Chapter 5: Chapter 5
I don't own Inuyasha so on and so forth yadayada yada.
If anyone can give me tips on how to paste multiple fonts and Italics without them finishing out the story from where they start, I'd be most grateful.
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An hour before dawn Shippo woke feeling no effects from the previous night. He was about to wake up Kagome when he was startled by Inuyasha’s voice,
"Let her sleep, runt. Come here."
Shippo jumped up and turned to where Inuyasha was leaning wide awake against the tree. He started to walk over to Inuyasha then stopped and asked suspiciously,
"Why are you gonna hit me already? I just got up and haven’t even done anything."
"I’m not going to hit you, unless you don’t get your ass over here." Inuyasha said quietly, "I want to check and make sure your arm is alright."
Shippo walked over and held his bandaged arm out to Inuyasha carefully, still not convinced dog-boy wasn’t going to hit him just for the hell of it. Inuyasha took his arm and lightly squeezed it watching Shippo’s face for any hint of pain. Seeing none, Inuyasha unwrapped the bandage trying to be as gentle as possible and looked at the cut frowning.
This little cut should have healed completely already. Shippo is a full demon, why the hell does it still look like a new scar? I’m gonna kick her ass after all if this doesn’t heal right. Inuyasha thought to himself before telling Shippo aloud, "You’re fine. A little toy like Karma’s isn’t enough to keep a tough little shit like you down for long. Let’s go find some eggs or something for breakfast so we don’t get stuck with clean-up, then we can wake these lazy idiots if they aren’t up when we get back."
Shippo’s chest puffed up with pride at Inuyasha’s compliment and he followed happily as Inuyasha stood and headed into the forest. Shippo spotted a nest not far away and climbed up to it, but Inuyasha, jumping up after him, picked up one of the eggs and shook his head after looking at it.
"We can’t use these ones the chicks are already formed inside." He said.
As they moved on Shippo asked how Inuyasha knew that and a torrent of other questions. Inuyasha answered some of them quickly and the others he ignored, for once not telling the kit to shut up and figure it out himself. They found suitable eggs and returned to camp not much longer after the sun had risen completely. The rest of the group was all in various states of waking as Shippo bounced happily into camp ahead of Inuyasha. He chirped excitedly about Inuyasha calling him tough and informed them that they were lazy, unlike him and Inuyasha who were up before sunrise to get them breakfast. Miroku, Sango, and Kagome smiled indulgently at Shippo, relieved to see that he was back to his normal self. Karma groaned and raised her hands to press on her temples and cover her face.
"I would trade every dagger I own for a cup of coffee," Karma grumbled into her hands causing Sango and Kagome to laugh.
"How about filling these kettles at the stream instead? I think it would be a fairer trade," Sango laughingly replied holding out the kettles Kagome had handed her before digging further into her bag.
"Laughing at my lack of caffeine could be the death of you two this early in morning" Karma threatened almost seriously as she lowered her hands to look at her friends. "You’re goddesses!" She exclaimed seeing Sango holding out the kettles and Kagome waving a container of coffee she had just pulled from the bag at her feet.
"I’m glad someone will admit it." Sango replied as Karma took the kettles and dashed off to the stream causing her and Kagome to laugh again.
As she filled the kettles Karma noticed a small solid looking log that had stuck to the bank. She set the kettles aside and picked it up to inspect it. Karma pulled out one of her small knives and scraped a section free of bark. Seeing that it hadn’t yet started to rot underneath, Karma took it back to camp along with the filled kettles. She handed Kagome the kettles and sat down pulling out the knife she had used to scrape the log by the stream. Watching fixatedly as Kagome set the kettles to boil on the fire, Karma absently scraped the remaining bark from the log onto the ground. She began to carve the smooth wood remaining but set it next to her quickly as Kagome began to hand out cups of coffee to her, Inuyasha, and Sango.
At Karma’s grateful but inquiring look Kagome explained, "My Mother got Inuyasha hooked on coffee a while ago and he insisted I start stocking it along with everything else I bring to this time. Sango likes it also, but Miroku and I prefer tea and I don’t think Shippo needs anymore energy than he already has so he isn’t allowed to drink it."
Kagome began to prepare the breakfast Inuyasha and Shippo had brought as they enjoyed their coffee and Miroku and Shippo sipped the tea Miroku had made while Kagome fixed the coffee. When it was finished she severed the men and Sango but when she started to hand a plate to Karma, the young woman shook her head saying,
"No thanks, food makes me sick to my stomach in the morning but if there’s any left in the pot I’d love to get myself another cup of coffee."
Kagome shrugged as Miroku answered, "There should be enough but Inuyasha may bite your hand off if you don’t get him some as well."
"I won’t take any chances then," Karma laughed, "I’m rather fond of both of my hands. Would you like another cup too, Sango?"
"No thanks, one cup a day is enough for me." Sango replied after chewing the food in her mouth.
Karma took Inuyasha’s cup and filled it along with her own. She handed Inuyasha his filled cup and sat back down next to her log. Karma sipped at hers and began to carve the log again as the others ate. She took her largest dagger from her side and measured the log against it, seeing that they were about the same length.
"Whatcha doin," Shippo asked around a mouthful of food.
"Don’t talk with your mouthful, its disgusting." Karma ordered before answering, "I’m making you a practice dagger so you don’t get cut learning how to use one."
"For me!? Wow!" He exclaimed with food shooting from his mouth.
"If I have to tell you again not to talk with your mouthful I’ll just toss this in the fire. I don’t want to see your chewed food. It’s bad manners besides being just out right disgusting." Karma stated with a frown.
Shippo nodded and watched her carve as he finished eating. By the time they all finished breakfast Karma had shaped the log into a slightly rough and thick dagger shape. She handed it to Shippo who started to swing it around in an almost perfect mimic of the way Inuyasha handled Tetsusaiga. They all watched the kitsune play for a bit before Inuyasha turned to Karma.
"How the hell did you make that so fast with your little toy?" He asked somewhat surprised.
"My little toys as you insist on calling them are all sharp enough to cut bone. At least the rest are I’ll have to sharpen this one soon." Karma answered before putting away the knife and calling to Shippo, "It’s a dagger not a sword, goofball. I’ll make it look better later on when I can find something to smooth it with."
Shippo ignored her and as the others began to clean up the site Inuyasha picked up a stick and went to sword fight with the kitsune, correcting him lightly when the child’s moves would allow a hit. They had been playing for a while before Inuyasha noticed the others had finished cleaning and were watching him with amused expressions. He blushed and Shippo got him with what would have been a killing hit if they had been using real weapons, causing him to grunt slightly.
"If you were done why the fuck didn’t you say so I thought wanted to get home Kagome. Let‘s go." Inuyasha snapped gruffly trying not to let them see his embarrassment.
Shippo looked a bit disappointed until Inuyasha murmured quietly, "Good hit, twerp." Then beaming with happiness the little kitsune leaped onto Sango’s shoulder as she climbed to the back of Kirara who had transformed.
"Do you want to fly with me, Karma? Inuyasha runs quite fast." Sango asked looking down.
"Fly? No, that’s alright. I can manage to keep up on my own two feet. Thanks anyway." Karma answered looking at her with an uneasy expression.
"Don’t worry I’ll keep you company." Miroku told Sango jumping behind her before she could attempt to persuade Karma to change her mind.
When they finally stopped at a sheltered spot to spend what was left of the day Karma collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. Inuyasha set Kagome down and looked at the woman on the ground highly amused and a little respectfully since she hadn’t complained once even when they had stopped for a quick lunch. Kirara landed and resumed her smaller size once Miroku and Sango dismounted. Shippo jumped from Sango’s shoulder landing right by Karma’s head.
"You can’t die yet Karma, you promised to make my sword look good." the kitsune reminded her laughing.
Laughing himself, Miroku added "I know just how you feel right now, Karma. Inuyasha can be a slave driver."
"Feh! You’re just a wimp monk. She didn’t complain once while you bitch worse than a woman." Inuyasha said, and then received looks from all three women that dared him to keep that line of talk up.
"Karma you really should have said something, I would have kicked Miroku off Kirara happily. You can fly with us in the morning." Sango informed her as the monk in question went with Shippo to gather firewood.
"I’m fine, I just need to lie here for a bit and catch my breath. I’m going to have to pass on the offer, Sango. If I’m this out of shape I need the exercise anyway." Karma replied as Kirara brushed against her hand. Petting her Karma said, "It’s nothing personal against you, Kirara. I just really must need the workout."
Miroku returned carrying the firewood but Shippo rushed to Karma with a large rough stone instead of bringing the sticks he was supposed to. Miroku just shook his head and after setting down the logs he had, he went back for the kindling Shippo must have dropped.
"Look what I found. Will this work to fix my sword, will it?" Shippo asked excitedly.
Karma sat up with a sigh and after taking the stone from Shippo’s hand she nodded.
"Yes, this will work I think. Give me your DAG-GER." She said emphasizing each syllable of the last word laughingly.
"It’s practically a sword for me anyway so that’s what I’m gonna call it." Shippo stated with a ‘so there’ voice.
"You’re as stubborn as Inuyasha, pipsqueak" She said as she took Shippo’s wooden sword and propped it on her thigh.
She began sanding the blade as Miroku returned with Shippo’s forgotten burden. Sango began grooming Kirara, while she talked to Kagome. After getting a fire going Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo started a noisy mock war in which Shippo kept switching allies when one seemed to win over the other. They had been goofing off for a bit when Kagome stopped talking in mid-sentence and looked out into the distance.
"I can feel two shards. They’re coming closer fast I think it might be…" She didn’t need to finish as the tell tale twister came to a stop beside her.
"Hi Kagome! Miss me?" Koga said grasping her hands.
"What the hell do you want fleabag? Get your damn hands off Kagome before I do it for you." Inuyasha shouted.
"Hello, Koga. How’ve you been? We haven’t seen you in a long time." Kagome said trying to distract Koga from the argument she knew would happen.
"I’m great now that I’m with my woman again. I’ve been hunting that bastard Naraku but I haven’t been able to even catch a rumor of him" Koga answered her deciding it would irritate Inuyasha more to ignore him for the moment.
"She’s not your fucking woman asshole. I’m gonna kill your ass this time I’m sick of your shit!" Inuyasha charged him only to be stopped by Kagome.
"SIT, Inuyasha. Koga how many times are we going to go through this? I’m really tired of you both acting like children." Kagome said sounding like she was talking to a child before continuing, "We haven’t been able to find Naraku either. Right now we’re going back to the village to see if the well will take Karma home to my time."
Koga looked in the direction Kagome pointed and his eyes widened a bit at the new member of their group.
"Hell Red," the wolf blurted out, "you could almost pass for a demon. If I hadn’t already given my heart to Kagome, I’d play a few games with you even though you’re a human."
Kagome rolled her eyes, Sango gaped in shock, and Miroku thought how does he manage to sound charming saying things like that? It would get me slapped before I could blink by all three of these crazy women. Shippo completely oblivious to the innuendo told Koga earnestly,
"We were playing war before you showed up. You could play too but Inuyasha would be on my team and he’d probably kill you for real. No I guess it wouldn’t be good for you to play after all." He ended with a perplexed look as the women and Miroku laughed.
"I’m not sure if I should be insulted or flattered," Karma laughed from her spot on the ground still sanding the wooden sword, "In any case I think it would be best to leave my playing to games that Shippo knows."
"Well if you change your mind, Red." Koga winked outlandishly causing her to laugh again, "It was a compliment by the way and as much as I’d like to get to know my woman’s new friend I have other places to be now. Goodbye Kagome, my love. Keep your hands off her mutt-face."
"Fuck you, she’s not your damn bitch." Inuyasha screamed at the retreating whirlwind before stalking off alone into the trees.
"Is he alright?" Karma questioned watching Inuyasha disappear, "That guy only seemed to be kidding around to me."
"Inuyasha and Koga always act like that." Miroku explained, "Inuyasha just wishes he had the nerve to talk as openly as Koga does, actually so do I. Don’t worry he’ll be back in his own time when he cools down then the same thing will happen next time we meet up with Koga."
A few hours later Karma stretched from her position and announced, "I need a break from grinding this damn dagg… I mean sword, Shippo. I’m going for a walk anyone care to join me?"
The others shook their heads no, but Kagome asked, "Would you mind trying to find Inuyasha? Dinner will be done soon and I don’t want it to get cold before you both eat."
"Sure but if he bites my head off, I fully expect you to sit him at least five times." Karma laughed as she followed in Inuyasha’s direction.
She hadn’t gone very far when the trees faded away into a meadow and she spotted Inuyasha sitting dejectedly on a fallen tree. She hesitated a moment not sure if she should intrude, but he looked so sad she decided to risk his wrath and walked up to him.
"What did the bitch send you because she was too busy thinking about that fucking wolf?" He snapped not bothering to look at her.
"I guess by "bitch" you mean Kagome, she was finishing up with cooking dinner when I left and I’m supposed to tell you to come back and eat before it gets cold." Karma said quietly.
"Well you told me now get lost." Inuyasha growled still with his back to her.
She stepped over the tree and sat down next to him instead and after a moment of silence asked, "Why do you always call us bitches? It’s degrading."
"Feh," he answered still not looking at her, "It’s not degrading you’re females that makes you bitches."
"I guess that makes sense with you being a dog-demon and all." Karma shrugged then asked, "Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?"
"The only damn thing bothering me is you." he replied immediately.
"You can lie to me but," Karma began, "your face says differently and you were the one who told me not to hold things in. I know how to keep secrets too and besides I’m leaving soon anyway if this well thingy works. I might be able to help make you feel better at least."
"It’s…" Inuyasha started and stopped then finally blurted in a rush, "It’s just I hate that bastard being free to tell Kagome how he feels about her when I’m not. I owe Kikyou, the girl Kagome was reincarnated from. I loved her long ago but it seems pale compared to how I feel about Kagome now. I can’t tell Kagome because I swore my life to Kikyou when we finally stop Naraku and get the Shikon Jewel back in one piece." He sighed and continued a little more slowly, "It wouldn’t be fair to Kagome to tell her then let myself die. Fucking Koga is always showing up saying things I want to say to her and I just want to kill the bastard. If Kagome would stop protecting the bastard I would have already."
"I think you should tell Kagome," Karma said firmly after a minute. "Even if you don’t think you can be with her, she has a right to know how you feel."
"It has nothing to do with rights," Inuyasha murmured, "Kagome is Kikyou’s reincarnation and knowing I let myself die by the original after I told her how I feel would hurt her too badly."
"Inuyasha," Karma waited until he looked at her to finish saying, "I think I can help you get over part of the problem as I see it, but if I tell you I need you to swear that you’ll never repeat what I say unless it comes to pass."
"I don’t think anything can help," He said mournfully, "but I swear not to repeat whatever you think will."
"Are you certain? I’ll have to read you to know you’re speaking the truth." She asked as she knelt down in front of him.
"Yeah, I don’t care. I said I swear it."
Inuyasha held out his right hand but she shook her head and took his left in hers and placed her right on his forehead. Her eyes eclipsed in blackness and Inuyasha felt a stir of power reaching into him. As it receded Karma’s eyes returned to their emerald hue and she lowered her right hand to encase his left in both her hands.
"Kagome isn’t Kikyou’s reincarnation." She stated looking directly into his amber eyes.
Inuyasha crushed her left hand in his and opened his mouth to speak. Without flinching from the intense pain that rushed from her hand Karma spoke first,
"Don’t interrupt, I’ll explain everything I know." she paused a second just in case he still wanted to, then continued, "Kagome’s soul is a protector and carrier for Kikyou’s. A true reincarnation is just the same soul reborn into a different body to gain new maturity. There’s no way for it to be divided because the old and new are still the same being. Even if old memories are awakened the most drastic thing that would happen is a split personality in the present body, where one life would be in control for a time then the other. When I read Kagome I saw a soul so pure and strong I was in awe, but hiding within that comforting safety was another separate soul. It seemed wounded and kind of lost to me. It was fragmented, like a part was missing, you know? I think that is the part of Kikyou’s soul that is afraid of a lesson she was supposed to learn in your original times. If the freed portion of her soul that doesn’t know about the failed lesson can learn it unguided I believe the soul will merger back together in peace. Then Kikyou would be able to move on as she was meant to and Kagome would be able to as well."
"Kikyou was meant to die that day the same as me. Kagome would still be hurt." Inuyasha said sadly looking into Karma’s eyes.
"You don’t know that Inuyasha. Life is strange. The only thing you can do is try your best and let the people you love know it before it’s too late." She paused a moment then asked, "Would you mind letting go of my hand now I seriously think you broke it."
Inuyasha opened his hand and looked down shocked to see Karma’s small hand was black and blue and that her knuckles were stuck out at an alarming angle. He set them back in their sockets with a wince and checked her hand to see if there were any broken bones.
"I don’t think I broke it just dislocated the knuckles and bruised it a shit load. Why the hell didn’t you say anything?"
Before she could answer Kagome broke through the trees and walked towards them.
"What are you doing? Dinner is waiting and it’s getting cold." She said as she reached them.
"I…ahh…I…um…" Inuyasha stuttered with an uncomfortable look at Karma who was kneeling in front of him.
"I asked Inuyasha to spar with me and only hold back enough to keep from killing me." Karma interjected smoothly and pulled her hand away from Inuyasha’s to hold it up for Kagome’s inspection before continuing, "I tried to block a kick and he dislocated my knuckles and bruised it a bit. Do you think you can tape it so I can’t bend my fingers for a few days? Inuyasha already popped the knuckles back into place."
"Inuyasha, how could you do that to Karma?! Kagome yelled shocked.
"Well she said only to hold back enough not to kill her." Inuyasha picked up the tale with relief that it was actually believable, "It’s not my fault she’s a stupid bitch. I am sorry about it though, Karma." He finished, looking her in the eye in hope that she understood what he was unwilling to say in front of Kagome.
"No problem," Karma said picking up the hidden message and returning one of her own, "the exercise did us both good and maybe next time it will be my turn."
Inuyasha nodded and helped her to stand. As the trio walked back to camp Kagome lectured Inuyasha for not holding back more when he knew how much stronger he was than Karma. Then she lectured Karma for actually making such a request to begin with. After they reached the camp, Kagome wrapped Karma’s hand and fed them both. The others listened to the story of what happened then they all gave the same basic lecture as Kagome had. That night after everyone else had fallen asleep Karma whispered,
"I know you’re awake, what’s wrong now Inuyasha?"
"When you read me earlier," Inuyasha asked, "what did you see? Do you think I’m worthy of Kagome?"
"I saw that you’re a stubborn jerk. Was Karma’s smartass reply.
"Very funny, bitch." he laughed sarcastically then said, "I’m serious I want to know what you saw."
"Inuyasha," Karma sighed, "you are a good person even though you try to hide it with gruffness. Everyone who takes the time to get to know you will agree with that. All people are good and evil at the same time, it’s only that one is generally more dominate than the other, I’m sure that goes for demons as well. If you’re asking do you have darkness in you the answer is yes, but the fact that you don’t let it control you makes you a good person. As for being worthy of Kagome, you need to ask her because she is the only one who can judge that. Now go to sleep and quit worrying."
"I’m glad you came to this time, Karma." Inuyasha said feeling more open in the darkness, "I used to think a person like you would be a great sibling when I was younger."
"I’ve been thinking the same thing about you, Little Brother." She said smiling into the darkness.
"I’m older than you, wench. Show some respect." Inuyasha said in response but didn’t tell her not to claim the title.
"I love you, too," Karma said mischievously, "Little Brother. Now shut up. I’m injured and need my rest before a slave driver runs me down in the morning."
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