the group was broken. Still chucking to herself, Kaede opened the door wider and beckoned them all inside.

Once seated in a circle around Kaede's teapot, she served each of them tea in turn. Once everyone had been provided for, the old woman took up her own cup and sipped, allowing her eyes to slide to Inuyasha. The hanyou gave her an irritated look before he remembered that he was supposed to be explaining. Heaving a deep sigh, he began:

'Has it been two days already?' Kagome asked herself. She wasn't really listening to Inuyasha, since she already knew the story better than even he did. She did look up, however, when, after Inuyasha had finished and the group sat in silent contemplation, a voice spoke.

"Siaku Powder, eh? I have heard of such a substance that is only manufactured in the Northern Lands..."

Inuyasha slanted his eyes to glance at his right shoulder. "Are you gonna be helpful, flea, or should I swat you right now?"

Myouga flinched at the thought, then hopped to the floor, just to be safe. "Ahem...as I was saying, Lord Inuyasha, if the poison comes from there, then so should the cure!"

Kaede nodded slowly. "Aye. That does make sense. But to go there, ye would be putting your lives into mortal danger."

Kagome opened her mouth for the first time since the laughing fit at the door. "Kaede-baa-chan, what's there to endanger us? Some demon that we'd have to fight, or something? Because if so, I think I could be of some help now!"

Myouga answered this question. "There are more than just demons protecting those lands, Kagome-sama. There are powerful spells, traps, and poisons awaiting those who are foolish enough to go there."

Inuyasha lost his temper at this. "So WHY in the HELL did you tell us if we can't even go there without ending up dead??!?!"

Myouga looked back defiantly, and was beginning to answer when Inuyasha suddenly slammed his hand down into the little flea, crushing him and his response.

Sango glared. "Inuyasha, he was about to-" Her angry reply was cut off when Kagome clapped a hand over her mouth, silencing her as well.

As if on cue, both Kagome and Inuyasha hissed, "Shhhh..." They both tilted their noses upward slightly and sniffed the air.

Inuyasha let out a growl that was almost a bark and heaved himself from the floor, bursting out of the door and into the light of the now fully risen sun. Kagome followed on his heels, leaving the others sitting, flabbergasted, in their wake. "Wha-" Miroku began, but he cut himself off as Shippou suddenly regained his wits, leapt to his feet, and began to scramble to the door as well. Miroku put on a stern face and- *WHAM*-pinned Shippou to the floor with the end of his staff.

Shippou struggled a little more, until he realized that Miroku wasn't going to let him go unless he told them. "We all smelled it!"

Kaede had agreed to stay behind to talk with Myouga about a plan to infiltrate the Northern Lands. She looked slightly worried for them, while Myouga just looked happy to be left out of danger.

Sango, Miroku, and Shippou mounted Kirara once again and they took off in the direction that Shippou pointed. The group rode in silence for several minutes before spotting the pair in a clearing and landing.

"KAGOMEEEEE!" Shippou screamed, hugging her as he couldn't before (it's very hard to hug someone when you're unconscious, and before he wasn't sure who she was). When Kagome made no move to hug him back, however, he became instantly worried and stared at the space where her eyes were fixed.

A small tornado had begun to gyrate in front of them. Sango and Miroku readied their weapons while Inuyasha and Kagome tensed for a fight. And a fight was definitely promised when they saw the shape of the wolf youkai inside of the tornado. They heard him snickering as he stepped out of the whirling wind, which disappeared in his absence.

Inuyasha's growls grew in intensity as Kouga approached. "Inuyasha..." he said. "I have no desire to fight you now...as long as you disclose to me the location of my beloved Kagome."

"Hey! I'm not yours, moron!" Kagome yelled, then clapped her hands over her mouth. 'Oh, great, idiot!' she thought. 'Now he knows who you are!'

Inuyasha apparently thought the same thing. "Stupid bitch! What did you tell him that for?!?!" Inside, Inuyasha was fuming. 'If *I* can barely contain myself when I'm around her, what about this immoral jerk?'

Kouga turned interested eyes on Kagome, then whistled appreciatively. "Whoaaa...dog-shit, I'm not sure what you did, but whatever it was, I thank you. Mating with Kagome should be even more pleasurable no-"

His sentence was cut short when Inuyasha launched himself at Kouga, who sidestepped out of the way, leaving the hanyou to skid to an unsteady halt, raising dust. He immediately threw himself back again, aiming for Kouga's face.

Kouga sighed in a bored manner and was about to dodge when he noticed a blur of movement at his other side. 'Ka...Kagome?' he thought, just before her fist collided with his side. He gasped in pain and shock, and became too preoccupied to remember to dodge Inuyasha's attack...

Kouga was sent flying by the force of Inuyasha's strike. He hit several trees before rolling to a stop, bleeding and out cold.

Normally, Inuyasha would be gloating about how he'd kicked the annoying wolf's ass, but now he just stared at Kagome, as did the rest of the group. "Kagome...where did you learn THAT?"

Kagome scoffed and turned her nose up. "You don't think I learned anything watching you fight?"

Inuyasha gazed at her for a moment. Kagome watched him as well. The others were totally lost. They were about to ask what was going on when Kagome suddenly leapt at Inuyasha, raking her claws along his arm. He growled and tossed her loose. She landed and tottered for a bit before attacking again.

"What is going on here? It looks as if they are fighting each other!" Miroku said, watching the scene with a tight grip on his staff in case he had to break up the fight.

"Playing?!" Sango echoed, watching as one of Kagome's claws nicked Inuyasha's cheek, drawing blood. "That sure doesn't look like playing!"

"Well, maybe playing isn't the right word. But anyway, it's something that my dad used to do with me before...well, you know..." the kitsune trailed off for a bit, but picked up fairly quickly. "You fight each other except...well, you avoid really hurting each other. It's like...sparring! Yeah! You do it when you want to test your strength or learn new abilities. You can even do it to get stronger!"

Sango and Miroku nodded in understanding, then turned again to watch the fight. Kagome had Inuyasha by his left wrist and he had her by her right with that same hand. With a snarl, Inuyasha jumped up and flipped backward, pressing his feet to her chest and sending her crashing into the ground. Kagome hopped up again and rushed Inuyasha, colliding with his stomach and taking him down. Once there, she decided to try to end the fight quickly, but she never got the chance. Inuyasha hooked one of his legs into hers and flipped the pair of then over backwards, so that he was now on top of her. With one swift movement, he closed a hand around her neck and lunged, bringing his claws toward her face.

Of course, she was right. Inuyasha stopped his attack millimeters away from hitting her. He stared at Kagome's frightened and ashamed face. In a few moments, he could hold back no longer and burst into gales of laughter. He rolled off of her, clutching his stomach with the force of his mirth.

"B...but you...your face when..." Inuyasha gave up trying to talk and dissolved into giggles again. Before long, Kagome had joined him, and they both were still laughing when Sango and Miroku approached.

"Ahem...if you two are done, I think we should get out of here before Kouga wakes up," Miroku said, pointing in the direction where the wolf youkai still lay.

This wiped the smiles off of both of their faces. They nodded guiltily and stood. Kagome's hair had fallen loose during her match with Inuyasha, and she sighed when she couldn't find her ribbon anywhere. Giving up all hope, she nodded to her friends and took off again in the direction of Kaede's hut.

In the woods, Kouga groaned, clutching his head. 'Did my own woman really attack me?' he asked himself. 'My gentle, sweet Kagome would never do such a thing! That dog-shit must have her bewitched! I swear that I won't let that conniving hanyou keep my love!' Groaning again, he clenched his side where she had punched him. 'And I may need reinforcements...'

Kouga once again formed his whirlwind about him and sped off in the direction where he knew his fellow wolves were waiting. 'This time,' he thought, 'I plan to do more than take Kagome...'

Kagome was following Inuyasha through the trees while the others rode Kirara. She kept her eyes locked on the back of his head as she leapt. 'Why in the world did I do that? I must be developing faster than I thought if I have instincts like that! I'll have to ask Kaede...'

While she brooded, Inuyasha was deep in thought as well. 'She's so beautiful as a hanyou. I wish she could stay this way, but I know she wants to be with her family...And I don't want that wolf following us around.' At the thought of Kouga, his fists tightened so that his claws drew blood from his palms. 'Make no mistake,' he thought, 'he dies next time.'

The group finally reached Kaede's and let themselves inside. At their appearance, Kaede beckoned them to sit down, saying, "Have ye yet disposed of Kouga?"

Kagome attracted Kaede's attention and asked, "Well, have you found anything out?" She had a pleading look in her silver eyes.

"Aye, child. The remedy that ye all seek lies in the middle of the Northern Lands...in the lair of the Taiyoukai of that region."

Everyone but Kagome flinched slightly. Instead, she wrinkled her nose. "Taiyoukai?"

Kaede explained, "Do ye know how Inuyasha's father was the great ruler of the Western Lands? Well, this demon is as powerful, if not more powerful, than even he was. Ye must all work together, and none should ever be out of sight of the other."

Inuyasha turned to her. "So, Kaede-baba, does that mean that we have to kill this Taiyoukai or what? Because if we do, bring it on, I'm itching for a fight."

"Perhaps ye will fight him, Inuyasha, but first things first. We must get ye to the lair. The flea has told ye already of the dangers that await ye."

Myouga jumped onto Inuyasha's knee at this sentence. "Yes, Lord Inuyasha. The area is filled with poisonous gases and toxic waters. However...there is one path that can be taken to reach Inazuma's castle unscathed."

"Yes, Lord Inuyasha. He is so named because he commands supreme power over the fires of the skies. But in order for him to receive this power, he must channel it to his body. In doing so, he creates a rift in the noxious atmosphere of the area."

The flattened Myouga swelled back up to his normal shape with a soft 'pop', looking very irritated. "I was just getting to that...if you travel due north from here, you will meet up with this rift. As long as you stay within it, you should be able to practically walk up to Inazuma's front door. However, you must be aware that youkai still roam the forest and can attack at any time. Inside of the castle, in a lower area, is an indoor garden. I am told that there are two halves to this garden. One is filled with creeping yellow vines, the other with beautiful blue flowers. The vines yield Siaku Powder, while the flowers yield the antidote."

After this speech, everyone nodded to show that they understood. Kagome, however, still wanted her question answered. "Why am I hanyou when I still have over 2 weeks until the powder takes full effect? Shouldn't I be completely transformed in 2 more days, then?" She blurted the questions in a rush.

"Nay, child," Kaede answered. "Ye will remain a half-demon until the night of your full transformation. This is fortunate, for it will allow ye to keep your head while having hanyou abilities."

Kagome sighed in relief, as did Inuyasha. He had been wondering the same thing for a long time, and he was glad that he didn't have to make himself look like a fool by asking.

"It would be best if you all leave as soon as possible," Myouga continued. "I don't know how long it will take you to get to Inazuma's castle. Also...Kagome-sama, Kaede would like for you to take this..."

Kaede reached for a covered parcel behind her and slowly unwrapped it. It was a beautiful sword that ended in a hilt reinforced with strips of leather. It looked very expensive, and also very old.

Kaede began to speak. "This sword was meant to be given to Kikyou, but she chose her bow over it. It holds immense power, but no one has ever been able to master it. Just because ye are half-demon, never forget that ye also are half-human...half-miko. Your powers may be greatly diminished, but the demon half of ye more than makes up for it. It may be meant for ye and ye alone."

Kagome slowly reached for the hilt of the sword and flinched when she touched it, as if expecting it to shock her. When nothing out of the ordinary happened, she lifted it out of Kaede's hands. "Thank you, Kaede- baa-chan. I will cherish it." Kaede smiled and handed her a sheath and belt for her newly acquired weapon. When she had it on, she smiled and turned to the rest of the group. "Well, it's still the middle of the day! I say let's go!!"

She bolted out of the door, Inuyasha following her and yelling, "Kagome!! Wait up!!" One by one, the others left until only Miroku, Myouga, and Kaede remained.

"Tell me, Kaede-baba. What is it that you do not want to disclose to Kagome or Inuyasha?" Miroku demanded, standing and holding his staff at his side.

The old woman sighed. "Ah, so ye saw through me, child. I knew ye would. I have not told Kagome of my one fear..."

"That would be...?" Miroku prompted, watching the others grow farther and farther away.

"The Siaku Powder is changing her fully, child. The antidote will most likely do nothing more than halt this process." Kaede hung her head, her posture making her look even older. "Please, tell not the others. It will cause too much pain for them all."

Kaede didn't reply. Miroku gazed at her for a long time before he heard Sango cry, "Houshi-sama! Come on!"

Miroku turned to the door. "Pray that you're wrong," he said, without turning around. Then, he dashed off after the others.

Corisu Li: I don't know when the next chappy will be up...gotta lotta thinking to do...but it'll be soon! Oh, and I want to thank some new reviewers: Lylli Riddle, Lys, and Chicka() <~~~hope that thingy was supposed to be there... ;). Pleeeeeease R&R or I really WILL kill Inuyasha!

One Month for Romance by Corisu Li

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One Month for Romance

Chapter Six: The Introduction of Mission: Almost Impossible

Chapter 6: The Introduction of Mission: Almost Impossible