Unexpected Places

Disclaimer: *gives evil eye to whoever* Fine! Just let me play Inuyasha’s mattress and I’ll be a happy woman………..Thank you Rumiko Takahashi for letting my imagination run wild.

Shippo

It was after lunch and now she was soaring through the air on Inuyasha’s back.

For the first time in her life, she was able to have a different look on what she was missing. Never was she able to look at the world like this as if she were along for the ride, which she was; riding I mean.

With each powerful thrust of his legs they were moving over the tree tops high enough that it seemed like the doe on the ground was almost ant sized. From here she could smell the beginnings of spring. She knew this by the feel of the wind across her face, through her hair, and how it played with her skin and clothes.

The wind comforted and caressed her like she was its own. She took comfort in the wind and in return it let her play with it. She was free to experience it and that’s how she liked it.

Something pricked the edge of her hearing and it took her away from her fun. She looked across the distance of Sakura blossoms and Cherry trees, ready to bloom, to see a village that seemed to be in an uproar. It seemed like a riot was happening.

She also smelt angst on the wind along with anger; a lot of anger. As she filtered through the tons of prejudice rage, she smelt a line of fear. Glancing at Inuyasha, she knew he had smelt it before she did.

“There has to be a village nearby,” trying to keep her knowledge to herself.

“Up ahead, but I don’t know if you want to stop there. The villagers don’t smell too pleasant to deal with.” He held a frown in his expression and a look of pure anger, which you could almost say that it was his normal facade; but this look was more serious.

She had learned quite a few of his faces over the past month or so. She could almost sense a small hint of fear.

“We should stop there anyway if it’s as bad as you think.”

“I’m not guessing, I know. These people are more prejudice than back home. At least they grew to like me. Even though I can’t say that much of the headman,” he replied rather monotonously.

“Yeah,” she propped her arm on his shoulder resting her head in her hand, “He has a stick stuck up his pompous ass.” Inuyasha snickered. “It’s true though. He is so racist it isn’t funny. He doesn’t like me because I set him straight AND the villagers like me more.”

“It’s hard not to like someone like you,” he slipped realizing what he had said hoping she didn’t hear it.

His prayers weren’t fast enough.

“What are you trying to say Mr. Rough-in-Tough?” she asked a little deadpanned.

“Say what? I don’t know what you mean.”

“You can’t possibly think I didn’t hear you.” Her tone was completely dry to the petrified bone.

“Keh, whatever Neara. You must have imagined it…. Damn wench, sometimes I think you’re losing your hearing.”

She tugged his ear uncomfortably, “Listen here shithead. How long have you known me?”

“What the hell does that have to do with anything?” he grumbled.

“Just answer the damn question dog-boy,” she demanded.

“About a month.” He grumbled his answer to her. She could be very persistent sometimes. But then again, she reminded him of… himself.

It was like she was the female version of him sometimes that it was scary. Neara could be so gruff, tough, rough, stubborn, and boy could she be sarcastic and mean. It gave her an edge and a sense of independence. She was also kind, generous, loving, caring, and tender. All of the traits of a woman that she only showed when she wanted to.

She was never the same as most women. Always different. Always changing like the four seasons. Like the wind. He liked how she surprised him. She was a puzzle that he put together slowly, but would never truly understand. He was happy to have her as his friend that he could actually trust. Something he hadn’t done in a long time. He listened attentively for her words of wisdom that she was in no doubt about to give.

She knocked on his head, “Hello? Is anybody home? Inuyasha, get your ass out of your thoughts and concentrate on landing without making us fall. I’d rather get a bruise from battle, not by you dropping me. Quit daydreaming.” She resumed her pose of resting her head back in her hand.

He played around by loosening his grip on her legs and smiled when she tightened her hold on him instinctively.

“Watch out, I might relax my hold and you might fall,” he teased.

“I would no doubt land with or without you,” she retorted.

“Talking in riddles is new for you Neara. You must have taken a liking to it I suppose.”

“Quit changing the subject log-head. I was speaking to you before you started daydreaming, remember?”

“Nope.” His simple answer of negativity just to irritate her. She tugged his ear again. “A growing fascination for my ears is developing, I think.”

“Nope,” she mocked, “My mother used to do it to punish me for being unruly.”

“Keh! Unruly, my ass,” he grunted.

She rolled her eyes. “Men,” she complained. “Anyway, you have known me for a month. Do you think I’m going to hurt your manly pride and tough-man appearance if you open up a little to me Inuyasha? Now, are you going to stop in that village or do I have to make you?” He grumbled underneath his breath then sighed, glaring at her a few seconds.

“Fine,” he surrendered.

They quickly approached the village and their hate rolled off them in waves. Their prejudice rage sickened her and she put her nose in Inuyasha’s hair. This surprised him into almost missing a step. Her breath tickled the hairs on the back of his neck and sent shivers down his back. That was not good.

“I’m sorry Inuyasha, but their hatred is making me sick to the soul,” she said defeated.

“I smell fear. They seem to be chasing after something. I smell a fox. A fox youkai. And it’s only a kit.”

“Hurry Inuyasha before they kill it,” she pleaded desperately.

Inuyasha tried, but it didn’t seem like he was fast enough. When he jumped to the sky for the last time she placed her hand out behind them coaxing the wind. A gust pushed Inuyasha further through the air. He landed easily looking back in surprise.

“Where did that come from?”

“Does it matter? Hurry Inuyasha, just straight ahead.”

He didn’t bother with it anymore. “Right.”

He sprinted through the forest. Stopping before the mob, he felt his anger rising. They were creeping up onto the kit who was cowering in fear. They smiled their satisfaction and more fear pierced the fox’s heart. He clenched his fists so hard that his claws pierced his skin. Neara could feel his rage rolling off him in waves. How he was still holding on to her she didn’t know.

She slipped out of his grip walking around to look him in the eyes. Her face was stern.

“We are stronger than them and it would be so quick to kill them all.” She took his chin in her hand and made him look at her; so he wouldn’t be constantly distracted with the riot not too far away. “Never kill the helpless and those that have a screw loose in their heads. If others decide to do that then that makes one who intervenes a better person.

“Someone who goes as low as to kill the helpless and the crazies is a coward. Keep your cool Inuyasha. I will handle this. You park your ass in a tree somewhere near, but no fighting unless they oblige first. They are still helpless, but if they throw first, I’m swingin’ and you can come save me.” She smiled to relieve his anger and in all honesty it worked… somewhat.

Some of his anger ebbed away, but if those villagers put a finger on her and he would be on them. He felt a sense of pride when she acknowledged his protectiveness. She respected and trusted him and that’s all that mattered.

She turned towards the crowd and Inuyasha silently, to the human ear, perched on the limbs of a hardwood tree above the kit who cowered away with fear. He was visibly shaking and his eyes were open wide. His heart was pounding like a drum. Inuyasha knew how he felt. It was the same feeling of fear that made him shake like a leaf in the wind whenever the villagers caught him hanging around during his youth. Somehow they liked to hurt the weak and helpless. And from this show, it hasn’t changed over the years. He was still considered young by youkai standards, but would be looked at as an elder if he were human. Those years so long ago were still vivid in his mind.

Neara approached out of the shadows tisking. Some of the villagers with pitchforks turned towards the sound in almost complete surprise. A woman came out of the forest wearing a green haori and hakama that was almost Japanese oriented with a slight twist. She carried a bow of unknown origins and a quiver full of arrows, two short-swords and a scarf full of whatever across her back. She didn’t come to fight. She had no weapon at the ready.

Some men metaphorically drooled over the way her curves were showing through the clothing with how form-fitting her haori was. Her hakama was just loose enough to allow the full extent of any movement. Her sleeves billowed out to give her unlimited flexibility. She drew closer to the group.

“Honestly tell me how sane you all are if you think killing a small kit will actually satisfy you. Or will it make you all think that in killing a youkai, you will be considered heroes if you tell the story right. Even the Exterminators have greater honor than the bunch of you. I swear I have seen enough cowards in my lifetime.”

“What?!--- How dare you call us cowards! This youkai was stealing from our village. What if it wanted blood or was scouting out to report back to an army. It should die before it can give the message!” An ugly, rather small man had to sound more stupid than he looked.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. She took up a pose of frustration.

“I don’t think you should speak anymore. You have clearly made an idiot of yourself added on to the fact that you are still a coward.”

“YOU are the coward for befriending such monsters that shouldn’t be allowed to breathe. If we kill them while they are young, there will be no chance of them coming back to destroy our village!” another dim-witted man out of the crowd said.

Neara walked over to the kit and picked him up. She soothed it by giving him reassuring pats and stroking his beautifully red-bushy tail. “And picking on the defenseless will have no chance of repercussions? What if a bigger friend of his walked by at the time of his death? I’d say you would be up shit creek. There would be no need to not have a paddle because you don’t have a damn boat.”

“We kill youkai all the time and we haven’t came across one yet!”

“Speak for yourself.” Inuyasha jumped down and alighted a little to the upper left of Neara. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“You know what? Karma is a bitch. Here’s your chance to pick on someone your own size.” She walked up to Inuyasha placing a hand on his shoulder. “No maiming or killing, but I trust you have a great imagination that runs wild.”

The villagers knew a word past between them, but didn’t know what. The woman walked back into the darkness of the forest. The silver-haired demon looked towards them and something evil happened: he smirked. They all took a step back from fright. Was this revenge for what they had done in the past? Was he going to use them like toys? Was he going to play with them until their untimely death? It was hard to say. The hanyou moved.

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, “Its play time.”

Their worse fears came to life.

*

Neara walked to a safe spot. During the whole escapade Toka didn’t even bother to wake up. He had crawled inside her scarf to sleep. While holding the kit, she carefully picked fire wood.

“Inuyasha, you better bring dinner to cook,” she yelled in his general direction knowing he would hear her.

The poor thing came off his adrenalin rush and was now asleep in her arms. When she put down her scarf was when Toka finally came awake and stretched.

“You lazy cat,” Neara complained.

I can’t help it, he said with a meow pouting. His yawn was big enough to put a large pinecone in. Your aura is soothing and makes me sleepy. Even the kit fell asleep to prove my point.

She stared at him and narrowed her eyes. “He passed out from the adrenalin rush the villagers gave him by almost frightening him to death…. Think again Toka.”

He literally sat there and put on his thinking cap; metaphorically speaking of course.

“No use Toka. You’ve already ruined it with the first. I won’t believe you now.”

This conversation was funny because if you were over-hearing it then you would’ve thought she was talking to herself until the grey fur-ball would meow. And it would still be quite hilarious to hear a cat and a human holding a conversation when she could interpret the feline’s every meow.

Inuyasha came out of the forest scratching his head a few minutes later. “I didn’t know what you wanted, but these rabbits were easier to catch.”

Dog-boy was great because he brought the meat already skinned, cleaned, gutted, decapitated, and skewered. Ready to put on the fire to cook.

“You’re a life saver. My stomach was biting my back it was so hungry.” She scratched his ear appreciatively as he bent to put the meat near the fire. Again her touch sent hot shivers down his spine. He cleared his throat to help it pass quickly.

They sat around the fire waiting patiently for the food to cook.

“The kit is so small. I don’t think he will last long out here.” Neara stared up at the stars as if trying to find the answers.

“He is too young to survive. His parents are dead or else he wouldn’t have been in the village searching for food,” Inuyasha supplied.

“While I’m thinking of villagers… tell me what you did?”

“Keh,” he scoffed putting his hands behind his head and leaning against a tree trunk behind him. “It didn’t take much to scare those idiots. All I did was walk up to them and said ‘boo.’ They screamed like a bunch of pups in fright and ran off. I wasn’t in the mood for a hunt, but it was hilarious how they ran over each other just to get away.”

“Why would they try to kill a helpless child? They wouldn’t do that if it were a human boy needing food,” she said looking at the small kit she placed on her blanket.

“It’s just something they do out of fear. They might not want to believe it, but it’s true. They fear that when it is older and stronger that instead of taking food, he will take their children or more. It’s just what they do…. And lesser youkai who have no honor will instill this fear by doing it themselves. It’s all about fear.”

“No,” she refused softly, “It’s all about power. Compared to stronger youkai, the lesser youkai are weak so to seem more powerful they instill fear in the hearts of humans. Without that fear, they are not powerful. It’s the same with humans against helpless youkai.”

“And with lords and their vassals,” he interjected looking at her. The fire’s light danced across her face making her beautiful. He admitted this to himself glad that she was just his friend. He was surprised at all that she wanted his friendship. Not only was she a miko, but she was also as beautiful as his mother once was. His mother was the most beautiful hime in this land.

Neara was also a fighter like himself and her skin proved that. Her body was toned and her curves were astonishing, but he didn’t lust after her like most men did when they first caught a glimpse of her. He was more in tune with her personality. The hanyou never thought twice about her body. He didn’t look at her that way.

She could be as rough as he was. Sometimes her mouth could be worse than his. At first he was surprised that a lady dared to speak that way, but he soon became used to her brash ways. She might have been a miko, but never dressed like one or flaunted it around. She liked her privacy and open spaces. Neara definitely didn’t like to be cramped. She was loving, caring, and nice. She treated everyone as equals until they would ‘fuck up,’ as she so delicately told him one day. It was so funny how she could be so sarcastic and mean to those who deserved it, but would be nice in the blink of an eye. She was down to earth and enjoyed the simple things.

“If his parents are dead then I guess I’m gonna have to take him in,” she sighed looking over at the small fox.

There she went being nice again. Inuyasha closed his eyes and smirked knowingly. “Just like you to take in strays that can’t help themselves.”

“Look whose talking dog-boy. Just this time last moth you were helpless,” she retorted turning his words back on him.

He sat up in a start and stumbled over his words. Finally he crossed his arms and looked away. “That was different. And might I add that I wasn’t completely helpless,” he stated.

“Then who had to save you from your dear brother,” she replied in a devilishly-sweet voice.

“HALF-BROTHER!” he spat. “Besides, how could I fight a damn Taiyoukai with HUMAN BLOOD?!”

“Alright,” she settled, “I’ll give you that, but what about the villagers who wanted you on a silver platter?”

His eye twitched as he growled, “I was NAKED DAMMIT!”

“Shouldn’t have stopped you,” she retorted calmly in a sing song voice with arms crossed, eyes closed, and head turned to the side.

“I’d rather conserve my modesty thank you.” He was pouting and she knew it without looking. A pregnant pause filled the air as the last of the sun’s rays vanished behind the horizon.

A shuffle was heard and a small nose sniffed the air. Neara looked to the fire to find dinner cooked. She took the meat away from the flame. One stick was passed over to Inuyasha, who happily ate. The kit finally sat up, Neara handing him a roasted stick with rabbit meat on it. She sat with her own in a ruffle of cloth as her sleeves swung in the air. The miko pinched off a piece of meat, letting it cool before she offered it to Toka. He ate it right up.

“So, Neara what’s in the mountains?” Inuyasha asked to break the silence.

“I thought I told your doggy butt before we left on this mission,” she said in an irritated disbelieving tone.

“I forgot,” he argued.

“Aarrgh! Inuyasha, we are going to the Northern Mountains to check up on a malevolent presence villagers have been feeling.”

“Oh,” he replied around his food.

The kit stood when he had finished and bowed to them all gratefully. “Thank you for the meal,” he said.

“Where are your parents little one?” Neara asked as she fed Toka.

He sniffled a little, but refused to cry in front of the hanyou. Inuyasha seemed to beam with pride when the child refused to show him his tears. And he didn’t know why he felt this way.

“My parents died about a lunar cycle ago by the hands of two youkai named The Thunder Brothers. They live in the Northern Mountains,” the little kit said.

“I guess that solves my malevolent presence investigation. All that’s left is extermination,” she said to herself.

Inuyasha gave this chance to pipe up, “I’ll go along with that.”

Neara seemed to contemplate for a brief moment. She turned, giving the kit a pleading and hopeful look with a motherly smile. “You could come with us…” Neara left the sentence in the air for good measure.

The kit took hold of it and processed it thoroughly.

“Really?” There was a twinkle of happiness in his eyes.

“Sure,” she replied with a generous smile.

The kit barreled into her with an ‘oomph’ escaping the lips of the miko.

“Thank you so much.” His words were muffled by her stomach, but she was still able to hear him with her acute hearing.

“So, what is your name? I want to know who I’m going to save from Inuyasha when he gets into one of his fits,” she jested.

“Oh hell no…. Don’t blame that shit on me,” he argued indignantly. She turned her head and gave him a mischievous smile. He caught it lowering his eyebrows in a frown.

“Shippo.”

Neara blinked and looked down at the kit, confusion written on her face. “Pardon?”

“I said my name is Shippo,” he answered.

“Hi Shippo. Welcome to our family,” she replied pointing to the grey cat. “That’s Toka. He loves any and all attention that you can give him…. That over there is Inuyasha. Usually he’s all grumpy and macho, but he can be a sweetheart.” Inuyasha promptly growled his warning to her even though he probably would never do anything about it. “That’s my dog-boy. Showing off his dominance like a good inu should…. And I am Neara.”

“The very definition of a walking contradiction…. She is all smiles and warmth now. Wait till you see her bad side. Not a good thing especially on the receiving end,” Inuyasha interjected.

“And you have only scratched the surface with me” she retorted.

“What’s a walking con-tra-dik-shion?” Shippo pronounced the unused words on his tongue for the first time.

“Well, someone who is a walking contradiction does or is something that is completely opposite of what they actually say or do.”

Shippo tilted his head like a puzzled dog with the matching look to go along with it. He also had a rather confused eyebrow arched. Neara was lost. She didn’t know any other way to explain it.

“Don’t listen to her. She never makes sense when it counts,” Inuyasha complained.

Neara steadied her gaze on him narrowing her eyes shooting him metaphorical daggers. The lines in her face became smooth with no recognition in them except her eyes glowed cold anger to one certain inu-hanyou at the moment. He suppressed a chill that almost went down his spine.

Damn, she can stare a bear youkai down and make him become a vegetarian.

He looked down at the kitsune, “Shippo, you know what a miko is right?”

“What does that…”

“Just answer the question,” Inuyasha interrupted Neara giving her a hardened look to silently tell her to let him handle the situation.

“Ok…. A miko is a human woman that is gifted with the powers of purification granted to her by the Godds when she is born. She usually lives a solitary life helping others and killing youkai,” little Shippo responded remembering what he was taught.

“What are you Shippo?” the hanyou asked.

“I’m a kitsune youkai,” the kit replied proudly.

“And Neara just helped you from being killed, right?”

“Yes,” Shippo replied honestly, but hesitantly. Something was up and the facts were starting to become pieced together quickly.

“Do you think that’s a little contradicting of what mikos do?” he asked hinting at something very important.

“You’re a miko?” the kit asked looking up at Neara with pleading eyes wishing she said no.

She nodded looking away at Inuyasha with a death glare that spoke what she would do to him when they were alone.

He reassured her with a soft smile. “Don’t worry Shippo. She was kind enough to help me recuperate. Neara will never let anyone prey on the weak whether you are youkai or human. It is not in her nature to turn anyone down if you need help. I’m sure she would help the Godds if they needed help,” he explained by example.

“So you are a miko, someone youkai fear as an enemy, that help us when we are in need. You are suppose to kill us, but instead you help. That is quite contradicting,” Shippo acknowledged without fear.

“Don’t forget that both human and youkai can be evil at times. I only help those with good intentions. I will always help if I can, but if I can sense someone trying to take advantage of my kindness then they will only see my back as I walk away,” she said truthfully. There was no need to lie, but with Inuyasha’s statement he didn’t know how very close to the truth he was.

“She is definitely one tough boulder to break. You put up a fight against her and she will find a way to put you on the ground face first.”

Neara smiled. Inuyasha was actually admitting the time when he had snatched her good bow and jumped in the tree out of her reach. She grumbled for secretive reasons knowing that she could get up there and get it, but she couldn’t do that. With a good flick of her wrist a howling gale of wind flushed him out of the tree. She quickly had him face first in the dirt holding both of his wrists behind his back. She had them so far back that each wrist was touching an opposite elbow. She kicked her bow to the side somewhere forgotten for now.

“You forget that a devote miko should say her prayers everyday. Thank Kami that I say mine.”

Her smirk was wicked. He tried to buck her off, but she sat her ground. Even rolling over didn’t help. The only way she would let go is if he would say that she was the ‘Almighty Miko and that he lost to a woman that was a mere mortal’. Or something like that. Her apology was in the form of dinner.

“Next time I’ll hold you down and braid your hair,” she warned him.

That was a great moment. Neara smiled at the memory.

“Alright Shippo. It’s time you got some sleep. We need to get up early to start the day early,” she said in a motherly domineering voice, but also with a smile.

***

“I have brought you two here because you both have the strength to pull this off. I wouldn’t give this mission to any weak youkai, that is a sure fact. The problem is, I have lost something precious to me and I want it back.

“The last I sensed it was on its way to the North Mountains. The other problem is that it’s pure, but powerful. If you are lucky enough you will probably sense it yourself. Do whatever you need to get it back. Take as many men as you like. Be fast, I want it back immediately.”

“Yes Lord Naraku. We, The Thunder Brothers, have never left a mission incomplete,” the taller of the two men said. He was of fair complexion with black-long-braided hair. His eyes were a medium shade of red with slits for pupils. This gave him a most evil look. His armor was polished and he sported a triton as his weapon of choice, for he was lightning. Upon his feet he adorned fiery wheeled anklets that helped him to fly. He was a hot-head, but a pretty boy.

His brother was the complete opposite. He looked much like a toad. He had a small patch of hair towards the nape of his neck, but was none-the-less braided and proud that he had some. To the top of his head he had three precious strands of raven black hair. That was all that was left so he took immaculate care of them. His armor was also polished and his eyes were a dark shad of blue. Wrapped around his girth was the pelt of an adult kitsune youkai.

It closely resembled Shippo in many ways.

“Go now before it disappears,” Naraku ordered.

“Yes my lord,” the toad said. They both bowed while saluting with their hands fisted across their chests then turned and walked out.

“This should prove interesting,” the pretty boy said.

“Highly,” the brother remarked curiously.

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

A/N: Hmmm.......*taps chin with finger* What to say? What to say? Ummm.......hope you enjoy, blah, blah, blah, and I want some REVIEWS blah, blah, blah. Insert evil laugh right *here* and maybe if you're good I'll thicken the plot to your liking. Hey, if you have any suggestions about what you want in maybe some later chapters then email me and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Inserting them in the chapters I mean. Oh, and if you want to be notified on when I update then leave your email and tell me in a review please.

Thank you for the reviews so, so very much and once again Peacemaker you are da man! *cry, sniffle, sob*

Anywho; love, peace, and chicken grease

IL20