Baby Inu

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I am making no money from this.

Chapter 8

I woke up to soft growling and opened my eyes to see Inuyasha standing in front of me with arms folded across his chest. His ears were laid back, flat against the sides of his head. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand, hoping that he wouldn't hear me trying not to laugh. I saw his ear twitch and lost my attempts at restraint. I laughed. Inuyasha spun around at glared at me.

“What the hell are you laughing at, wench?” he growled at me.

I tried, I really did, but I couldn't stop laughing. He kept growling as he glared at me.

“Stop laughing!”

“I..hehe...I'm sorry,” I stuttered while I laughed and tried to sit up, “I...don't...hehe...you just..”

“I what?!” he snarled, “ What are you laughing about?”

“You...hehe..I'm..sorry, I...Inu...Inuyasha,” I stuttered out, “You...you look like an...angry...puppy.”

His growl deepened before he blushed and turned away from me in a huff. I calmed down and moved to sit next to him where he'd dropped down by the fire.

“You're a cute angry puppy,” I told him with a soft smile, “I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I wasn't really laughing at you. You just looked so cute!”

“Honestly, Master Inuyasha,” Myoga spoke up, “Your mother often had to hide her smile and laughter when you were angry.”

“Feh, whatever.”

“I suggest that you take MoMo for the rest of your journey,” Totosai said, “I'll make sure the horse is taken care of.”

“Thank you, Totosai,” I said as Inuyasha huffed.

We ate breakfast and climbed onto MoMo's back with Myoga as Totosai led Storm away. We stopped a few hours after mid-day in a clearing near a stream. Inuyasha and I went hunting. We returned with a couple of rabbits. He helped me get them ready and over the fire.

We ate the rabbits once they were and cooked. After lunch, I walked over to a section of the stream that was blocked from view by large rocks to bathe. I heard Inuyasha splashing around as he too bathed in the warm stream. I dressed in clean clothes and met him back by the fire. I set out my bedding for something to sit on and started brushing out my hair as Inuyasha joined me. He blushed when I finished my hair and started on his.

“Feh,” he huffed, “We better be able to fix this soon.”

“We'll find a way, Inuyasha,” I promised him, “Even if that means destroying Naraku and using the Jewel.”

“You...you would risk using the jewel?”

“If you want me to.”

“I...Kagome...we don't know what the jewel would do,” he said uncertainly, “Even if I have to stay this way forever, don't use the jewel. Not for this. I think...the jewel would just twist it and who knows what that would do.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

As the sun went down and night fell, I saw the full moon in the sky and smiled. I yawned and stretched out on my bedding. Inuyasha blushed deeply as he curled up with me.

“Keh. Wench,” he grumbled, “You've got me use to sleeping near you now.”

“I'm...*yawn*...sorry, Inuyasha.”

“Feh. Didn't say it was a bad thing,” he whispered, “Good night, Kagome.”

“Good night, Inuyasha.”

I woke up in the morning to Myoga's excited voice and Inuyasha's angry growling. I sat up and saw Inuyasha tearing about a small boar that was already cooked. Inuyasha looked up at me with fangy smirk.

“Keh, so much for every fourth day,” he teased.

I sat up and looked at him in surprise.

“You're still...”

“Feh, yeah, my mind is still normal.”

“Perhaps your mind will now stay this way!” Myoga suggested happily.

“Keh, guess we'll find out,” he said, “Totosai dropped off the meat for the day.”

“That was nice of him.”

“Keh.”

We packed up the meat and ate a quick breakfast before packing up our belongings and climbing onto MoMo's back again. We flew until just before mid-day when Myoga directed us to a clearing with a large hut in it. We landed and hopped down off of MoMo's back.

“Hiromi!” Myoga called out as we walked up to the hut, “Hiromi!”

An elderly woman stepped out of the hut. I frowned slightly as I couldn't tell whether she was a demon or not, her aura was confusing.

“Is that Myoga I hear?” she called out.

“Yes! It is I, Myoga,” he replied to her, “We need your help, Hiromi.”

“Who have you brought to me, old friend?” she asked.

“I have brought Master Inuyasha, youngest son of the Inu no Taisho,” he answered, “And his close friend, the young Shikon Miko, Lady Kagome.”

“Ah, Inuyasha,” Hiromi greeted him as she turned to us, “I thought you'd be older.”

“Feh.”

“That is the problem, Hiromi,” Myoga explained, “Inuyasha was hit with a spell. Lady Kagome used a barrier that saved his adult mind from being destroyed, but the spell still changed him.”

“I see,” Hiromi said quietly as she stepped forward and reached out a hand to Inuyahsa.

I gasped in surprise when I her power flare up, a perfect blend of miko and demon energies. She flashed a quick smile at me before she refocused on Inuyasha. He power wrapped around him and she frowned.

“This spell has been altered from it's original purpose,” she told us, “Not just because you still have access to your adult mind. This was spell was altered to completely wipe away your memory. It was never meant to do such a thing.”

“Can it be reversed?” Inuyasha asked nervously.

“You are already fighting it,” she told him, “I can give a potion that will help you fight it, by strengthening your...mental strength...but you must fight it yourself.”

“Is there anything that I can do to help him?” I asked her.

“Yes,” she answered, “Keep him near you, at all times. You shielded his adult mind. You are the reason he is able to fight the spell.”

“I would never leave him when he needs me,” I told her firmly.

“Good,” she said with a pleased smile, “Come inside, I will fix up the potion.”

We followed her into the hut and sat down by the fire as she started to combine herbs and other things into a large bowl.

“This potion will strengthen the protection you have given him,” she started to explain, “And it will strength your mental...force of will, I suppose you could call it, Inuyasha. I can not give you a time frame for when you will be able to break the spell. The spell is very strong and may take time to break.”

“Thank you for helping us,” I told her.

“Anything for an old friend like Myoga,” she told me with a smile, “And the son of the Inu no Taisho and Izayoi.”

“You knew my mother?” Inuyasha asked her in surprise.

“Oh, yes, your mother was a wonderful woman.”

“That she was,” Myoga agreed.

We talked with Hiromi while her potion brewed. She shared memories of Inuyasha's parents with us and I could see, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, that he treasured every moment and every word. Hiromi had Inuyasha drink the potion as soon as it was finished. He made a face at the taste and I gave him a sympathetic smile.

“I know, the taste is quite vile,” Hiromi acknowledged, “But it will help. Stay here tonight. You will be safe here in my home. And you need to rest now.”

“Thank you.”

She started putting together a stew for dinner and shooed me away when I offered to help. I sat with Inuyasha and watched her work.

“Kagome?” Inuyasha spoke quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you, for being here.”

I smiled softly at him and decided not to question him.

“You're welcome, Inuyasha.”

Once Hiromi's stew was finished, we all sat around the fire and talked quietly as we ate. After dinner, we settled in for the night and setup our bed. I smiled as Inuyasha looked longingly at Tessaiga. I set our barrier and stretched out. Inuyasha blushed as he stretched out beside me. I closed my eyes and quietly let myself fall asleep.