Unexpected Places

Disclaimer: I wish, I wish upon a star....ah, fuck it. Thank you Rumiko Takahashi for letting my imagination run wild.

A Certain Inu-youkai

“You and your damn nicknames,” Inuyasha replied irritably.

“Would you prefer I call you puppy?”

“What?” Disbelief and disgust crossed his face. “Hell no!”

“I guess dog-boy it is,” she said wading toward the shore. As he shook off dry and put his hakama on, she walked towards the hut to change herself. Toka followed her.

“So, you say there is a weird sense of evil near the mountains and in the surrounding area?”

He meowed. He was now sitting on her futon as she changed into a dry yukata.

“Did you tell the others?” she asked.

“Mrrrow”

“No? Well, you better get started tomorrow morning because it is a long journey. Make haste and come back as soon as possible. I want to know what they have to say.”

“You dressed?” Inuyasha asked impatiently as usual.

“Yeah, come in,” she said.

“Neara is a pretty weird name. It doesn’t sound like a common human name to be given to a miko.”

“Because it isn’t. My father studied old texts of the Godds. My name means ‘blue-eyed wonder’,” she explained truthfully.

“Well, it does fit you.”

She eyed him, “You suck at giving compliments.”

“I try,” he replied sitting on his futon. “Are you gonna change these bandages or not?”

“I was thinking about it,” the blue-eyed human said.

“Exactly the fucking thing you’d say…. Damn women,” he grumbled.

“Oh please… don’t be so nice to ME.” Her voice dripping with sarcasm as she glared at him.

“Oh no…” he crossed his arms in a rebellious position turning his head not to look at her, “Fat fucking chance, wench. You can’t win me with that look.”

“So now my name is Wench and not Neara… Alright Inuyasha this is the How to Say My Name Class. Its reeaal easy so even you can’t screw it up. Now repeat after me. Ne…ar...a. Now it’s your turn.”

What pissed him off dearly was the way she spoke. Like he was some small kid learning how to read. “What the fuck?!--- I’m not some pup, Neara!”

“Well, at least when you’re angry you yell my name.”

“Since that little display, you’ll be lucky if I say it at all,” he added.

“Quit acting like a jackass…. I believe you’re the incarnation of stubborn, jerk, rudeness, and maybe stupid, but I haven’t made up my mind yet,” she chided.

“Damn unruly woman.” She quickly applied the salve with nimble fingers and bandaged him before she put in her last say.

“You’re lips are flappin’, but I don’t hear a damn thing coming out, dog-boy…. Go to bed before something else happens today.”

He mumbled something so low under his breath that she couldn’t hear him. She closed her eyes smiling, knowing that she had gotten the last word.

***

The day had gotten warm and she was cooling off under the shade of a great willow tree near the river. Inuyasha was close by pouting. A week and a half had passed by and his wound was finally starting to close slowly.

For some reason today, he was in a gloomy and grumpy mood so she simply left him to his own devices.

It was hitting noon and she could feel the temperature settle a couple of degrees higher. This heat itself was enough to make her even grumpy.

Slowly she stood and made her way to the river. She stripped down to her simple yukata and slipped into the cool refreshing water.

Neara hydrated herself before lying back to slowly float down the river. She closed her eyes to shield them from the sun and didn’t open them until it was close to evening.

The sun was setting and she was further away from her hut than she had thought.

“I should hurry back before the new moon comes out.”

With the new moon comes the danger of youkai at a higher risk. For some reason their activity rose during the night of the new moon.

She swam towards shore and squeezed most of the water out of her clothing.

Neara looked around to make sure no one was looking then jumped into the branches of a tree in a flash.

Her movements were a blur as she raced through the trees to her destination. The sun was dipping towards the horizon as she lighted on the ground a little ways from her home.

A crashing sound made its way to her ears and she almost fumed to think that her home was destroyed.

Racing to her hut in a humanly sprint, she discovered that her home was safe, but Inuyasha wasn’t. He was in a fairly large clearing deep in the forest from what her hearing could pinpoint him to be at.

She discovered that her present clothing would limit her movements.

Neara dashed into her hut almost jumping into a hakama and haori that closely resembled Inuyasha’s. Her haori was so long that it reached below her knees and was impossible to tuck in. Two slits were cut on the sides reaching her waist to allow for unlimited movement. It was slightly close fitting and tied five times in the front closer to her left arm. The sleeves were loose, long and billowed out to cover her hands. The collar reached up to protect her neck resembling the mandarin collar of the eastern mainland.

The material was a deep blue to cloak her in the shadows of the night.

“Thank you Uncle for the wonderful gift. My blessings go to you,” she said quickly filling her quiver slinging it over her back and grabbing her steel bow. This one she used in most battles that she considered emergencies.

She was out the door in a few minutes feeling the fallen leaves beneath her naked feet as she rushed to her destination.

To her surprise she found Inuyasha in a death match. He was currently being held by his throat in the air as he struggled to keep himself from suffocating. He glanced her way then looked at the setting sun to her left.

She turned to see it set and quickly draw back its fingers of light. Neara looked back and saw to her slight surprise the beginnings of Inuyasha’s transformation.

As his hair began to bleed into a midnight black, she quickly notched an arrow. Inuyasha gave her a final glance before she released her arrow full of power.

His final move was to use the rest of his hanyou strength to wrench himself free before the arrow was avoided by Sesshomaru. Inuyasha would have been struck if he hadn’t gotten away.

Neara was right behind the arrow and by his side.

“What the hell did you do to me?” he almost yelled clutching his throat catching his breath.

“Helping?” she guessed not knowing what kind of answer he was looking for.

He eyed her, “Well, whatever you did helped. Sesshomaru had a hard time putting a scratch on me.”

“So I guess the soap came in handy, huh?”

“When I’m fucking human and when everyone in the neighborhood wants to fucking kill me then yeah… it came in handy.” He was severely sarcastic unlike the actual mood of the situation. Surely the youkai was feeling a little irritated at being disturbed from his kill.

She hit Inuyasha over the back of the head. He winced touching his head and narrowed his eyes at her.

“Try that in the morning and see what happens then,” he said almost dangerously quiet.

“I will not apologize for interrupting a tender moment for you hanyou, but I do believe we have something to settle this moment,” the stoic brother remarked. Neara looked over her shoulder at the aristocrat.

“Who’s he?” she asked the hanyou turned human.

“My fucking bastard of an asshole half-brother,” he remarked looking away while crossing his arms.

He heard silence for a while then turned back, to his surprise, to see her facing his brother with a defiant, straight, proud back. He almost smiled and felt a tinge of pride at seeing her confront the pain in his ass.

She got into her thinking mode with one arm wrapped across her ribcage and the other resting on it with her index finger touching her temple.

“Let me get this straight…. You two are half brothers, but yet you are trying to kill Inuyasha and for what reason?”

“It does not concern you,” the emotionless Sesshomaru commented.

“Oh,” and she laughed, “Well, it seems to me that my companion is in danger and not in the right condition for battling. Especially you.”

“You, a mere mortal, fight this Sesshomaru. A mere weak female mortal. How dare you let her fight your battle.”

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, “She’s right bastard. I don’t think I’m in the right condition for kicking your ass right now.”

“Have you lost your sense of pride?”

“I lose a lot more than my pride on the new moon you jackass and you know that…. You’re such a dick. I’m surprised you actually remembered about the new moon.”

“Inuyasha, you must be pissed that he forgot your birthday, no?” she said a little too informal how the tai-youkai was concerned.

“Your tongue is too casual and your breath is too long for someone as yourself,” Sesshomaru regarded while the tips of his fingers on his right hand began to emit a yellowish glow.

Neara was completely baffled, “Huh? That was a little too…Oh shit.”

She jumped out of the way when the youkai flicked his wrist towards her and a whip that was formed from his power lashed out.

“Completely complex. Maybe you should have said that I was long winded or that I talked too much or…”

His whip lashed out again and she took to the sky. She only talked too much to get on the youkai’s nerves. Thank Kami that Inuyasha couldn’t see too well in the dark with his human eyes..

Sesshomaru disappeared, but she heard him right behind her. Neara turned in midair in time to catch his whip by her right forearm.

He yanked her towards him.

She caught his lightning fast fist heading towards her head and smirked at him.

The faint glint in his eyes was the only recognition of surprise.

“Ah, poor Sesshomaru. Thought I was a mere weak, female mortal, huh? Never judge a book by its cover or count your chickens before they hatch or…”

She laughed when she saw the expression of anger briefly cross his face then when he shoved her away.

Neara was falling towards Inuyasha as Sesshomaru charged after her. She turned to dive to the ground as her hand came forward to throw a barrier around the human man. She moved again to make herself parallel with the ground so to decrease her decent.

She passed through the barrier landing on all fours near Inuyasha.

“So why would your older half-brother want to kill you?” she asked as if she weren’t battling a tai-youkai and sitting by the fire winding down for the night.

The miko stood and brushed herself off.

“It’s all because he’s tai-youkai of the Western Lands. He’s trying to get rid of me to make himself, the lineage, and father look better. It’s all political shit, but mostly he wants to make himself look good. He wants to make sure that the false rumors are true and to not be known as the half-brother of a hanyou,” he explained.

“Oh, and he probably thinks that getting rid of you is wasting his time and at the same time thinks that he is the better one to do it,” she regarded as she stretched to get ready for round two.

“Yep! I killed all those other assassins out to get me. My favorite was Jaken. I loved the look on his face when I left him to balance on a log in a pond full of piranha youkai. It was great.”

“Fond memories, huh?”

“Priceless,” he remarked with a smirk.

She just laughed.

Once lunging out the barrier, Sesshomaru rushed after her. She met his advances by using her power to make a shield to block his poisonous claws.

The human pushed back and measured her opponent with her eyes trying to second guess him. He let his anger show in his movements when he charged her again.

She crouched low to welcome his attack.

The miko faked a low tripping kick to trick him and spun into a high roundhouse kick to the jaw. He crashed into neighboring trees. She dashed into the trees to finish kicking his ass and to stay away from Inuyasha. It was better if he did not see or know.

She stopped where he should have landed. Neara knew he wasn’t far so waited patiently and her patience paid off.

“You forget your place, human. You should never interfere with my battles…. The tai-youkai. It is punishable by death,” the ever present cold voice said.

“If it is punishable by death then how come I’m not dead yet?--- And besides, I don’t think trying to kill your brother would be putting myself out of place. It’s more like I’m returning the favor for what you did to him.”

“You idiot,” he sneered, “How could you befriend a tainted mutt? He is neither human nor youkai. The damn mistake should be rid of. And if I can not persuade you then you shall perish.”

All she could do was stand stock still as he rushed after her. His words hit her hard. Harder than any blow could.

How could he be a ruler if he didn’t know how to rule mercifully?

Her anger was like a boiling pot as it started to spill over the top of the rim. Her hands clenched into tight fists.

Her rage was so great that her power almost exploded out of her. The miko’s mind was so set on hurting him that she couldn’t concentrate on anything else.

She caught him by the throat as her mirage fell away and her true form was revealed, but none of this was seen but her eyes. The glowing white light receded to a hard icy blue.

“You forget your place youkai,” her voice was quiet and dangerous.

She used her other hand to pierce through his abdomen in the exact same spot where Inuyasha’s wound was at.

She brought his eyes down so she could look into them.

“I don’t ever want to see you again unless you have learned some mercy. Put that fang into good use. Your father gave it to you and not Inuyasha for good reasons.”

She let go to place a barrier around him. The shimmering blue light flickered around him encasing the youkai.

Neara reared her hand back flinging him away like he was nothing. The ball of energy flew somewhere close to the horizon.

The youkai’s blood burned away from her arm as she readjusted her clothing that had moved during the fight. Neara shook her hands to get the kinks out of them.

With a flick of her wrist she reinstated the spell to cloak herself once more. She could concentrate better if she didn’t have to disguise herself in battle.

She began to make the walk back to the now human hanyou. She turned around as if to make sure Sesshomaru was really gone then faced Inuyasha again.

“You must have defeated him,” he stated.

“Complete confidence, eh?”

“You’re here, he’s not. I say you got ‘em.”

“Well… technically he couldn’t get to you, we were matched and he walked off saying something about wasting his time or whatever,” she rambled using her hands to emphasize.

“Don’t be modest,” he insisted slightly.

“Well, I noticed that you didn’t get pissed when Sesshomaru mentioned about me fighting your battle.”

“I would have been if I wasn’t human and in pain,” he retorted.

“Need help back to the hut?”

“Yeah”

“Keh,” she imitated, “I’m gonna have to get used to this. When you’re human, you are way more open…. Damn, this is too much for me.”

“Keh,” he said.

She walked over and lent him a hand.

Inuyasha couldn’t help but think that she didn’t think of him as an abnormality or being tainted. She didn’t let him die and he didn’t know why. She even fought Sesshomaru for his sake.

“Why?” he mumbled mostly to himself.

“Why, what?”

He was slightly startled that she had heard him.

“Neara… why did you help me recuperate? Why did you defend me against the villagers and Sesshomaru? Why?”

She looked ahead to think about her answer as he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes.

“Hmm… Well, I guess that it’s not in my heart to let someone die. You didn’t show me any ill will and I figured that you were not evil or tainted.” She smiled as she had no problems telling him.

He shoved away from her in his disbelief, “But I am worse. I am repulsive. I am a tainted hanyou. How could you think I am worthy of your friendship?”

“You have merely been misguided. Hanyou or not, you are still a person and one with feelings. You might have been persecuted all your life, but I will never do that.” She sighed pitying him. People: Human, Godd, or Youkai, could be so cruel. She ran a hand through her hair as she stepped forward to place her hands on his shoulders.

“You might be reminded that you are neither human nor youkai, but I say that you are both human and youkai. Your human lineage gives you the power of feelings and your youkai lineage is strong and powerful. Never doubt your strength nor emotions. It makes up who you are and strengthens your determination to make a place in this world for yourself.”

She hugged him to give the hanyou her comfort. It helped and slowly he brought his arms up to hug her back and somehow it helped to comfort and relieve her fears. A burden was lifted from her shoulders.

She was happy.

He let go and she could see his eyes were bright with understanding and confusion.

“You are one in a million Neara. A great friend you are proving to be.”

Now she understood those insolent eyes he always showed. The look was plain as day.

He drove to make everyone see that he actually existed as a person and not a tainted and most dishonorable mistake.

Inuyasha was confused that she understood something he was trying to get across for years. She might actually hold the light to the end of his tunnel.

The woman in his dreams still haunted him. Her kindness was reflected in Neara’s eyes.

“So, how does it feel to be human for the night?” she asked knocking him out of his thoughts as they began to head for the hut again.

“Pathetic. I hate it. I can’t see, I can’t smell, I can’t hear, and I’m weak as hell. That’s how I feel.”

“And you're scared as hell that a youkai will kill you during this time,” she stated rather truthfully.

“Keh!” was his answer.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, I’ll put up a barrier around the hut. You don’t have to be an insomniac tonight.”

He physically relaxed. A real night’s sleep during the new moon. What a relief.

He fell fast asleep dreaming happily as the fire flickered back and forth casting Neara’s shadow on the walls while she prepared for bed herself. She stepped outside looking at the stars as they reflected their light back at her.

The wind stirred a little which made her turn her head to the north from where it originated. The Northern Mountains stood in the night, dark and gloomy casting an evil shadow that was gathering. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen soon. She looked out to her barrier she had cast earlier. It stood strong and unwavering that shone the softest of blue.

Again she turned her head but towards the east this time where she had originated from a long time ago. A place where Toka was heading towards. A place where she chose not to return to for the fear of returning memories. She had a feeling her ambassador was going to return with news that she knew all along, but they still at least needed to know of the situation. At least her uncle and a select few needed to know. The others could go to hell for all that she cared.

The wind shifted again bringing a bitter chill with it that made a slight shiver run up her spine.

“Hurry back Toka. I fear this new evil will not be resolved so easily as the others.”

Her fears were carried on the wind to disappear as she returned inside to retire for the night.

********************

A/N: I'm back. Actually I've been back for over a week now and I'm sorry I haven't posted sooner. Just had to find the motivation and I found it in my loyal subjects. Not much to say except that I hope you're enjoying it and I would like to thank my most loyal subject Peacemaker for being my motivation. You are the person! Since I have no clue what sex you are *sweatdrop*. Sorry. You have been a real help. *bows to kiss your feet*

Luv ya'll people. Please review and tell me how I've done and what I can do better.

IL20