Prologue
- A Hand with a Void -
The pain woke him up.
It started out as a slight tingling from his fingertips, a shot of
hot electricity crawling up his digits, pulling the skin taut, making his
hand look like a parody of a dead bird's claw. It was the same pain as
before, bringing with it the same feeling of dread, of being pulled into
the chasm of emptiness that waited for him at the end of his days.
He hoped, for the first time in a long while, that the pain was
lessening, that the events of two nights ago were finally beginning to
have a noticeable effect on his hereditary defect. But no! This time, it
felt as though the skin was peeling back, ripping at the seams. He could
almost smell blood and bone burning from his palm, as it often seemed to
exude, but it was him, his blood, his bones. The tingling was fast
becoming a tremor, and he knew, HE KNEW, that it wouldn't be long.
'My God, after all this time, after everything we went through! It
just wasn't fair! We killed him! NARAKU WAS DEAD!'
And, here he was, following him into the void. He gasped as the
sensation of ripping flesh shot through his arm. He clutched at the
rosary, and muttered a quick prayer, using the response as his mantra.
'NARAKU IS DEAD!' his mind chanted. He bit his lip as a spot of
blood soiled the sigil on the flap of cloth covering his right palm. The
sight drew a bitter chuckle from his taut lips, and was all he needed to
shake himself from the stupor that would, in time, have killed all that
he held dear.
The sudden realization permeated his being and filled him with
calm. Enlightenment comes at the oddest time.
When did it happen?
When did the six people in this room suddenly become 'family'?
He hissed between clenched teeth as another bite in his hand
wrenched him from his ill-timed musings. One thing was clear: he was not
going to let his family suffer the same fate that awaited him.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he forced himself up from the warmth of his
pallet. Reaching for his staff that was leaning against the wall, he
carefully closed his good hand over the brass rings so as to prevent
their jangling.
The fire in the hearth had long since died down and only the
glowing embers remained. He crossed over to the adjacent side of the room
and knelt beside the sleeping bundle that was the female Tai-jiya. With
more daring than he would credit himself, he leaned down and brushed a
soft, almost gossamer kiss over her shoulder.
She, almost in immediate reaction, squirmed, and for a moment, the
monk was sure that he had blown his stealthy escape. But she soon
settled, however, to nestle a smaller, more fragile bundle closer, the
younger Tai-jiya.
With a deep breath and silent thanks, he drew himself up, and
ambled over to the door. He gave a moment's notice to their sentry.
Inuyasha sat, Tetsuaiga at the fore. After a moment, and an unanswered
gaze, the monk eased the bamboo flap aside and stepped into the chilly
dawn air.
The sky was a rich purple hue interspersed with streaks of indigo
blue. Cocks crowed in the village, and the day was beginning. The monk
limped hurriedly through the tamed forest, knowing that time was not on
his side.
The world around him passed in a green blur, punctuated by sharp
red stabs that urged him to push even just a little bit harder. He had no
idea how long, or how far he had walked, until he left the forest behind
him and came to a clearing.
He stumbled to his knees, the staff falling down into the still
damp grass. A breath, then another, then he cautioned to look at the
surrounding, worried that a shanty or some small farm was in the area.
Neither were there, but a familiar well was in the corner of the
periphery.
What if, his crazed and addled mind ventured, what if the future
held some cure for him? Some way that he could be rid of curses, and
demons, and women who carried hulking boomerangs that couldn't figure out
their feelings in time, and somehow build a life for himself?
'No, I don't think that'll happen.'
A masochist he was not. No, he was not going to set himself up for
another fall. So, instead he just kept on walking. Away from the well.
Away from the memories. Away from his friends. Away from any false hope
that hinted of salvation.
Away from her.
Then suddenly, he couldn't walk anymore. He couldn't breathe, as
though the air came into his lungs like liquid fire and seared his nerves
and boiled his blood. His eyes widened, and he fought against the forces
on his body, trying hard to make some stand, some effort to fight this
curse once and for all.
Why was he even trying? Why was he even fighting it?
Because if she was there, she would be screaming at him to fight
for his life. And he was not one who would try and disappoint a lady,
especially one that would fight alongside him.
He felt the prayer beads shatter under the strain of holding his
Kaza-ana in check. Blood spurt freely as his palm was stripped away,
before collapsing into the singularity.
The blades of grass shook as if in a typhoon, and he could feel the
wet loam under his left hand shake itself loose from mother earth. He was
beginning to defy gravity as his legs were tilting upward, where he had
stretched his right hand, and now where the void was now affixed. He
heard a demented scream and realized belatedly that it was his own.
His arm was being pulled into the vortex, and the trees at the edge
of the clearing were beginning to uproot, showing the erosion within the
area. He wondered if this was what the youkai that had met the business
end of the Kaza-ana felt as they fell in. 'Well, that's karma for you,
Houshi-sama.'
"Yes, Sango," he would have loved to toss back, convivially, "karma
would say that."
And then, just when everything was about to collapse into itself,
Fate decided to be cruel one more time...
"Come back, Miroku!"
---
Follow Suit
by Nikholas "elfSwitch" F. Toledo
a light-hearted Inuyasha continuation fic of 13 tricks
---
Chapter 1
- Fourth Best Opening -
Hajime woke up.
He sat up, in bed, of course, and was breathing heavily. Sweat was
beading all over his naked chest, and his hand flew to the light-tap
bedside lamp.
His room was still, of course, as he left it. A poster of a sleek
new Jaguar in that Sting commercial contrasted sharply with a framed
block print of "Lovers in the Snow" on the opposite wall. His 29" TV
still hummed right next to his hi-fi sound-surround Dolby 5.1 Altec
Lansing sound system. The moderately filled shelves with CDs, DVDs and
books of his study table, which eerily housed just his bookbag, unopened
since the start of vacation. The phone was, well, there.
It was weird for things to be familiar and not so familiar at the
same time. He somehow felt like he was inside someone else's head, living
out someone else's life. Had he woken up from a dream, or woken into one?
It was too vivid, too challenging, as though his life would end by
his own hand. Why? When?
He threw off the blanket, and stepped over to kill the A/C. A step
more, and he thumbed open the light. The afterimages of the dream
vanished like dream-eaters off to find easier prey.
His irritation grew even more as he pulled on his robe, sleep
neglected for the day. "Who IS she?"
---
The side of the tub felt cold against her skin. She was sitting on
the bath stool, leaning her head against ceramic edge, idly watching the
hot water flow endlessly into the tub.
Steam rose around her, reducing everything to a hazy blur, giving
her an impression of being lost in another weird dream. A weird dream
where she was sitting naked inside the furo waiting for the tub to fill.
"Kagome?"
And in the dream, Sango stepped in to join her in the bath with
nothing more than a towel and a puzzled frown.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Kagome easily replied. "Just thought I'd want to see the
water flow into the furo. It's strangely therapeutic, you know?"
"There-a-where?"
"Nothing," Kagome breathed once more, turning to her friend.
"Nowhere. It's where we are."
Sango had a slightly alarmed look on her face. "Kagome-chan, we're
in the bath. And it's four in the morning."
Kagome turned off the hot water. She brought up a damp face towel
and started to lather it with soap. "Would you like me to scrub your back
for you, Sango-chan?"
Sango still had a look of askance, but nodded, and took a stool to
sit on. She tentatively sat, and looked over her shoulder at her friend
who began to methodically run the soapy towel in swathes down her back.
"Ne, Kagome. Why are you up so early?"
Kagome paused for a moment, as if thinking of what she was about to
say next. "I dreamt I wanted to take a bath, so here I am." She shrugged
and continued on with her scrubbing.
For a moment, Sango's breathing was the only sound in the bath.
Kagome then came to the middle of the back. She stopped scrubbing,
and felt the scar just to the left of her spine. The black coincided with
the uneven texture of mottled flesh, freshly healing and riddled with
infections past. Kagome knew all this, because she helped her heal,
slowly and grievously.
Kagome stopped prodding Sango's back. "This must have hurt."
Sango heard the washcloth drop to the floor and felt the heavy
weight of the other girl's body slumped against her back. "Kagome?"
"Inuyasha." She could no longer fight back sobs. "I- I failed him."
---
Breakfast at the Higurashi household has always been a family
affair. A prime example of controlled chaos at its best. The shogi doors
suddenly burst open to admit her energetic young son with his slightly
dazed companion in tow.
"Morning Mom!"
"Ohayou, Higurashi-san."
She smiled serenely as she passed them two steaming bowl of rice
the moment they sat down. "Ohayou."
"Kohaku-niisan we'd better hurry, you don't want to be late on your
first day in junior high."
A chopstick clattered on the laquered table top only to be picked
up by shaking fingers.
"Un."
"Shota-kun knows all about being late for school on the first day,"
Mrs. Higurashi cheerfully supplied for the obviously discomfited Kohaku.
"I remember when I had to drag him literally kicking and screaming from
his bed--"
"MOM!"
Kagome stepped into the dining area, and added kindling to the fire
of Shota's embarrassment. "And the year before, he was so nervous, his
bed had this big, wet--"
"Kagome!" Shota nearly flew at his sister, wanting to somehow stop
the photo album of his childhood's worst memories from opening to another
page.
"Morning Mom," She greeted before calmly sitting across her irate
brother. "Don't worry Kohaku-kun, after that summer crash course i put
you through, you'll do fine."
Kohaku forced a smiled. "H-hai. Arigato, Kagome-neechan."
"Isn't it your first day in your new high school as well, Neechan?"
Shota said around his fish.
This time it was Kagome's turn to look a bit squeamish. "Ah, yeah."
"Oho! Seems like everyone's here." Ojisan walked in and sat down.
He was followed by Sango, who just finished with her early morning
sweeping. He perked up and patted the space beside him. "Sango, my girl.
Why don't you take a seat right here."
"OJISAN!" Kagome automatically pulled Sango down to sit beside her
instead and sent the old man a quelling glance.
Mrs. Higurashi deftly handed out three steaming rice bowls. "Dad!
Don't tease her."
Sango bristled in remembrance as the face of another kindly monk
overlaid itself over the ojisan's features. She sighed heavily and picked
up her chopsticks in resignation.
Mrs. Higurashi smiled, looking forward to what the first day of
spring have in store for her new family.
"Itadakimasu!!!"
---
"Can you please pass the pepper?"
The person on his right reached over with a beefy hand to hand him
a largish silverware shaker.
"Danke," he intoned as he liberally flavored his Salisbury steak
and eggs with seasoning. He passed the shaker back.
"OJ?"
A pitcher from the left, and a glass nearly heaped with ice cubes
from his right. The glass was filled by practiced hands, and the pitcher
was passed back. A swirly straw and a small purple umbrella was then
added for effect.
For the next few moments, the utensils and ceramics were making the
only music in the room.
"Hey," a hushed whisper said, "why are we eating here?"
"You're new?" A head nodded in affirmative. "Then shut up and eat!"
a whisper hissed back.
"Chili, please."
"The red? The green? The powder or the paste?"
The young man at the head of the table paused to contemplate the
question for the moment. "All of them."
"Really, I mean, don't you usually eat in the kitchen?"
"If the master says we eat with him, we eat with him. Now shut up
and wait for him to ask for-"
"Mustard?"
"Quick! That's your cue!"
All heads turned to watch the newbie. The young master merely
raised an inquiring eyebrow.
"Oh! Oh, right."
Twenty hands waited for the meal to recommence. The bottle of
mustard was hurriedly placed in the growing metropolis of kitchenware at
the head of the gathering.
"Good work!" someone said. "No spillage! Keep it up, you might be
working on soy sauce next!"
"What a weird household," the newbie muttered.
---
Spring came early this year.
Kohaku heard people commenting on how beautiful the sakura were,
which prompted him to stare pensively at the few trees that dotted the
paved road, littered with their blossoms.
Everything seemed to be happening so fast. He felt like he was in
danger of loosing sight of who he was in this strange place, in this
strange time. He looked at his sister and believed that she shared the
same sentiments as well.
"Ne, Sango-neesan, " Shota tugged at her sleeve in mid-stride get
her attention. "Aren't the sakura pretty?"
"I don't know." Kohaku replied in her stead, "I like the momiji
better."
Shota glowered at the older boy, his hand clutching tighter at
Sango's sleeve, "I'm sure Sango-neesan would find the sakura blossoms
prettier."
Kohaku and Sango exchanged a look over the boy's head. Shota turned
and smiled at his sister knowingly. "YOU like sakura blossoms, don't you
Kagome-neechan?"
"Um, yeah."
Spring, with it comes change, rebirth.
He hazarded a look to his sister, and wondered for the first time
what this spring would bring to them. Moreover, he was wondering if this
"school" that he was going to was going to be anything like the training
regimen their father had given them over the last few years. From what
Shota was telling him yesterday, it seemed like a mix of explaining why
things were as they were, like why his sister's Hiraikotsu was shaped
that way, to repeated exercises, like when his father insisted that he
try to hit wooden post with his chained sickle from dawn till dusk. If
anything, it sounded pretty much like a day-care center, if he knew what
a day-care center was.
"Hey, we're here!" Shota pulled at his sleeve this time, making him
wonder if Kagome's brother had been nursing some sort of affectionate
aggression toward everyone he knew.
He noticed it then. They were surrounded. Everyone, at least every
student his age, was wearing the same thing - dark blue jacket, matching
pants, shiny leather shoes - that Shota and he himself was wearing. Each
student, of any age, was sporting an open face, full of story and reunion
with friends, completely at ease in this daunting environment. And there
he was, looking as pressed and tight as the clothes he was wearing.
"Kohaku."
He started at his sister's voice, something soothingly familiar in
an otherwise alien montage. "Aneue?"
Sango leaned down until they were nose to nose. "Ganbatte ne." She
smiled, ruffling his hair. "Be sure to tell me all about your day later."
"H-hai."
At Shota's frantic waving, and the girls' gentle prodding, Kohaku
walked on to take on junior high school.
---
Kamo sat in his seat, grit his teeth and beared it like a man on a
bump car gone amuck. He could swear that his ward was grinning from ear
to ear, even though he (incredibly) was sitting composed and upright in
the driver's seat, calmly going through the motions of shifting from
third to fourth gear in a two-lane street, while making sure that the
left side of the car was touching the ground after the hairpin turn they
had taken at 80.
A quick side-long glance at the driver's serious face confirmed
that at he was at least keeping an keen eye on the road. That in itself
was a small measure of comfort.
'Hmmm... never knew there's a seven eleven here... A school, an
all-girls school perhaps? Wish summer was here, those long skirts are a
definite turn-off. Oh, a pet shop, wonder if they sell one of those
pythons that grow to 15 feet. Better yet, if the snake comes with a girl
in a two piece bikini...'
Kamo, of course, remained blissfully unaware of the inner ramblings
that went on in his ward's head. If he had known that the young master
was not paying attention to the road, but to the surroundings, he would
have been quacking his head off.
But then again, there were times that he was still hard press to
quiet, especially when it involves innocent pedestrians. Specifically the
one that was crossing the same street on which the young master was
rampaging.
"Look out for that young lady!!!" Kamo squawked.
"Huh?"
---
The car was careening through the street, and Sango knew danger
when it was coming, so she wasn't changing course because a sleek souped-
up hunchback 1995 Civic going toward her at breakneck speed. She was Tai-
jiya after all. A wheeled tin can was no bakemono, it wasn't even a
mononoke.
However, it was screeching from sheer complaint of a vehicle going
past its speed capabilities, and of brakes, screaming user abuse. That
made the course of the car dangerously erratic. As it nosed its way
toward her in a jittery spasm, she sidestepped, keeping the driver of the
car in her sight as it -
High forehead. Deep purple eyes. Jaw set in concentration.
"Houshi-sama?"
- sped past her, where it took a quick turn into the corner she'd
passed.
She only then realized that she'd taken the top of a trash
receptacle, and was planning to let fly.
---
"Oh," Hajime glanced at the rearview mirror and frowned at the girl
who was holding something suspiciously like a garbage can cover as if she
was planning to practice a discus throw, "THAT young lady."
---
A car honked. Several muted screams. The smell of burnt rubber.
The young man turned around and stood his ground.
A car pulled to a screeching halt in front of him, a hair's breath
from his immaculately pressed slacks.
The man merely frowned in annoyance and shouted at the manic
driver, "Oi, baka! You're late."
Hajime, of course, didn't hear the man's retort, as he was talking
to his driver. "Thank you for driving me to school today." He winked,
kind of obviously. "Have them bring the Jag for me later. I may need a
car with more... leg room."
Kamo-san just nodded, barely able to look like he wasn't shaking
from an experience he was yet to share in a talk-show about near-death
experiences. He drove away, making sure to wave at everyone who saw.
"Ohayo, Nobunaga-kun," he chirped, trying to keep from sounding
snide.
Hajime stopped in mid-stride and spared his watch a passing glance.
As he did, several girls, most of them incoming freshmen, gave him a
once-over and nodded their assent. Yes, definitely a keeper.
He lifted his head and the moment was over. Just like that, faster
than a bat of an eyelash. The girls feigned an air of casual nonchalance
as they continued on through the school gates.
He looked over at Takeda and sure enough, his eyeballs were close
to popping out of his head. How is it that girls could check a guy out
and not look as if they're even remotely interested. While guys on the
other hand...
"Pretty, pretty ladies! La-la-lots of fresh blooming flowers."
Hajime sighed. This was one occasion he did not want to proven
right and Takeda with his god-awful impromptu singing was not helping at
all.
"You were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago."
Yes. Nobunaga Takeda has always been a stickler for punctuality.
Especially when it comes to checking out the prospects for the new school
year. "Why, who came? Maiko Yuki?"
"No." Takeda answered distractedly, zeroing in on a fairly
attractive freshman who was just outside the gates. "But she on the other
hand will do just fine."
"Man, I'll believe you when I..."
The two gentlemen-pervert stared at the long-haired beauty that had
just passed through the gates. Her hair was airy and billowy, finely
stringed smoke in clouds behind her body. Her body was well-shaped, lithe
and spry, from her ankles to her not-too-muscular calves, along the
tapering of her skirt to her waist, before generously cradling the curves
of her torso. Add to that her delicate, white neck, and an open, curious
face.
"Ahh... the perfect freshman." Takeda intoned, his eyes going back
briefly to the girl's ample endowments, "Young, sweet and very
impressionable. I say she ranks a 10."
"..."
"9.5?" He asked, suddenly brandishing a scoreboard out of thin air.
"..."
"Awww, c'mon! She's got to be at least an 8.98!" Takeda whined,
turning antsy at his companion's lack of response. "And that's just
because we haven't seen her in a swimsuit yet."
"That face." Hajime rubbed a finger against his chin thoughtfully
as the girl walked to a bulletin board. "I know that face."
"You do!?" Takeda wasted no time, pulling Hajime in her general
direction, as she now was on the way to the gymnasium, "Well, let's go!
You miser! Keeping such a beauty on the sly - you've got to introduce
us!"
They intercepted her on the way, near the covered walk. "Why,
hello, there," Takeda gamely said, voice already slippery with years of
panache training. "You seem to be new here. We're part of the freshman
welcoming committee."
"Kagome... -sama."
The girl turned around, a look of shock etched on her otherwise
beautiful face. She hardly spared Takeda a glance, her eyes riveted
solely on the young man standing beside him.
"Huh?" Takeda looked to his friend, who was now covering his mouth
as though he'd spoken out of turn.
The girl seemed to mouth the word "How?" on her dainty lips. Her
eyes were drawn to Hajime's face with some dread and anticipation, as
though she was trying not to blink and have him disappear.
"Well," Takeda muttered, not willing to lose to his wealthy rival.
Aloud, he motioned to Kagome, "me and my GOOD FRIEND here," he grabbed
Hajime's shoulders, "were here to make an early survey of the incoming
batch, to find out where they lived, and their names, and their telephone
numbers, and their brand of shampoo...," he trailed on, as Kagome was
just now registering his presence with a strange look. " - for the school
paper!" he quickly added.
Kagome turned her attention back to Hajime, in askance. Finally,
his instincts kicked in. He suavely continued. "We could interview you
later, so that we can have our photographer take a few prints." He winked
at her cautiously, as though anticipating retaliation from... somewhere.
Red and white and glaring yellow streamed through his mind.
"S-Sure. Later," she called to them, as she started on the way to
the gymnasium. The two seniors trained their eyes on her back for
different reasons, until she stopped and turned on her heel. "Excuse
me... sempai? I... didn't get your name."
Takeda smiled to himself as he corrected the shoulder of his
jacket, and opened his mouth.
"Hajime. Mizuguchi Hajime."
Takeda turned to his friend, who had spoken when she was very
obviously talking to Takeda. "Eh?" was all he could muster.
But the girl was already nodding. "Hajime," she said. "I'm Kagome.
Higurashi Kagome. It's nice to meet you."
---
The bell on the doorway chimed, Sango looked up from the supplies
list to see a young harried woman enter the shop. She seemed to be
struggling with her textbooks, a knapsack and an over-sized jacket.
"Oh, thank goodness you came in early today. I was cramming for an
exam and woke up late this morning."
Sango put the list aside and let herself be amused by her co-
worker's dramatic hysterics. "Oh my God, the test is TONIGHT!" Even
Kagome was never this bad before her midterms.
"I'm gonna FAIL!!!" the smaller woman cried as she waddled around
the counter to forcibly yank open a cabinet and shove her books inside.
"And good morning to you too, Michiko." Sango replied as she calmly
handed the girl her uniform.
Michiko glared at Sango as she put on her apron, which sported a
yellow chick in the middle. "Well, Miss Cranky-pants, I don't see how YOU
can be so chipper in the morning." She hugged a nearby bag of catfood. "I
miss my ba-bu SOOOOOOOO much." She wailed as she dropped the bag to a
table. "We haven't seen each other for TWO DAYS, all because of this
frickin' exam." She turned to stare at the taller girl with big eyes. "No
wonder you're so cranky, you don't even have a BOYfriend!"
Sango, on the other hand, had been working in the shop for quite
some time now, and was used to her co-worker's mood swings. "Yeah, yeah,
I'm happy-happy for you. I'll make sure the dogs you wanted as a wedding
present don't get sold."
"Oh, oh, come now, my dear Sango-chan." Michiko slid to the ex-
exterminator's side. "Hard to imagine that you haven't had at least ONE
boyfriend. I mean..." Michiko stopped in mid-thought when something
suddenly clicked into place... "Oh! Oh... oh. Maybe you DID had a
boyfriend. But alas, he died a tragic death. And you swore that you will
never love another and vowed to find him in the next lifetime."
Sango turned from healthy pink to snow white so quickly and to a
dreadful gray soon after, her mouth barely hinged closed.
Michiko turned to her friend with dewy eyes and sniffed,
"AAAAaaaaah! That's SO romantic!" She didn't quite notice her friend's
discomfiture, and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Or maybe you swing the
other way?" She grinned cattily. "Not that I'd mind." Sango didn't even
notice the look-over Michiko gave her. "I mean, you do have a body, and
not to mention such a tight-"
Chime.
Michiko turned to the door in a heartbeat and smiled broadly.
"Welcome to Piyo Piyo Pet Shop."
---
Takeda and Hajime were out of the door of 3-A just as the 2:30 bell
rang.
"Hey, man!" Takeda boisterously cajoled. "Man, have you got it bad
for that frosh! Woo-hoo!" He even clapped Hajime on the back once for
good measure. "I mean, so she's number one right now? We haven't even
started to compile our yearly top ten list. Hey, remember?"
No matter what jostling and harassing Takeda made, Hajime just
walked on, like some zombie.
"I mean, what about number two? Miss Golden Week? Or the babe of
the athletics festival? The cultural festival? Hottest babe in a
yukata?!"
The bigmouth almost fell over when his friend and rival stopped.
"What?!" Takeda sputtered.
At the gate, Kagome was standing, apparently waiting.
"WHOA!" This time, Takeda stepped in front of Hajime, to make sure
he wasn't going to keep him out of the conversation. "Wait! Wait! Don't
you think she's waiting for someone... like a boyfriend?" Sure he was
grasping at straws, but it never hurt to make someone pause while you
take the loot and run.
Kagome turned and saw them. "Miro-! Err... Hajime-sempai."
Flabbergasted, Takeda walked behind his once-again triumphant
colleague and suffered in silence.
"Higurashi-san, what can I do for you?"
"I know this may sound weird, but..." Kagome hesitated for a
moment, as if considering her next statement.
"Yes?" Hajime prompted.
"Can I see your hand?" She hastened to add, "Your right hand?"
"Huh?" Hajime started at her odd request, the hand in question
clenching reflexively. "Why?"
Takeda saw an opportunity and threw in his hand, "Here's mine. Care
to tell me my fortune? I've been told that I have a long life line and a
strong love line."
Hajime put his right hand, palm up, on his friend's hand.
Kagome took the hand Hajime offered and lightly, and very slowly,
traced a circle around the center of his palm.
The action send shivers up and down his spine.
She pulled her hands back, and let Hajime shake a few moments more.
Takeda pocketed his hand sulkily.
"Hajime-sempai, I'd like for you to meet someone."
As if on cue, a sleek green Jag pulled up in front of the three.
Kamo, alighted from the driver seat and presented the keys to Hajime,
"Your car, sir."
Hajime merely waved away the keys and clamped a hand on Kamo's
shoulder. "You drive, her directions." And with that, he opened the door
and ushered Kagome to sit up front. This made Takeda wonder even more,
as he stepped into the back seat.
Kamo was staring at his master, then at the girl, then at the
master's close friend, then at the keys in his had. He raised his head
and said, "Oh boy."
---
"Piyo-Piyo Pet Shop."
Takeda stared at the garishly colored signboard and grinned at
Kagome. "Do they happen to sell some piyo-piyo chicks as well?"
"It's actually owned by one of the richer families in the area."
Kamo commented.
"Really?" Takeda glanced back. "Piyo-Piyo Pet Shop? Man, do they
have a weird sense of humor."
"Indeed," Kamo replied dryly. "Pardon me, young sir, but is Takeda
your first or your last name?"
"My last name. My first name is actually Nobunaga." Kagome glanced
at him in surprise, Takeda seeing the spark of interest continued, "But
Takeda sounds more... approachable. Besides, using the name Nobunaga
makes me feel like I'm living under someone else's shadow."
Kamo merely raised an eyebrow and slanted a look towards Hajime. "I
see."
Kagome pushed open the door and entered the shop.
Chime. "Welcome to Piyo-Piyo... Kagome. Are classes over for the
day?"
"Ah, Sango-chan. I'd like you to meet someone."
Chime. "Sango."
High forehead. Deep purple eyes. Jaw set in concentration.
"Houshi-sama?" Sango mouthed the words, but no sound came out.
"Sango-chan?" Kagome looked worried.
Chime. "Hey, there aren't any chicks here. Oh."
This was the point when Sango did something that no self-respecting
Tai-jiya would ever do when faced with an adversary or... an old comrade.
Her eyes rolled over to the back of her head and she fell dead faint.
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