Twist of time

Istra woke early the next morning to find herself alone curled up next to the fire with no sign of Rin or her master. “Bastard.” She muttered under her breath as she pushed herself up gingerly favoring her hurt arm. Lifting her sleeve she eyed the scratch, frowning she noticed that it was more of a scratch than she thought she quickly traced over it with her other hand immediately healing the wound. “Serves me right for waiting so long to heal it.” She grumbled as she stretched languidly raising her hands above her head. Touching the blade on her wrist in reassurance that the monk was fine. Sighing, she pushed to her feet only to press a hand to her growling stomach.
“Oh great. I really don’t want to go hunt.” She grumbled wearily as she deftly untangled her long locks before braiding them into a half braid making sure to cover her ears. Pressing the blade again for assertion, Istra turned toward the forest. Suddenly, she scented meat, fresh meat. Fighting back a growl Istra quickly stalked the scent to a few strips of meat laid out on a white piece of cloth. Leaning down she sniffed carefully for any hint of poison or decay. Grinning she quickly devoured the meat when she found nothing wrong with it. Now satisfied she studied the cloth, turning it over she found the imprint of a red flower. Her frown returned as she recognized the symbol. Then she shook her head. “There is no way that dog left me food.” She admonished as she turned back toward the village. Not before tucking the scrap of cloth into the folds of her Kimono.
She found Miroku sitting on the steps of his hut in deep meditation. Not wanting to intrude Istra silently began to back up.
“Lady Istra, please, come.” Miroku smiled as he waved a hand toward the area next to him. Nodding respectfully Istra lowered herself onto the steps next to him.
Miroku smiled warmly as he looked out over the village as it showed the signs of waking. “I did not sleep much last night.” He started. His gaze traveling toward his new acquaintance.
Istra nodded. “I’m sorry for that Monk, is there any questions I might answer for you?”
Miroku’s smile faltered slightly showing his true worry under all the outward good nature. “Well honestly, I’m just wondering why me. Which I am sure everyone that has these sort of things happen to them does. I just wanted to marry Sango and have beautiful children in a world of peace.”
Smiling sadly Istra nodded. “I can’t blame you. That does sound wonderful monk, but sadly for people like you and I, that is no option. The world will never be peaceful around us, but we can find happiness. Many, many others have.”
“But not you?” Miroku’s violet gaze caught hers.
Swallowing her pride, Istra shook her head. “No, not me.”
Just as Miroku opened his mouth to ask the dreaded question of why when Sango emerged from her hut brushing her long ebony locks. Istra couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she watched all of Miroku’s words dry up as he looked at the woman he clearly doted on.
“Good morning” Sango smiled at the two of them brightly. As she delicately jumped from her porch to Miroku’s taking his hand as he offered it to help her sit. “What are you two talking about?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah nothing really.” Miroku gently squeezed her hand as he rested it on his knee. “We were just discussing this whole thing.” He dismissed with a wave of his hand.
Sango met Istra’s gaze with a worried one of her own. “It’ll be alright.” Istra smiled reaching over the monk to pat the slayers hand gently. “I have faith in you two.”
Sango smiled in appreciation and opened her mouth to speak when the sound of several voices yelling drew her attention. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Istra who was on her feet in alarm. Sango waved Istra back down. “Oh don’t worry about them. An old friend stopped by to visit this morning and…well, let’s just say he and Inuyasha have never cared much for one another.”
Miroku chuckled. “Now there’s an understatement.”
Istra cocked an eyebrow at the unconcerned couple. “So this friend is someone you both know well?”
Miroku nodded understanding the point of her question. “We’ve known him for quite some time. Even fought beside him more than once. He is no threat to us lady Istra.”
Istra was about to take her seat again when a loud crash startled her. Cocking her head to the side, she looked questioningly at Miroku and Sango again. “All the same, I would like to meet him to assess that myself.”
Miroku nodded and rose to lead the way. As they rounded the corner, the sound of shouting increased in volume. Miroku laughed as they came to a stop at Inuyasha and Kagome’s hut. There, Istra saw Kagome with her arms crossed frowning at Inuyasha and another man whom she did not recognize.
“You want to start somthin with me dog breath!? Come on! I’ll have you flattened before you can blink!” The stranger taunted haughtily.
Istra leaned over to Miroku and arched her eyebrows in surprise. “He’s a friend of yours?”
Miroku nodded. “Yes. That’s Kouga.”
Istra looked at the man once more who was now circling Inuyasha. She could sense the power, strength, and rage emminating from him. He was well built from a human standpoint and undoubtedly a worthy opponent for most. She squinted at him as she watched him. There was something else about him. Something, indefinable. As he turned his back to her, she caught sight of his tail swishing about and smiled.
“Ah so that’s it. He’s a demon. And by the scent in the air, he must be some kind of wolf.”
Inuyasha was tensed and poised to spring at the young wolf. “You mangy wolf! What the hell do you think you’re doing comin around here!?”
Kouga scoffed at the question. “Why is it any of your business? I just came to see Kagome is all. Just cause she made the mistake of marrying you doesn’t mean I can’t still pay her a visit now and then.”
Istra looked over at Kagome who had placed a hand over her eyes as if to block out the image in front of her. Sango approached and stood beside Istra shaking her head.
“Those two. I swear they’ll never change.”
Istra looked over to Sango and then back to the scene ahead. “What’s going on here? What are they fighting about?”
Sango shrugged. “Nothing in particular I would imagine. They invent new reasons to fight every time they see each other. Like we said, the two of them have never been very fond of one another.”
At the sight of Istra’s frown, Miroku jumped in. “You see, Kouga has always professed a love for Kagome while Inuyasha was more unwilling to confess his feelings for her. Anyways, Kouga’s affectionate attention has always bothered Inuyasha and given him a type of disdain for Kouga.”
Istra maintained her confused expression. “I still don’t understand; why are they fighting over Kagome? I thought she was married and therefore mated to Inuyasha?”
Sango shook her head. “Kagome has never loved anyone but Inuyasha and her heart could never be turned to anyone but him. Kouga knows that. But he still comes around every now and again to see her just as a friend.”
She chuckled lightly. “Unfortunatly, his secondary motive is to infuriate Inuyasha by flirting with Kagome.”
Istra rolled her eyes and looked back at the white haired hanyou that was all but fuming as he stood before his wife. Bearing his fangs, he snarled at the wolf demon viciously. “You filthy flea bag! Why don’t you just tuck your tail and run back to your woman before I slice you to pieces.”
Inuyasha chuckled and lowered his voice. “Oh wait I forgot. You don’t have a woman.”
Kouga growled and ducked down ready to pounce. “I’m gonna shut that mouth of yours once and for all mutt face!”
Before he could break into a run, Miroku stepped out into the clearing with Sango in tow. “Ahem! Gentlemen, if you could please put your little squabble on hold, we have a guest who wishes to join us.”
Istra stepped gracefully onto the scene and tossed her long locks over her shoulder. Stepping up beside Kagome, she nodded to each of them in turn and then focused her gaze on Kouga.
Miroku extended his hand to gesture to the wolf demon. “Lady Istra, this is Kouga. Kouga, this is a new friend of ours, the Lady Istra.”
The wolf demon bowed to one knee and took Istra’s hand to bring it to his lips. “My Lady.”
As he raised his eyes, Istra could see that the man before her was taking notice of her form and took back her hand as quickly as possible.
“It is a pleasure to meet another friend of Miroku and Sango. You are a wolf demon are you not?”
Kouga nodded as he rose and crossed his arms over his chest to accent the muscles that he was so proud of. “That’s right. I’m the leader of the Eastern wolf demon tribe.”
Istra could barely keep from rolling her eyes. The man was all cockiness and pride and she found both to be insufferable.
Deciding to get her investigation of him over with quickly, she started to ask another question when Inuyasha spoke. “Don’t bother with him. He’s just a flea bag that doesn’t know when to get lost.”
Kouga turned his attention back to Inuyasha with a growl. “Hey stop your yappin half breed! Why don’t you just go sniff out your food dish and leave the rest of us normal folk alone!”
Inuyasha growled fiercely at Kouga who stood laughing. Just as Inuyasha was about to lunge at the other man, Kagome stomped her foot into the dirt.
“Inuyasha sit!”
In less than a second, the once proud hanyou was lying face down in the dirt. Istra noted the beads about his neck that shone as the spell took effect and guessed that they must have been the source of his downfall. Miroku laughed and nodded toward the hut. “Well now, should we go inside to finish talking?”
Before anyone could respond, Miroku began walking with Sango close behind and soon everyone followed. As Istra passed the man on the ground, she smiled and raised her eyebrows in interest. “I could definitely use one of those for Sesshomaru.” She thought with a chuckle imagining the pristine lord with a face full of dirt.
If Istra thought the hut small before she knew she’d been wrong as the tiny hut was now full of people. Squished in between an angry hanyou and a cocky demon didn’t make the space any bigger. Rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time in the few short moments she caught the eye of the amused monk.
Clearing his throat guiltily Miroku looked around at his closest friends. “I have all gathered you here my friends because as some of you know, things will be changing.”
This caught the attention of the dueling canines as both of them turned towards the monk. Istra leaned forward frowning. “Monk, I cannot advise…” she began.
Miroku held up a hand, a gentle smile on is face. “It is quite alright Lady Istra, I trust these people, they would not betray me.” He winked. “Besides, it’s always best to have as many people as possible on your side.”
Istra lifted a skeptical brow, but leaned back wondering, not for the first time, exactly how trying this was going to be. Miroku turned again to address the group when they heard a loud crash outside the hut.
Turning to Inuyasha, Istra tilted her head, “Another friend of yours?”
Jumping to his feet, Inuyasha spared Istra a dirty look before he darted out the door. “I’ll take that as a no then.” Istra sighed as she quickly began to follow, only to be pushed aside by the wolf demon.
“Stay here wench, leave the fighting to the boys.” He grinned pushing his way out the door.
“Why the hell does everyone call me wench?” She growled pushing the cloth aside to exit the hut. Turning back she calmly told the monk and the slayer to remain. Exiting she squinted against the bright morning sun, Istra made her way down the steps toward the sounds of the hanyou’s bellowing.

Hee hee this is getting fun!